The Quitter...The Tale of When "I Quit" Is The Best Answer



My Mom Never Quits!

Growing up in my household we were taught to never quit, keep going, suffer through until your perseverance paid off and you came out on top. When someone would whine and sulk themselves into a quitter attitude, we'd remind the pouter, "You're a Debee don't quit, it's not in our genes."

Now I'm sure the phrase, "Never, say never," has been used in households across America in the same manner as "never quit," but there is a time when one should throw in the towel, give up and call it quits. And even though a Debee never quits, this one time it was necessary, in fact if it wasn't done I dare say, would have been detrimental...   The following true story will tell you why...

My mother is the picture of a model worker, prompt, ethical, always ready to go the extra mile to please. She takes personal pride in a job well done. She started her own cleaning business that grew by word of mouth and had a waiting list because her reputation was highly regarded.

One day Mary called to inquire about my mother's availability and since another client either moved or passed away a spot was open for a new client so my mother entertained the call. Now Mary was a nurse and being a nurse she had high standards concerning the cleanliness of her home. She lived under the "white glove" standard and expected none less from the service provided by my mother. This staunch standard didn't cause my mothers eye to bat, that was what her business was built on in the first place.

The first few months went by with ease and with glorious compliments on a job well done. THEN an odd phone message set the downward spiral to those infamous words we all have wished to say at one time in our life or another.... "I QUIT!"

The message started with a higher than thou tone and when you hear that you know you are in for a harangue, so you get your eyes set for some rolling, cock your head to the side with your arm on your hip and get ready to take it.

Of course the preliminary sentence is a bunch of 'blah, blah's', you want the discomfort out of the way so you wait patiently until the point is made. Mary's started off with a bunch of, "I know, because" statements proving she is the end all of the argument before one is even made then finally she gets to the point of the call, her dissatisfaction.

Now, do not get me wrong, customer service requires you listen to complaints, work them out and please your customer any way you can, it is good business, (you knew there had to be a but) BUT what do you do with the customer that is not going to be pleased until your groveling, licking their toes, crying in admittance that they are right and you are so wrong you should stay at your lowly level FOREVER? The customer from hell, in this case Grendel's Dam incarnate needs to be shown the other shoe of customer service, not the one that says, "the customer is always right" the one that says, "don't let the door hit you on the way out."

Back to the call: Grendel's Dam, oops I mean Mary called to voice her utter disgust in finding a single pubic hair on the floor of the bathroom. Obviously this forensic evidence found at the end of the day by "white glove" Mary gave her reason to come to the conclusion my mother was slacking on the job, therefore, presenting her the right to berate and belittle without first giving benefit of the doubt.

Of course my mothers was beside herself. Being the hardworking, pleasing person she is she re-hashed the cleaning of Mary's house over and over trying the remember if she could have over looked that particular bathroom. No, she did that bathroom and to utter perfection, how could have that absurd pubic hair made its way to the floor so visually front and center as to catch Mary's irrate attention?

The answer came to my mom, it was Mary's husband, he arrived home as she was leaving and mentioned getting cleaned up before Mary got home. She called to explain the scenario and clear the lines so life could go on. It was my mother giving the benefit of the doubt and extending the friendly hand of customer service to make everyone happy, and get back to the normal working environment. Phew, there is an end in site to this ridiculous situation.

My mother gets Mary on the phone and explains what took place but do you think Grendal's Dam has a smidgen of humility. No, monster women don't understand the concept. Instead it was denial on Mary's part, how dare he do his human natural function before I get home from work, "No, it has to be YOUR pubic hair." WHAT? Where was the husband, ask him yourself?  Oh, he went A-WOL, I would too if Grendal's Dam was my wife.

By this time you should know what my mother had to do, the "other" foot of customer service needed to be put on, laced up and used to its full extent. The way my mother used that shoe was gracious and I remember beaming with pride as I heard the words beautifully roll out of her mouth to finalize this lethal customers transaction.... " I QUIT!"

My Mother is still the one who came out on top!

Update: Susan Debee now owns a deli in Downtown Denver with her husband John and their customers love them.