Often, news can be kinda depressing.
I would know, I write it.
But I’m also a firm believer in finding touching stories and sharing them with the world. Open my newspaper and among the tragedies, fires, police arrests and frustrating politics, you’ll find stories of charity, compassion and extraordinary kindness. That’s a promise.
So, on my commute home from work, on this uncharacteristically frigid December month (seriously, it’s usually cold in Ottawa but not THIS cold), I heard a story that warmed my heart.
It’s nothing miraculous, not a story of death-defying bravery or unfathomable generosity, but rather, an everyday occurrence that one shop owner tried to better, one cup of coffee at a time.
At a particular café in France, La Petite Syrah, manager Fabrice Pepino noticed an increase of customers who were in a rush to get their caffeine fix and thus, forgetting to use common courtesy.
So he implemented a new rule: one that would inject just a little more kindness into the everyday drudgery of the clientele.
He erected a sign saying ordering a typical cup of coffee with a “Bonjour” (Hello) and “S’il vous plaît” (Please) would go for 1.40 euros (around $2) a cup. But, customers who forgot to say hello, would pay nearly $4 more and about $8 more if they skipped both.
The real encouraging part of the story, however, is not that the café did a solid for service industry staff everywhere by reminding customers that being a jerk will cost you, but it’s that Pepino reported never having to enforce the rule. Since the sign went up, not a single $10 coffee has been sold.
I said thank you for this coffee … I swear
During this holiday season, I couldn’t help but think this small piece of news served as a nice reminder about how a little kindness can go a long way.
There’s nothing worse than someone who brings everyone else down when they’re having a bad day. And I don’t say this as a disgruntled service industry worker (many of the nuts have worked part time bar/restaurant jobs for many, many years), but I say it as just a regular human who believes that the smallest niceties can brighten even the grumpiest person’s day.
Perhaps that’s the secret to Starbucks’ success? Try going in there and not engaging in a pleasant conversation with staff and their ever-present bubbliness. That kind of positivity rubs off on you, whether you’re still wiping the sleep out of your eyes, or not.
So, this Christmas and carrying over to the New Year, make sure you put a smile on your face, say your p’s and q’s, thank your waitress, maybe even pick up the tab for the person behind you in the drive-thru at Timmy’s.
Because, in my opinion, that kind of holiday spirit should last the whole year long.
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