Stories for customer service
3 Buddhist wisdom stories for customer service from Buddhist teachers, each linked to the original talk.
- The emperor's three questionsStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Ajahn Brahm summarises the short story (by Tolstoy) that changed his life: an emperor, fed up with organised religion, decides he needs only the answers to three questions — When…
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There was an emperor who was fed up with organised religions, none of it made sense to him. And all the people teaching those religions were so hypocritical. They told him to do things they didn't do themselves. So he rejected organised religions. And being an emperor, he thought "Why don't I find my own religion?" So, he got the wise people, the impressive people, he talked with them, investigated, and he finally came down to his three questions, thinking, "If only I could find the answer to these three questions, I'd have all the religion and spirituality which I needed in my life." And the three questions were, "When is the most important time? Who is the most important person? And the what is the most important thing to do?" The when, the who, the what. Now I know that many of you have heard this story before, but there are many people who haven't heard this story before. And those who haven't heard this story before, I want you to think about those three questions and what you think the answers are. If you've heard the story before, please don't spoil my fun, be quiet. Because there's a point to this. So, those were the emperor's three questions. He eventually found the answers in an unexpected source. But what are the answers? When is the most important time? Christmas time? Vesak? Friday evening when you finish work? When is the most important time? Come on. "Now". Correct, exactly. It's the most important time. So when should you say "sorry"? "Now" so turn around and say sorry to your partner for what you've done. When is the most important time to say you love your parents? Now. Please don't wait till tomorrow or this evening. Because you know, what happens? So often it happens the moment passes, you don't have that opportunity, to say how much you care for someone. You find they're dead, or they've gone overseas. Now you may think that's, such a simple and obvious answer. But if you practise that, if you take that on as one of the most important parts of your life, that 'now' really is the most important time. It really is; You'll find that your relationship to others, your relationship to life will totally change. For many people, "now" is not the most important time. We sacrifice too many moments of "now"; getting things out of the way, and then I'll be happy. For many people, "now" is not really important. That's why we get so old and all the things we should have done, we find we haven't done. Now is the most important time But the second question is the best. Who is the most important person? Yeah, can I hear you? Ah you are spoiling it. You've read it before. Most people when I say this, if they haven't heard it before, they all say "themselves", which is a wrong answer. We are in a such a self-centred society. We always think that I am the most important person in the world, which is totally wrong. And the answer, that's what I thought, first of all, because that's what I've been taught, come on, you are important. You make sure, that you get what you want. Your relationship, what satisfies you, your job which you really want What you really deserve in life. You go for it, you go and get it, you're really important. But the answer someone suggested was 'the person you're with'. The one in front of you is the most important person in the world. As soon as I heard that, this is what I mean by wisdom. You understand it. Why didn't I see that before? It is important. So whoever is in front of you, they are the most important person in the world. Give them that importance. And of course, as soon as I point that out, you know what I'm talking about, because how many times have you been talking with your partner and they've been ignoring you. They're not giving you a sense of importance. They are trying to get rid of you. I remember just when I was a student, when I read this story for the first time, Sometimes at the end of a lecture, I got up to the lecturer to ask a question. He wasn't listening to me; he was just trying to get rid of me. I was a small, hairy, insignificant student. He had better things to do. And that was a terrible feeling. That you're asking a question, and the other person was just trying to get rid of you. You weren't important to them. And if that happens to you too many times, you lose all your self-esteem, you get depressed. And you don't need to do that. So ever since I read that, and when I become a monk, one of the core practices, which I really try hard to live by, is even though I may be really tired, and you come up after the talk, and you want to ask a question, you are really important to me. I don't try and get rid of you, even if I'm really tired, because I try and practice; if you're right in front of me and I'm talking to you, you are the most important person in the world. And it's important for that. And there are many times in your life, you're by yourself. And of course, then, who you're with? You're with yourself. And then you're really important. So important that I said here before, whenever I go to bed at night, the last person I say goodnight to is myself. And I say that, "Good night me. Have a great night. See you in the morning." When I wake up in the morning, "Hi, good morning, here I am again. Have a great day me." That's no joke, I do that. I'm not crazy. And that actually is just showing that I'm important to me. Instead of just "No, you're not really important. So just sacrifice yourself, for the company, for your partner, for your kids, for other people." No, don't do that. So when you're by yourself, you are the most important person in the world. When you're with somebody, they're the most important person. And the last question, "What's the most important thing to do?" It's a obvious Buddhist answer, 'is to care', to care for yourself, to care for others.
- The promotion won with three questionsStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: A Penang disciple working in customer relations at a big firm puts the emperor's three questions into practice: whoever is in front of her — boss, customer or co-worker — is the…
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there was one of the disciples from pinang a couple of years ago she heard that story and she put it in her through her life and custom relations and she was in a big firm in pinang and she came up to tell me with great Glee that she applied for a promotion a prestigious promotion she had 100 150 other people applying for that job she got it and she said she got it because she used the emess three questions whenever she was in customer relations whoever was in front of her whether it was her boss a customer or a coworker they were the most important person in the world for her now was the most important time and she cared she cared for this person they felt it
- The thank-you letter to the plumbing shopStory · Ajahn Brahm
In brief: Building Bodhinyana's first toilet block, Ajahn Brahm can't afford a plumber, so a salesman called Fred at Galvins in Osborne Park shows him how to glue and lay the pipes. The…
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one of the stories in open the door of your heart when we just started out building Bodin Monastery the first year you know I you know all know the story of the brick wall but I didn't didn't just lay bricks I did the plumbing on our toilet block the very first building I did all the we couldn't afford a plumber they cost a fortune plumbers so I had to learn how to do the plumbing so how can you learn Plumbing I went to the shop it was Galvin don't mind giving an advertisement for Galvin cuz they were really a good shop and they uh have put the plans on the table and basically I said help and of course you know it's a reasonable size building and there's you know quite a uh a few pipes and fitting so it's actually worth the the um the salesperson's time you know looking at it and so you need one of these you need one of those and getting all the parts and just showing how to glue it together it's quite simple but you know just all you need is 5 minutes to show you pull the glue around this way just twist it around so the glue spreads hold it together for you know 10 to 15 seconds then you can leave it and know use a sort of a spirit level to make sure you get just the right drop one in 40 which is about you know a third of a bubble on a spirit level they gave me all these beautiful tips so took all the stuff back to Monastery and took a few days you know didn't have uh to do it fast and took my time and got it all done of course if it's Plumbing like sewage you have to get it checked by the health inspector so the health inspector came checked it all out and it worked I was really sort of say flush with success as somebody said for sewage pipes and I was so happy and at that same day the bill came and know I don't know couple thousand in those days you know quite a lot of money so I got the check from the treasurer and now I sent it off to the plumbing department cuz I knew I was the one who ordered it all so I could check the the the bill make sure it was correct send it off and instead of just sending off the check I wrote a little letter only took me 10 minutes saying like thank you the guy salesperson was called Fred thank you to Fred behind the counter you know at Osburn Park galvin's cuz he really helped me sort of with this plumbing job you know without his help we've had to get a plum with cost of Fortune and with just a charity just starting off we really needed this so thanks so much and today it was passed of you're so happy thank you so much and here's a check and because first year doing this sort of stuff I thought it would just go to the shop I never realized that Galvin is a huge company so the letter went to the the um the accounts department and so some little Clark in the accounts Department I got this uh later on the story they opened this and I thought oh my God a letter what have we done wrong this time cuz apparently the only time you write letters to companies is to complain about bad service 4y pipes so of know too much money or whatever it is hardly anybody writes a letter to say thank you and so the account the little Clark in the accounts Department took it straight to the the head of the accounts and they were just so surprised at getting a letter like this they took it to the managing director and the managing director read that letter and he picked up the telephone and called Osburn Park office can I speak to Fred and so Fred got this call from the managing director and the managing director apparently said well well done Fred that's the sort of that's the sort of attitude I want in this company you know of of customer relationship I don't know what you've done but you really did a really good job Fred and thank you sir and by the way Fred you know what salary are you on oh well it can always be improved sir or something like that and as it happened there was one other part you know for the think the water supply not the waste water which was actually too small got the wrong part and I went into that shop about an hour or two after Fred had got this call from the managing director and there were two big plumbers in front of me in in the queue those big big guys you know what plumbers are like you know with sort of shoulders as wide as septic tags and as soon as Fred saw me said Bram come over here and so these two plumbers I mean they were a bit upset they were waiting in queue but I got the first service and I just wonder what's going on and Fred's um the person who assisted him the other salesperson said you know your wife's here he called me his wife he said what do you mean he said because somebody just praised Fred and he got a call about an hour ago from the managing director and of course he was uh really chuffed about getting a praise and getting a rise in salary because of my letter and so I got the first service there's a big sign on there say customers not allowed around the back with all the fitting side said come around the back bro lo I can't said come around the back what do you want my had ised he said no that's too small said this part over here is what you want it's about two or three times the size said oh this is the one I want I said what's the difference and he smiled at me brah for you no difference CU I save the Buddhist Society about $10 or $15 on this and I never had to wait in queue got first class service and why just for a stupid little letter of thanks