Diary of a Working Married Mother: Why I welcome the ill-mannered

What you need to know:

Because of the nature of my work, I do not have to deal with the clients physically.  So I have no idea what most of them look like

In my line of work, I deal with very many people. Apart from the staff, I handle several clients every day.  Because of the nature of my work, I do not have to deal with the clients physically.  So I have no idea what most of them look like.  However, a few days ago, I met someone I have been interacting with since last year. We have talked on phone and exchanged messages on WhatsApp, but had never met face to face.

When I met this person, she was nothing like what I expected. From her accent and her name, it seemed obvious that she was not Ugandan. From her phone etiquette, I could tell she is a professional who takes her job seriously.  Because she sounded warm and pleasant, I assumed she might look something like me. I imagined a lady of average height and weight, but probably fairer in complexion.

She was nothing of the sort. First of all, she towered over me. If Big Momma was a person, I think that would be her. She was as welcoming as she sounded on phone. I was surprised to learn that she holds a big post in her organisation. She has no airs about her and does not expect any special treatment because of her title.

Unlike her, some, if not most, of the people I deal with, feel so entitled. They think they are the only ones who can provide solutions to our needs. They are aggressive and sometimes downright rude in their pursuit of business with us. They name drop and hint at their relationships with people in higher places. And if all this fails, as inevitably it always does, they change tactics.

One guy decided that I might be swayed if he offered me “lunch”.  I told him if he could not be professional, he should forget the idea of working with us.  It seems he got the message and is now humbler in his communication.

I treasure these encounters with such clients who generally go out of their way to make life difficult for two main reasons.

First, it gives me an opportunity to point out the errors of the person’s ways. And secondly, it gives me a chance to live out my principles and, hopefully, serve as an example to those who need it.

Back to the lady I met recently. It turns out I was nothing like she expected either. She thought I was a round, plump woman not the ‘16-year-old’ she was looking at. She seemed genuinely amused to see a whole different person from what she expected, which made me wonder what I sound like on phone. But I chose to enjoy the compliment. It is not every day that I get to hear that I appear to be as young as my first born.