Do you have a return?

Leave it to God to stick me in retail to teach me how much I am NOT a people person. "But Dana you're so friendly and fun".....when I've had coffee. Ok, yes I am friendly. I enjoy my FRIENDS. I enjoy the company of people I actually KNOW. People I don't know...different story. I came up with this saying years ago to describe me, "For an extrovert, I'm really introverted". This is me. When it comes to people I don't know I have no clue what to say. I suck at conversation starters. I am that person that will discuss the weather because I have nothing else to say. The crazy thing is I am great with strangers........ STRANGER DANGER!!!........sorry..ADD moment. I am so great with my customers at work. I will talk and talk with them about absolutely nothing. IF I have had my coffee I actually don't mind it. However, on days like today...I just really could care less what they have to say. Mean right? I don't even want to ask how they are doing because if they respond with "JUST LOOKING" (which is not an answer to the question I asked) I may start pegging shoes at them until they run away. Mean right? I'm such a meany.

Today I had to make a return....ugh it was tough to return too. I had gotten 2 pairs of really cute pants from Lane Bryant that fit me PERFECTLY! However, a sure sign of maturity is choosing my family's well being over pants that make my assests look lovely. So I took them back today. I get to the register and there is a lady in front of me ordering something online. The blessed lady working the register looks at me with my bag and ask if I have a exchange. I tell her I have a return. She ask if I want to look around for anything else and I tell her no thank you. So she goes back to helping the lady in front of me. She then comes from behind the cash wrap, looks at me again and ask if I have an exchange...Now I'm confused. I could have sworn I just told her less than 4 seconds ago that I had a return. I tell her again, no ma'am I have a return. She then proceeds to yell at her co-worker (who just so happens to be at the front of the store) "COME DO THIS RETURN"....gee thanks for calling me out. So this woman comes up and doesn't say hello, how are you, i hate your guts for screwing up our numbers with your return. She ask if I have a receipt proceeds with the return with an attitude. Here I am trying to be responsible and do the right thing and this lady is giving me an attitude because it's not benefiting her. I leave the store feeling like I NEVER want to shop here again because of how I was treated.

How many times do we treat those who aren't so nicely polished according to our Christian standards? They come into our churches looking all kinds of things (trashy, skanky, dirty, poor, etc) and instead of assisting them we treat them with disdain. Who knows the reason why the unsaved come to church but should that be any of our concern? Our job is to love them, make them feel welcomed into the kingdom of God and roll out the red carpet because they are loved by our heavenly father. If God says they are loved..then whom am I to agrue with that. Why shun them? Why look at them rather than talk to them? Why expect the hospitality team to great them? Why leave their eternity in the hands of someone else when God placed them on your heart? They are in the perfect place to return their hurt, pain, addictions, worries, fears, bad habits, sin, and exchange if for God's peace, love, salvation. We may think they don't care but our attitudes will speak volumes louder than our words.

I felt sooo convicted. I know when someone walks into my store carrying a Nine West bag or box I already know they have a return and start to build up my attitude because they are hurting my numbers for the day. I had the sweetest lady come in today who has Parkinson's Disease. She couldn't stop her head from shaking. She bought a pair of shoes, worn them but they hurt her feet...my intial reaction "OH WELL". Good thing my store manager is more forgiving. She already approved for this lady to exchange her worn shoes. After helping her for about 20 minutes God started giving me a spiritual whooping. This woman was extremely sweet and wasn't trying to be dishonest. She was having her second back surgery shortly and needed comfortable shoes to wear.

I told my store manger before I left that I have a new vow....No more attitudes with returns. I'm adopting this in every area of my life. When I run across someone who may not have anything that will benefit me, instead of building up a wall, I'm going to extend my arms and love and serve them however they may need it. I definitely got a good glimpse of how my customers may feel when I have an attitude about their returns..... :( not pretty. Sigh...maybe one day I'll get this whole thing together :)