Working with people 40 hours a week has made me see how much fun customer service can be if you’re working with someone who’s kind, and how unpleasant it can be if someone is rude. And it doesn’t have to be an insult or a derisive comment to ruin your day, sometimes it can be as little as rolling your eyes if you think something is taking too long.

So, before you write a bad review on Yelp about the horrible customer service, think about a couple of things.

Was it bad customer service? Or were you having a bad day? It’s easy to take out your frustration on someone who’s job it is to be polite. You think that you can be rude because there won’t be any consequences. I know that if I’m having a bad day, my patience is shorter than normal even with people I know. So before you write about how rude that waitress was, really think about it. Did she make mean comments? Did she scoff at you? Did she refuse to help you? Was the customer service bad, or are you having a bad day?

If something took a while, is it their fault? Let’s say they’re trying to find a shirt for you or a shoe size, or you’re waiting on your entree from a restaurant. Before you demand a free dessert or refuse to tip, look around. How busy is it? Is the restaurant packed? Is there one person trying to help dozens of tables, or trying to balance a dozen boxes of shoes for eight people? Is it possible that this employee has more going on than helping you? In most cases, the answer is yes. Sometimes it takes a couple extra minutes to get your coffee or your food because someone ordered in front of you. If you wanted your coffee five minutes earlier, get there five minutes earlier (or use mobile ordering).

If someone looked bored, is it possible they were tired? Customer service employees work long and early hours. Sometimes a shift will start before the sun even comes up. Just be a little patient if someone looks like they haven’t quite woken up yet. They’ve been on their feet all day and need a break just as much as you do (probably more). Smile when you say hello –– it can make a world of a difference.

So the next time you get your check and you think about giving a 5% tip because your meal took long than 10 minutes to get to you, please reconsider.