Treat others the way you would like to be treated.
It is not a complicated concept by any means, yet the age-old adage is rarely practiced these days.
And especially not by complaining customers.
Take, for example, the sheer multitude of complaints in the media this year about rude taxi drivers, impolite servicestaff and the like.
At first glance, it is easy to agree with the person making the complaint. After all, nobody likes to be treated badly as a customer.
But seldom do we see the other side of the story ? the side where we, as ugly Singaporeans, are to blame.
A few weeks ago, I commented to a colleague, as we returned to the office from an appointment, on how polite our taxi driver had been.
Her response was so simple, and yet the thought hadn't even crossed my mind.
'Maybe he was nice to us because we were nice to him,' she said. Right then, it hit me.
Why should a taxi driver, or any service provider for that matter, have to put up with being treated badly?
Say you get in a cab one day and you are in a hurry to meet a friend. You bark your destination at the driver, don't take the trouble to specify your preferred route, and then, click your tongue when the vehicle gets stuck in the midst of a traffic jam.
So, when you raise your voice at the driver to berate him for taking the 'wrong' route, and he answers back in a tone that may be construed as impolite, does that mean he is to be immediately condemned and incessantly complained about?
I think not.
It seems to be in our nature to air our grievances publicly.
Take a look at our local forums be it online or in the press and you will be inundated with such stories.
It can be argued that the customer is always right, but to what extent can we use that convenient line?
I think it's unfortunate that taxi drivers typically end up with the short end of the stick.
We tend to forget how their job has its downside, just like any other.
Just last week, it was reported that a cabby had been attacked by a drunk passenger.
His car was then stolen by the inebriated man.
Though the carjacker eventually surrendered to the police, the incident left the driver so shaken he said he would take an indefinite break from cab driving.
Aside from safety concerns, I've heard stories about friends of friends who find great sport in making a run for it without paying for their journey.
We should remind ourselves about how difficult it can get for the cabbies trying to make an honest living, despite facingsuch setbacks.
On a personal level, I have found that about 95 per cent of my taxi rides have been pleasant.(Taxis are my primary form of transportation, with at least one trip made daily.)
On one occasion, I boarded a cab five minutes before the end of the newly-introduced 35 per cent peak-period surcharge.
I exchanged pleasantries with the driver, then told him my destination and preferred route.
To my surprise, instead of activating the meter as soon as we started the journey, the taxi driver informed me, quite happily,that he would wait a few minutes before doing so.
'Otherwise, you'd have to pay extra. It's only five minutes,' he reasoned.
His kindness made my day.
So I urge my fellow Singaporeans to try being nicer. It certainly makes a world of difference.
