Listening

[MickeyD]

Ugh.... I'm reminded of the time I went to get my hair cut, and there was a bit of a language barrier between the hair stylist and myself. Somehow she interpreted my saying "I want long layers around my face" (as I gestured from my chin on down, my hair was much longer then) as "I want bangs." After the first cut, I was like, NOOO, but of course, it was too late. I spent quite a bit on barrettes that year.

Now, the person who cuts my hair is the same person who has cut it for the past 5 or so years. She knows what I like. She knows how my hair is. She knows what looks good on me. She knows what I will and won't do to style my hair. I swear she knows me and my hair better than I know myself. Of course, I pay her more for one haircut than I used to pay for a year of haircuts...but it's sooo worth it. She'll never ever think I'm asking her to give me bangs...



The other night I had a waitress that definitely wasn't listening....I asked for a filet cooked "medium," but it came "well done." Ick.

[Alex]

You all make me glad I don't really give a dang what my hair looks like and thus have never had my hair cut by the same person twice nor been particularly upset by any haircut I've had (worst case, three weeks later it is pretty much back to where it always is).

The first haircut I got after moving to Hawaii I just walked into a place with barber chairs. I was gestured to a chair and the woman never asked what I wanted. She just cut my hair. I handed her money at the end she gave me change and I left.

Never spoke a word and I have no idea if she even spoke English.

My entire job is explaining things to people and listening to them explain what they want. So I have many examples of people not listening.

But I find that it is rarely just a matter of not listening but most often a combination of not thinking well. And the poor thinking is usually bilateral.