Have you ever been out with a group of people at a restaurant, when you suddenly become aware of which of your party has ever worked a customer service job, and which of them have not? It’s pretty obvious to tell the ones that haven’t -- they’re usually impatient, and don’t give the waitstaff or servers much regard besides instructing them how they prefer their steak cooked.

When asking a candidate about their “favorite and least favorite part about their experience at xyz customer service job,” we can usually guess that the answer will be the same for both parts: the customers. We often hear “My favorite part was the great customers that I really connected with, and my least favorite part was the customers that could be…..” and then they trail off as they search for an appropriate but fitting term.

Whether you’re giving the customer service or receiving it, a little goes a long way to make or break someone’s day. It’s no secret that we highly value giving our world class guest service here, but it’s also important to remember to graciously receive excellent customer service through manners, being extra grateful to people who go above and beyond for you as a customer.

I love random life tips/hacks. They're right up there, next to random facts for me. Aside from being helpful, I mainly enjoy them because they're usually intriguing, surprising, and entertaining, they're hardly ever boring to read and they always tend to leave me wanting to try them out. 

Below are just some of the few I've most recently ran into. Give them a quick glance and see if any of them interest you and if they're worth a try. 

- Not in the mood to hear annoying ads on the gas pump TV? There should be four buttons on the right-hand side of the screen, press the second button from the top to mute the ads and pump your gas in peace. 

- Need to nail something onto your wall but don't have a stud finder? Use a magnet to find nails and screws in your wall. Once you find the nails and screws, you'll know where the studs are. 

-Forgot your glasses and need to see something across the room? Use your phone camera to take a picture and zoom in to see the image. 

-Feeling groggy and don't know how to shake it? Try having a drink, most of the time you feel groggy because you are dehydrated. 

-Stuck in a traffic jam? Pay attention to which lane the 18 wheelers are using. They have radios and usually let each other know which lanes to avoid. 

-In a bad mood and wish you could change it? Put a pencil in your mouth, it will activate the muscles you use when smiling, which will trick your brain into boosting your mood.

-Doing dinner and a movie as a first date? Go to the movie first. You'll have something to talk about during dinner. 

-High interest in the house you're hoping to buy? Include a personal letter to the seller when submitting an offer for a higher chance of landing the house. 

-In a rush and just hit a red light? Some traffic lights have light sensors, if you flash your lights rapidly it'll think you're an emergency vehicle and turn green.

-Left an awkward voice message and wish you could redo it? Simply press #3 and re-record your message. 

Alright guys, hopefully, there was a helpful tip/hack somewhere in there that you'd like to try out. I've personally tried out the second to last one and it has already worked twice for me! Unless I'm just lucky, then it hasn't worked for me. 

I love art and the process of being creative and the idea of making something out of a blank page, but I've never really had a painting or piece of art "speak to me" (unless we're considering shoes as art - then a lot of pieces of art speak to me)...At least until I discovered Indonesian artist, Elicia Edijanto. 

Elicia's art is primarily done in black watercolor, and is inspired by nature and, specifically, the relationship between humans and nature. Each painting is a beautiful, eerie, dreamlike depiction of powerful animals with children. I love the juxtaposition of the wild animals paired with the gentle innocence of the children that Elicia paints.

In her words, she says, "My subjects are often children and animals because they are honest, sincere, unprejudiced and unpretentious. It will be easier for people to feel the emotions. They give me so much inspiration for particular mood or atmosphere, such as tranquility, solemnity, and also wildness and freedom, which I put on my paintings."

Children have a natural bond with animals and nature, and it seems that the older most people get, the further removed from nature they become. Which is why I love the reminder that her artwork gives of the importance of the interconnectedness between humans and nature. Check out a few of my favorites below and see more of her incredible art at instagram.com/eliciaedijanto.