I had an uncle (now deceased) who had a really bad habit. He was horrible to servers.

The last time I agreed to have lunch with him, he ordered breakfast. When the plate was delivered, he picked up his fork, poked at the eggs, turned to the waitress, and said, “Don’t you know how to make eggs? I asked for sunny side up, and this is over-easy. Apparently, you need me to teach you what that is.”

I was absolutely mortified.

I immediately apologized to the waitress, told her my uncle was rude and came from the side of the family that was raised by wolves and is still half feral. There was some laughter to diffuse the situation. My uncle didn’t say anything. I think he was shocked that I had said something in defiance of him.

I think he was used to doing this. It had become a pattern of behavior. Servers simply took the abuse because they had to.

My hat goes off to servers. I honestly think all of us would be better people if we had worked as one at some point in our lives. It teaches empathy and humility in a way few other jobs can.

What’s important to know is that my uncle was also one of the kindest people I knew. He would have given the shirt off his back to anyone. He was a precious soul. Somehow, though, that kindness never translated into the way he spoke to servers. He wasn’t a bad person. He just had a blind spot. The truth is, I think we all do.

Researchers studying workplaces found that one of the strongest predictors of job satisfaction wasn’t salary, benefits, or promotions. It was feeling appreciated and being treated with kindness. Sometimes that starts with just two simple words: thank you.

I’ve found myself thinking a lot this week about the people who keep our offices running. They celebrate your wins, answer panicked phone calls, solve problems before you even know they exist, and somehow juggle twenty things at once. What you don’t always see is everything happening behind the scenes. The designer trying to finish six custom listing presentations before 5:00. The OA processing commission checks while helping a new agent, answering phones, solving a transaction issue, and training someone new. The marketing coordinator who gets interrupted every three minutes and still somehow gets your flyer ready before caravan. Or the person who drops everything because an agent runs in between showings needing something immediately.

None of them came to work hoping to be on the receiving end of someone’s frustration.

Yet every once in a while, I witness an interaction that reminds me of lunch with my uncle. Someone who is normally kind lets stress or urgency take over. The problem is, the person standing in front of them usually had nothing to do with what caused that stress.

Kindness isn’t tested when life is easy. It’s tested when we’re under pressure.

The people who keep our offices running aren’t just “the office.” They’re people with families, deadlines, worries, and bad days just like we have. They genuinely want you to succeed. Stress is real. Escrows go sideways. We all have bad days. But having a bad day doesn’t give us permission to make someone else’s worse.

Relationships are built in the everyday moments – a smile, a little patience, a sincere “thank you.” Those things don’t cost a dime, but to the person hearing them, they can mean everything.

So this week, thank someone who helped make your business just a little easier. Not because they expect it, but because they deserve it.