A client recently returned a survey card on the appearance of the clinic, courtesy, professionalism, and empathy of the staff, and value of services. We were pleased to see all outstanding scores, but her note "I appreciated the kindness of the staff and doctors. Proverbs 16:24" made me curious. Here is the reference:
Proverbs16:24 Gracious words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.
Although this quote referred to the words of our staff, her kind sentiments were sweet to my soul and a reminder that graciousness, aside from being good manners, reflects an appreciation and respect for others and the level of composure of one's own soul.
This is a timely message as we are experiencing frustrating local phone service problems. In talking to tech support, it is easy to vent about inefficiencies and unresolved issues, but at the other end of the line is someone who is generally trying their best to work within what is an imperfect sytem. Even someone who comes across as rude deserves a basic level of respect. Who knows what frustrations they are experiencing? Perhaps ones that make call forwarding problems seem pretty insignificant.
