What does it cost to be nice? My job requires travel – lots of it (you are always an expert when you are 50 miles away from home!).
My travel gives me the opportunity to see people in many venues. Regardless of the situation, nice almost always trumps nastiness. I mean really, what can a flight attendant do when there is a crying baby? It’s not the server’s fault when the kitchen messes up the order, or is it the hotel front desk person’s fault when the room isn’t ready for check in?
The reality is they are much more likely to help people when they are approached in a pleasant rather than an attacking manner. No one wants to be put on the defensive.
Remember to smile and say, “Please” before asking for what you want. To quote my Aunt Lois and an age-old maxim, “You catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar.”