There are customers. And then there are customers, who really appreciate the services, you provide. Rather than just utilizing them. Like due delivery on something paid for. And some – very few, but nevertheless, they exist – are just plain arseholes.

Not realising, that many services can only be provided well or in whole with their cooperation. And often, other relevant factors uncontrollable to the actual person providing the service influence their experience to a great extend.

Take, what I do for a living: offering golf sport. We can be perfect in what we do (which we are not, but very often we are pretty damn good at it), offering immaculate grounds, great facilities, friendly staff, running operations smoothly and in the end serve them with delicious food and drink, all for a reasonable price. And still, my customer can go home, having had a rotten time. Because the weather sucked. Or, much more likely to happen, because their golf sucked. Or the people he or she played with were absolute nutters, ruining their day. Or maybe they don’t like golf in the first place, who knows.

Sometimes I stand in wonder and look at folk, who come out to the golf course, seemingly for one reason only: to not enjoy themselves. Often ruining everybody elses day in the process, too. But after a while you learn to separate bad temper, moods and caprice from valid complaints.

But then, there is also the other side of the coin. People, who show their appreciation. Thanking you nicely, sometimes even leaving a tip.  And I am happy to say, this is by far the majority.

Last night was special, for instance. A couple invited all of the team out for dinner in town, just to say thanks. They ran their own service business until recently and they explained, that this is how they wanted to thank us for sweetening up their retirement so far. And boy, did we all have a real good time out together!