Discovering life - The service is the service
Have I been alive today / in the last few days?
Yes!
Today, the joy of having reached a milestone on the boat came through more and more...it feels really good. And I enjoyed sitting and chatting with a friend and her sweet daughter in the café after work.
What new things have I discovered about life?
I've been thinking a lot about services and service providers today.
Serve unpaid
I am often asked for a favour / service. Often from complete strangers. I usually receive enquiries almost daily asking if I could publish a book for someone or recommend a publisher who would publish their novel, short stories, poems or cookery books. The advice is, of course, expected free of charge. I usually reply immediately. Short, clear and friendly. I usually give one or two tips to help them make progress in their search. I like to help/serve people - even if they don't pay me for it. Of course, this is only possible up to a certain limit. If someone spends 15 minutes explaining to me why I should definitely publish their book, even if I've already made it clear that it doesn't fit into our programme, I'm no longer so happy. But I am happy to give people a few minutes of my time and a few ideas. (For anyone who now has the idea of asking me: I only know my way around guidebooks / non-fiction books. And we only publish compact guides (impulse booklets / quadros). For all other book categories, good booksellers are far more competent contacts).
Price performance
Of course, the price/performance ratio must be right. That is the basis. I have schon once ended my collaboration with a freelancer because he charged me 5 euros for every PDF he created of texts. I asked other people in the same field who assured me that creating and sending a PDF would never take longer than 2 minutes. For 2 minutes, 5 euros is an hourly rate of 150 euros. I didn't want to pay that after all. And because he wouldn't budge from his price expectations, I looked for someone else.
Gladly serve
I then thought about what - in addition to a fair price-performance ratio - makes a good service provider - regardless of whether it is a masseur, a freelancer or a company that you use. In many places, the service is practically interchangeable. Almost anyone can shorten skirts and alter trousers. I love my alterations tailor because not only does he offer good service, but every time I bring something to him, he tells me that he is happy to do it for me.
Similar to my pharmacy. Recently, a medicine I needed to loosen up my tense muscles was out of stock. The employee ordered it for me - that's standard. When I said I couldn't pick it up in the afternoon, but needed it in the evening, she promised to put it in my letterbox - and told me that she'd get it for me. with pleasure would do for me!
In the past, I've ended working with service providers who were very professional but unfriendly or stuffy in tone. It's no fun working with people who can't listen well, who can only hear themselves and their own opinions or who are simply often in a bad mood - people who almost make you feel like a burden. They may do something, but they don't like to serve.
When I asked a BVG employee how best to get to an underground station when I was new to Berlin, he told me "It's best to take a taxi." He obviously didn't enjoy explaining to me which underground and suburban train I should take, even though that's exactly what he was paid to do.
What new things have I discovered about myself
It's good to share in successes
I am also a service provider in many places. And I realised how nice it is when people say "thank you". Of course they pay for many services - but a "thank you" still does me good. Today I received a particularly valuable thank you. I have been working with the Hotel Romantischer Winkel in Bad Sachsa together. They have developed a holistic wellness concept, and I have added input from my swing concept and coaching knowledge in some areas and trained employees. They will soon receive an award for the concept, which has already won several prizes.
To mark the occasion, they wrote a letter to the service providers they work with - a real one on paper. They thanked them - because without the support of and cooperation with good service providers, their success would not have been possible. It touched me so much that I almost cried. Someone sees that I have played a part in their success and honours and recognises that.
This goes in the box with my good intentions. To not "just" say "thank you" to people in general and service providers in particular, but to explain to them how they have contributed to my happiness/success etc. - and to thank them for it.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank the WordPress programmers...and Daniel and Markus, who helped me set up the blog - without you I wouldn't be able to write here....you help me to pass on ideas and inspire people. Thank you!
I didn't realise that you were asked almost daily for tips on publications or publishers, and I was one of them once by email. That's why I wanted to thank you again for the brief but valuable advice with the quadros and the literature. I have now worked through them and found them very helpful.
Serving and setting yourself apart is always a difficult tension for me. Where does charity begin and where does it turn into being exploited?
Kind regards
Silke
Hello, dear Silke, how nice that my tips were helpful for you. Yes, it's always a question of balance and wisdom how to deal with the limited resource of time. I am still learning.
Hello Kerstin,
wonderful title - very creative and true play on words and an article with a really good spirit - thank you.
Greetings and blessings,
Jens
Thank you, Jens!