My tone of voice

I am feeling very grumpy lately with people. I don't know why but I just don't have patience for stupidity and my tone of voice takes on an edge and I hate feeling that way, but come on people!  I have a pretty pleasant voice and speak in a general upbeat and encouraging manner...so any edge or confrontation makes me feel ugly. But it's life sometimes.

Sprint customer service rep, after being transfered 4 times, JUSt to activate a new phone and de activate another.

Rep: What vision plan do you want?
Dawn: I didnt know I had to have that.
Rep: With your treo, you do. What plan?
Me: What plans are there?
Rep: One sec.
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Me. Sighs..are you there?
Rep: yes.. .one sec.. ok.. its 15.00 for one plan.
Me: What are the other plans?
Rep: Can I put you on hold for one minute
Me: If you have to.  ( Tone is now engaged)
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Rep: Dawn are you there?
Me: yes
Rep: Ok.. I was having technical problems.... are you still interested in activating the phone?
ME: ( BIG TIME TONE NOW!)  Um, yes, I have been trying to for 15 minutes, why, just WHY would I change my mind? WHY?
Rep: ok, I was just asking!
Me: Please just activate the dang thing! ( Can you hear my tone now? All politeness is gone.. I am in a raging phone rage!)

We continued this game for 15 more minutes while she screwed up walking me thru the activation phase, then the phone had to reset, and she gave me instructions to do it MYSELF when it reset.
MYSELF!  blather.

This morning.. I go to my regular Dr to find out why I retain water in my legs. Of course today they are much better than they have been.  But before I see her, I am sitting there in the office after I signed in.. I had noted that the lady in front of me, signed in and her appointment was for 15 minutes later than mine.

She called the other woman up to the counter..talk talk talk.. she comes back and sits down.

In comes a woman with 3 noisy kids.  She is half an hour early. One is reading OUTLOUD while I am trying to watch the winner of Top Chef make her grilled cheese and portabella sandwich on Today Show... I get up and walk over and turn the volume up 2 notches and sit back down. Her kids are running all over this tiny ..TINY waiting area... and switching seats.

I deeply sighed... ( Tone IMPLIED)

"Oh..are you trying to watch this show?" The woman asked me.

My eyes widened.. "yes actually, I was, that is why I walked in FRONT of you and turned the volume up to hear it. "  (Big time tone now, feeling a little guilty, by now, but so aggravated by the whole process)

So she is now talking louder than the kids, blah, blah, I tell her, really they are fine RIGHT where they are, they are settled down now.. no ..really its fine..

What did she do with that mushroom, what was that ingredient.. oh shucks, I will just have to get it online.. thoughts interrupted by the receptionist, who looks like she is 14...
Dawn?
I go up there, she hands me my forms, asks for corrections.

I look at the clock. 9:57

I said to her: "It's 10 am.. my appointment was for 9:30, and YOU are just getting to me? Now I will have to wait how long before I even get back there?" ( Slight tone , yeah right!)

She whispers... I asked her to speak up please, I cant hear you.

"I had to take care of the other lady"

Me: The other lady's appointment is AFTER me.

The recep then looks at the sign in sheet, and points at the times, and then takes her hand back when she realizes I was right and just says, "your co-pay is 15"

I give her my card, but have to say something else right? "My time is important here, why did I have to waste half an hour, when there is only one other person that you took care of out of order and the lady waiting for her flu shot?   I do not understand why it took you a half an hour to greet me and I get to pay 15.00 now for that opportunity." ( Loaded tone)

She never answered me. THAT always infuriates me more.. lol... so I sit down .. yet again..now I am trapped.. I have PAID for this fun.

I take some deep breaths, close my eyes, pray to God that I can stop being so aggravated and have a good day and be my usual cheery self.

It is probably because this month I have had so many dr appointments and tests, and everywhere I go it seems people just dont care ( you have heard my pet peeves about lack of customer service) and then the ones that DO care are stomped on by rude customers...so it feels like the whole thing of customer service is spiraling out of control and I dont know what it's going to take to get it changed.  But perhaps in my situation this is what could have happened:

When I signed in, she could have smiled and said Hello. Perhaps even taken care of me right  there. If not, she could have said... I will be right with you. Something like that.. or later on..if I had sat there the half hour, she could have just smiled, and apologized...

Apologies diffuse many situations. Smiles go even further.

Dawn ( in a better tone of voice now after the rant)
oh.. yes.. I got my flu shot today too.