BEING on the other side of the counter is perhaps one of the most difficult situations you can ever be in. If you've ever been a cashier, a waitress or a service consultant, you know what it is like.

Just as good customer service is the store's responsibility, good customer behaviour is yours. Ever gone into a store and wonder why the person behind the counter was in a bad mood? Chances are it was a recent customer who did things to aggravate them.

According to Lusanda Mbane, managing director of Ellenina, a recruitment company based in Midrand, increasing customer power brought about by the rise of online communication in the forms of forum, blogs and social media, including Twitter and Facebook, has caused a change in attitude in customers.

"Social media sites like Twitter, where customers are and too often companies aren't, means customers talk to each other and believe their own gripes and whines. The trend allows consumers to share their experiences.

"This has brought a lot of strain to people providing the service from the other side of the counter."

Mbane adds that 99 percent of marketing focuses on how to sell to customers. Very little attention is paid to why and how customers should sell themselves to marketers.

Tips on how to be a good customer:

• Call ahead to check availability of popular items.
• When chasing after an item for sale, bring the printed advert with you (or at least write down the item number) to speed things up and avoid confusion about the price.
• Put things back where you found them. When you knock something down from a rack or shelf, pick it up and put it back.
• Be patient when in line. Sighing, groaning, and inappropriate language won't make it move any faster.
• If you find that an item is priced 15 cents lower at the other end of the store, let it go. Having someone run a price check over insignificant amounts is not worth the time.
• Leave the store with a smile and wish the cashier a nice day.
• Don't shoplift.
• Always be kind to cashiers, consultants and clerks no matter how incompetent or rude you think they are. Odds are they are either having a bad day, or don't know the answer to your question.
• Don't take 20 items into a 10-item till. If you do, don't be mad when you are redirected.
• Don't try to check out at closed lanes. If the light is on, it's open - even if there is no cashier there. If it's off, it's closed, even if there are three cashiers there.
• Reward good behaviour. This is more than just tipping or saying thank you. This is ensuring that we as customers go out of our way to thank that unique cashier, waiter or consultant who goes out of their way.

- Additional info www.ehow.com