I still
remember 3 particular words that are just etched upon my mind from a lecture
presented in college, even if I don’t remember a word of the core concept being
taught then during the lecture. These 3 words are essential to an aspiring
journalist like me and any other human being for that matter. Okay I have done
enough of beating around the bush, and those 3 words I present to you with a flourish of my arms and an
imaginary drum roll: “Courtesy costs nothing”. There, I said it. If your face
has that questioning look that accuses me of stating a fact that I took 5
sentences to introduce, then please hear me out. I accept that it is difficult
to communicate in a polite manner in stressful situations such as during
meetings or even when a person is about to just sit down to eat dinner, but it
bodes well to be agreeable to the other person, and not talk like one’s got
daggers lined up right beside them that they are going to fling haphazardly. I
have been piqued because I faced two unpleasant experiences with two very
irksome people. One was the editor of a big media house, and another a
god-knows-what in some motorcycle showroom. Two very contrasting situations,
and you might quirk an eyebrow at me and ask me, “But showroom employees are
nice to prospective customers. Why would they be rude?” The editor could be
justified by saying that he is in a top-notch position where he deals with too
many people and does not have time for any Tom, Dick and Harry calling to
inquire about internships. And the sales
manager dude? What would be his excuse? Hmm, I don’t feel like both of these
guys need a justification for that kind of outright dis-courteousness. To these
guys, I address from here the message I want to hammer into their brains. I understand that Chennai is a hot place to
work at and it is not easy to handle the heat outside and the heat at work. But
I would like to point out that it is NOT okay to just slam another person on
the phone ( being me here) who is trying to hold on to every bit of her
patience here and not lash out at you like a leather whip at the hands of a 21st
century Phoolan Devi! No matter what position you hold at your workplace, don’t
forget that the other person on the phone is a) a human being just like you and
b) the reason you earn your bread and butter. Remember that if you cannot be
something as simple as courteous, you are a petty person no matter whether you
are oh-so-friendly in your social circle or you use a religious caller tune to
establish your virtuous personality (what an irony, don’t you think?) And again
I address the two above mentioned people to tell you that I may be younger to
you in age and not have that expertise you clutch so close to your heart, but
your tongue is vile and that it will eclipse your merits otherwise. I conclude
with three words that I hope is like a prick to your otherwise tolerable
personality: Mind your voice.
