Stop Judging & Start Loving.

You just never know what other people are going through. I was working at a high-end department store in California. As a fashion enthusiast, I was thrilled to be working for a Fortune 500 company that happened to sell my favorite clothing articles. My managers coached me in customer service techniques throughout my shifts. I worked hard to learn the proper selling techniques and policies that the company expected.

One thing that I never thought the company would teach was the principal of judging. Management would often say “Don’t ever judge a customer.” I was surprised. Not judging a customer? Doesn't that trait just sort of come with the job? I tried to emphasize this principle in my everyday work, but I found it hard to not pass judgments.

I worked in the women’s apparel department where the price tags ranged anywhere from $100.00-$1000.00 per clothing article. I witnessed women max their credit cards, use several different forms of payment, and even pay with cash for hefty bills. I tried not to judge others when I noticed women wearing shoes that cost more than my college tuition.

One day, a customer came into my department without any hair. She didn’t have eyebrows and she barely had eyelashes. She fashioned a floor length skirt and a sharp, red, lip color. She awkwardly entered the store and started shopping around. This was the first customer I had seen like this. Rarely, do you see a woman without makeup and designer shoes in a high-end department store.

Before I could think too much about the situation. The woman came up to me and said, “excuse me, can you help me find some clothes?” I instantly felt ashamed for almost passing a judgment on this nice person. Throughout her shopping experience that day she confided in me about her struggle with cancer. She expressed to me her painful chemo treatments and exhausting symptoms.

 As I stood at the register ringing up her items, she said, “it took me 2 hours to get ready today, the thought of coming to a mall was terrifying.”   She then jokingly poked “Be grateful for your hair, you don’t realize how hard it is to get ready for the day without it.” I watched as she exited the department store with a smile on her face. I stood speechless. In my head, I heard these words-- “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”  I learned a lesson that day in the department store.

Let's stop judging people and start loving them.