Glamourous Toll Booth!
Pulling into the Portlaoise toll booth and I know I am making good time for the meeting in the centre of Dublin, as long as traffic into the city is OK. That can be a lottery at times ..
As usual you scramble for change as you pull into the quietest toll booth.
“How are you today?”
I wasn’t expecting that.. as I look up I discover the voice behind the friendly greeting was a smiling and very glamorous woman, well groomed, perfect make-up, blonde hair and wearing a very neat blouse and accessorised with necklace and earrings. My guess is that she could be in her early fifties.
She quickly hands me my 20 cent change and I am moving again.
I certainly wasn’t expecting that friendly greeting, but why not? I guess we can quickly get too used to the, no rapport, nothing interaction type of interpersonal transaction that can happen so often on the phone, in the shop, at the coffee shop, at the train station or anywhere that we quickly interact with people.
Somehow the toll booth was not a place where I was expecting a friendly interaction like that.
I am guessing that working at the Portlaoise toll booth was not my glamourous woman’s dream job but she has clearly decided that she is going to do it in the best possible way, with pride, efficiency and personality.
All the thousands of drivers on their monotonous journeys who she deals with everyday benefit from her decision to do her job in this way.
Glamourous blonde toll booth woman, thank you … and thank you to anyone who is not exactly doing their dream job but makes a decision to do it the best possible way, with pride and with a friendly smile.
Greg Canty is a partner of Fuzion
Tags: Customer Care, Fuzion, Fuzion Communications, Fuzion PR, Greg Canty, Marketing, Portlaoise toll, Positive Thinking
Greg Canty Fuzion Blog 
June 21, 2011 at 8:34 am |
I agree whole heartily with you Greg that people who are not in their ideal jobs are to be thanked, when they do their work with a smile on their face. Thereby, bringing smiles to strangers/colleagues and clients faces. Their choice being to spread and share their happiness rather than a grunt!
Have a nice day y’all 🙂
June 21, 2011 at 8:43 am |
Maybe, just maybe, the person doing a job that is not ideal for them decides to do that job really well, do that job with all of that enthusiasm and self pride – they could well end up receiving a job offer for the job of their dreams by someone who was impressed? …. its possible
June 21, 2011 at 12:21 pm |
Greg – Thanks for taking the time to share that moment with us all. Simple rule for those dealing with the general public, “its nice to be nice”. You’d like to wish that woman well, her positive interaction with the public serve her and her employers well.
June 21, 2011 at 1:45 pm |
it reminds me of “clampers” in Dublin who stopped to help us when our car window had been smashed in – not what you would expect!
June 21, 2011 at 4:03 pm |
Great post Greg and so so true. Every time I go through the Waterford toll I have the very same experience. Whether its early in the morning or late at night the staff there are just the friendliest, nicest people.
June 21, 2011 at 4:27 pm |
what’s happening to our country – are we getting our culture, manners and appreciation slowly back?
June 21, 2011 at 10:02 pm |
Hi Grey I use the Fermoy toll bridge quiet a lot and find the staff there very friendly and smiley. It seems one good thing that has come out of the recession is that people are slowly going back to good manners and being friendly.
July 5, 2011 at 7:08 pm |
I travel up and down to cork and limerick regularly from dublin and she always has a smile on her face. Thank you glamorous toll booth woman
April 16, 2012 at 1:47 pm |
Greg,
You’ll be in trouble if she’s only 45?
April 16, 2012 at 3:51 pm |
or even younger !
April 17, 2012 at 1:40 pm
I did say 45, so you could relate to it!!!!!!!
July 13, 2012 at 10:55 am |
Don’t know how you survive without a Toll tag…Four tolls between here and Belfast.
July 13, 2012 at 7:49 pm |
thanks for the feedback John – sometimes it’s good to stop and say hello !!