I'm going to make this lady smile today!
Kylie-Ann Kobelt
Executive Business Coach & Trainer | 25 Years of Business Ownership Experience from Start-up to Sale | Specialising in Optimising Operations, Enhancing Culture, Driving Team Achievements & Maximising Productivity.
[true story]
Every Tuesday for nearly 12 months my friend and I would go to this café with our children after Gymbaroo for a bite to eat, coffee and a milkshake. Every time the waitress, who was the owner’s mother would serve us and I would always wonder why so sad and even a little bitter.
She always said hello and would take our order but that was the extent of it.
Given we had been coming very regularly for quite some time I thought it might have become a little more familiar.
On this day as we wheeled over to the cafe, I said to my friend I’ am going to make the lady that always serves us smile today.’
We always say hello and thank you, tidy our table when we leave but this day was different.
This lady never went out of her way to be particularly nice to us.
In fact, the opposite, however, regardless I had a positive intention.
My intention was to see if I could positively position her for our lunchtime on this day that would make it more pleasant for her and certainly as far as customer service goes for us.
This time instead of hello I said “I just wanted to say thank you for your service every time we come in. I know that it can certainly be a handful at lunchtime with our children and I would like to say that my friend and I really appreciate your efforts.”
What happened next didn’t surprise me but my friend couldn’t believe it (as she always thought the lady really disliked us coming in with our children and that she possibly didn’t like small children at all.)
Well at that moment she lit up with this comment.
She stood tall with a proud “Thank you.”
More importantly, she smiled.
I believe ‘the inner person powers the professional', and on this day a conscious act of sincerity and kindness went a long way that you could see positively positioned her through to the next table she served and the next time we visited.
She was the first to say Hello!
I believe we all need our efforts to be seen and appreciated and creating a smile within others can go further than you think!
So, who do you know that serves you that you could tell them next time that you appreciate them?
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