Pursuit of Hamsterdam
Kimberly Limpahan
People just have this problem with listening. I mean, we tend to ignore things we hear and so sometimes, we end up messing up. I must admit, I too, have this kind of problem – we all have this problem. This is such a troublesome attitude that we usually take for granted. But you see, it is such a huge glitch especially when people in service have this problem. I am referring to those who provide services to us every single day.
Take a pedicab driver for example. I am not saying that all of them do not listen, but some of them just have a tendency of hearing something else (like if you’d say, ‘Hi – Top, what they’d hear is Unitop) which is really bothersome to passengers.
I remember there was this time when a friend and I took a pedicab from Robinsons one Thursday afternoon. It was clear when I said that our destination is at SU Cafeteria, but he continued driving to the wrong way. He must have forgotten what I had said, that’s what I thought. For the second time, I told him the same thing, he turned to me, then back to the road. That time, I was hoping that he’d maneuver the ride right, but he didn’t. For the third time, I repeated it, but he didn’t listen. He slowed down near the elementary building then asked, “Katipunan mo di ba?” and I was like, ‘Seriously?!’ I ended up being late in class that afternoon.
There was also this instance that happened in a local department store. I was looking for art supplies for a project that time, but I saw none. Hoping that I must just have missed to find it, I approached a saleslady from the other corner. I was not yet even done speaking when she said, “Wala. (We don’t have that.)” How could she say that when I have not yet told her what I was looking for? Is she a mind reader? Lucky for her, I wasn’t in a bad mood that time. I just shrugged it off and looked for another store anyway.
People really have this problem in listening. Some do not listen carefully, while some refuse to hear anything at all. That’s the problem. It turns out to be a big thing whenever you’re into a business venture, I guess. You might not just fail your customers, but your employers as well. It isn’t too hard to listen, being clinically deaf is. But if it is in this case, I’d prefer the latter, because it wouldn’t be a fault at all if I cannot hear, rather than pretending to hear nothing at all.
