I am perpetually amazed, but I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised, at the way I am treated sometimes. I am an adult who is capable of communicating with others in person, on the phone, and electronically. I expect conversations to develop in a certain way, as I am sure everyone does. I don’t think that my expectations are unreasonable. And, I don’t think my expectations are vastly different from anyone else’s.
Do You Expect the Truth?
Yes, that is a serious question – do you expect people to tell you the truth? I do. Sure, they may use some exaggeration and shading, but essentially the truth will be in there somewhere. So, much to my surprise (anger), I confronted the person at the dealership who had “helped me” in having my car serviced in June. I asked why the paperwork listed something being “recommended but declined by customer,” which had never happened. Then, (not) surprisingly, this person doubled-down and attempted to tell me why I had declined it, including fanciful details of a phone conversation that had never occurred. (I should mention that this interaction happened after I had picked up my car, driven two miles, and then returned to the garage because a warning light lit up on the dash.) Needless to say, I will never return for service at a location where I know they will lie to my face and then expect me to believe it and/or say nothing.
Do You Expect Respect?
Beyond the issue of truth and lies, there is another issue here – respect. Should you expect respect? Absolutely! Should you expect that you will receive respect? Not so much. For any “first interaction” with someone, I have learned that I really have no idea what may happen. I know what I expect from reasonable human beings, but I know reality often falls short. Sadly, that also can apply to interactions with people who I “thought I knew” or I “assumed” would respect my abilities, experience, etc. Nope. I am reminded frequently that receiving respect is not assured…but I’m still going to expect it.