Mercy, compassion and pity, and the art of serving

Our feelings for others matter. They have been the material with which we build bridges and are able to communicate with other people, creating this extremely powerful and yet fragile thing called society.

If we look into the past, we can't find terms like "customer service"... There was no customer service two centuries ago because there were no real customers. There were people, and the service was given to people.

Nowadays, when we see an organization that treats others as people, with respect and consideration, intelligence and gentleness, this is the result of a powerful feeling: mercy.

Yes, customer service is based on mercy. A company with mercy for a client whose luggage were damaged in a flight, who missed a flight because the company decided to depart early or simply a client with bad luck who lost their wallet somewhere, this organization is not simply fulfilling an offered product or making publicity; this company has mercy on people.

Because no matter how big we are, we serve people. Whether we sell fruits in a corner or we are part of a huge multinational, still we serve people. And mercy is a feeling of respect for others, for all their energy used to buy our products or to use whatever we offer them to use.

Mercy is not compassion. Compassion means going there and healing the person and that is not everyone's task. Those whose task needs compassion - doctors, nurses, mothers - cannot forget compassion is the basis of their lives and it can never be missing there.

But a few people would accept pity from others. No matter how bad is their shape, pity is not an option as it is depleted of respect.

Perhaps our brothers and sisters of the world are in a real bad shape and sometimes, we have to extend our hands and give something extra. Still, we don't need pity to do that. We can do out of compassion, a deep sense of compassion, going beyond mercy and with the clear knowledge that person is capable and soon will be walking by themselves. It is a feeling like a doctor or nurse has, who knows their patient one day will be out there, healed.

Next time you have to serve someone, open your heart and just let those feelings emerge, and watch for the outcome.