When the plane is delayed you get a $10 airport retail food voucher.
When they forget about your coffee, sometimes you’ll get a voucher for your next one free.
A few times, they’ve forgotten an entire meal I’ve ordered – to then offer a free side of chips.
Most of the time, this “token” is given by an employee who is on at the time.
Unfortunately, it also often seems to be a way to hide from further emotional labour. A way of “evening out” the fact that you were missed, or perhaps not “seen” amongst the fray.
The thing is though, you can’t quantify a lack of human connection or acknowledgement.
It takes a lot of guts for whoever is on deck to bring the situation back to a human level:
“Hi there, I am really sorry. I can see you here now, and I want to say that I appreciate you’re frustrated with this situation.”
As humans, we love to be acknowledged more than almost anything. It brings a sense of belonging and we can even notice a shift in our breathing and physical tension.
And yep ,from this new, more human position, the free coffee on the house is a great idea!
