Let's Have Look At Your Teeth

"Let's have a look at you teeth" those were the words that used fill my ears like a mantra whenever Aunty Pim popped round. As a child we remember catchphrases of those we came into contact with. They were like labels of familiarity. "What do you know ?" was another. Although the latter became more of a bait to me as I became a surly teenager.

Back to the teeth. Pim Smith was a friend of my mothers and lived half a dozen houses down the road. Bespeckled with a shock of white hair. In all the years I knew her, growing up, she never changed. Everytime she came to the house she would bend over me and show her teeth while saying the words "Let's have a look at your teeth". I'm fairly sure it would have been followed by well-chosen words of advice along the lines of regular cleaning/brushing otherwise they would all fall out.

I could have taken it all with a pinch of salt, paying as much heed as when I was told that my face would stay in whatever grotesque form I was 'pulling' if the wind changed. However, I took the advice, I was a 'teeth cleaner' from an early age and have been throughout my entire life. This was rewarded early on by having to have twelve fillings before I was twelve. Yet, still I continued to clean and brush at least twice a day.

It seems though, that all the years of dental hygiene have stood me no better off than if I hadn't once put brush to enamel. Filling after filling. More extractions than black ops and a healthy dose of root canal, just to keep me on my toes. I wasn't even a 'sweets' type of person, not like some of my friends. I just had the 'type' of teeth that prefer to rot gently over the years and cause me grief, normally over a weekend when every good dentist is at home sucking 'Baked Alaska' through their own pearly whites.

Needless to say, this is the reason I have been quieter than usual over the last few days. A

rather sensitive rear molar was x-rayed and then 'ground down' under the pretense that it was an 'angry' tooth due to a hard bite. Really ? Anyway, after the numbness had worn off the angry tooth became livid. By Friday morning it was practically beside itself. Of course by then there was no chance of getting an appointment, I'd have to wait till Monday. At least I have the promise of 'Root canal' to look forward to. Yay me. Maybe, just maybe, a little more 'time' would have been beneficial, at least for me.

This does bring me and you, kicking and screaming, to some valid point. A veritable epiphany no less. Actually, less. In this instance, my prime example is my dentist. I have to say, that this is not a moan about them 'per se' but the current situation has made think again on a subject that I've pondered for many years and it has relevance to us and our mission in regard to our websites. Sort of.

Many years ago I worked for a timber company. After a few months of sweeping floors and tidying I was promoted to 'Sales Coordinator' still not to sure what that was, probably 'Sales Assistant' in todays parlance. One little gem I will always remember being taught, was to answer the phone within three rings, why ? because the person on the other end does not know that you are busy, only that you are not answering the phone. The person at the counter can see you and therefore should be able to deduce that it would be good manners to answer the phone. Obviously while they are waiting for you to finish on the phone, they are allowed to huff, puff, sigh and tut as much as they like.

The person on the other end of the phone, like the person at the counter is the customer, let's

pretend that they are your 'reader' or 'visitor' on your website. You're going to have to stay with me here, it's not complicated just long winded,which I can do, all to often I'm afraid. I may have had fifty phone calls a day and the same number of customers. Total of one hundred. It was a busy day, no sooner had I answered the phone, someone would appear at the counter. Busy, busy ,busy.

Customer number thirty-seven came to the sales desk to enquire about the price and availability of some 3'x2' sawn timber. He was endeavouring to build a partition wall in his garage to create a 'space' for items that he didn't want to get in the way, or be on show, or whatever. To him, his question/enquiry was the most important because it was his. To me it was the seventy-fourth of the day. Here's the point.

Whether he was number one or number seventy-four, he deserved to be treated as though he was the most important person ever because to him, the work he was doing was the biggest thing going on in his life at that moment. When we 'serve' someone we should give them our very best for as long as they require our time.

What does this have to do with teeth. Not much, I suppose. It has more to do with the word

'next'. We live in a world that is constantly being 'squeezed'. We are having to do more in the same amount of time, for the same amount of money. Time-frames are being shortened as profit margins are decreasing.

This does not have to be the case. We can give everyone the best possible experience every single time. "It'll do" should not be a catchphrase that we adorn. Our best may not be as good yet as it will be but our intent should never be in question.

"How can I help ?" should be our mantra.