More Than A Make-Up Lady

Over break, I went to the local mall to purchase some make-up before I returned to school. I specifically went on Saturday around 3 P.M. so I could see my favorite employee, Tony. I have been getting my make-up exclusively from her since I was about 12 years old. Since then, we have built a strong relationship to the extent that she knows all my color shades and what freebies I like (haha :) ). This strong relationship and mutual understanding allows the encounter to run quicker and smoother. However, Tony is not just a make-up lady to me, she is like a big sister I have always wanted. When I see her, she asks about Penn State, my brothers, and what my parents are up to. I often talk to her about problems with friends or schoolwork and she always knows what to say to brighten my day. Because I have repeatedly gone to her over the years, we have become good friends, which has further ensured my recurring business. Even though the mall is enormous, it is nice to see her and know there is a familiar face amongst it all.

This service relationship is relevant to the Grandey and Diamond (2010) article. In particular, my relationship with Tony is relevant to the article's section dealing with temporal relationships. A service relationship is defined as "repeated employee-customer contact, mutual identification of employee and customer, and a shared history" (p. 198). These service relationships allow customers to receive desired service and for providers to gain repeated business, tips, recommendations, and other benefits (2010). Moreover, service relationships provide knowledge of customer expectations, which are gathered over time, and enhance role clarity and better quality service (2010). My service encounters run efficiently with Tony because we have built an understanding as to what I need in terms of make-up, on top of our relationship and friendship.