How many times have you gone to a store to purchase goods or services only to be confronted by a surly teller or angry clerk? As you step forth to give over your hard-earned dollars you are assaulted by a negative attitude from the person behind the counter. Glaring at you with obvious impatience, they make the transaction and dismiss you as just another number. I have never understood this behavior, for it is contradictory to good business practice as I see it.

Allow me to elaborate.

Having lived in the rudeness capitol of the world, New York City, I understand something of attitude. I have faced thousands of tired, desperate, angry workers or business owners that somehow find it acceptable to lash out at their customers. This I always attributed to the sheer volume of transactions a small business might need to make in any given day. Any clerk, dealing with possibly hundreds of requests cannot help but find him or herself overwhelmed by sheer volume. A negative attitude just becomes part of the job, and the customer is no longer looked upon as a blessing but a curse. The business does not worry much about losing one or two patrons as they can easily be replaced by a thousand others.

But that is New York; a negative attitude is expected and accepted as part and parcel of everyday life, at least for the common folks.

Here in Maine however, businesses do not have a huge population base from which to draw customers. Thus it is in their best interest not to alienate anyone, for by doing so they just may find themselves with an empty shop. This I have seen time and time again with establishments which chose to be arrogant or just plain nasty. Those businesses soon find that their accounts are running in the red and that they need to close the doors because Mainers generally will not put up with being treated rudely. Dissatisfied or annoyed customers will quickly move to a competitor and refuse to return to where they were once treated poorly. A good attitude toward one’s patrons only makes sense here in our fine state, and in no other part of Maine have I found more businesses that understand this than here in the Lakes Region.

I only need to look at the two places I frequent the most in my own little town of Gray to give evidence of how Mainers react to a positive, open attitude. The Route 115 Sunoco station right off the turnpike is my first stop every morning on the way to work for coffee and a pack of carcinogens. Bad habits, yes, but I am only human after all. The manager and employees make the effort to greet everyone who enters the store with a smile and “how are you doing?” There is a constant flow of steady customers who come in every morning to start their day with a bit of pleasant chat and a welcoming word. These patrons could drive a few miles up the road to another town and spend a little less but they don’t. They chose instead to frequent an establishment that makes all feel welcome; even nobodies such as myself are treated to kind words and courtesy. This little store does very well financially not just because of its location, but because it has quality folks working there who understand that a welcoming attitude is worth its weight in gold.

The same goes for Jess n Nics sandwich shop which is where I go about once a week when feeling too lazy to cook for myself. Even on busy nights when the phone is ringing off the hook and the tables are full of customers, the owners and employees are always pleasant. The owner is constantly waving and saying hello to people as he and the rest of the crew hurry about. A smile here, a handshake there, a quick joke and a laugh, makes a rather mundane process of a pickup something enjoyable. I cannot remember ever leaving there without smiling at least once, which is why I and so many others keep coming back.

These two small outfits, are just a sample of the overall business community at large in the lakes region, they are representative of the concept “Attitude is Everything” when it comes to success here in Maine. Like so many other small businesses in our fair state competing for every dollar and searching for success, they have found that small cost-effective edge which pays off tenfold.

Allen Butler lives in Gray.