The Special Ingredient To My Sauce

I’m sure this has happened to you. You go into a store to buy something, knowing what you want; you walk in expecting to grab your items and leave. However, they don’t have what you want on the shelf so you get a store clerk to ask for assistance. The store clerk has to go to the back of the store, check the inventory and the stock room to make sure that they have what want. What you thought would take only a few minutes takes much longer than you anticipated.

To make matters worse, when you get to the checkout, the item doesn’t ring up correctly, and the payment will not go through. Now that you’ve spent an extraordinary amount of time in the store, you are beyond frustrated!  You are ready to just walk out without the item, and another challenge occurs.

The store clerk helps again in a very calm and professional way doing everything she/he can to assist you and get you out of the store in a timely fashion knowing you’ve already been there over an hour. He/She finally fixes the problem, and as a result of your frustration, he/she decides to give you  $50 off your purchase for your aggravation.

My friends, something very similar happened to me this weekend, and I learned something you can use to help you in your search for a new career, new business opportunity, new customer or client, or whatever it is that you’re seeking.

I look at the situation and say, “Yes, I had trouble, but I was treated with honor, respect, and dignity.”  The customer service I received is honestly hard to come by today.

When I find a company that instills pride in its employees. it need to be recognized. The employees need to get recognition for their hard work.  Management needs to be informed of the great job that they are doing in training, leading and coaching their employees.  Why? Because 9 times out of 10, they only hear complaints about their employees.

So how does this relate to your getting new business, new opportunities and new positions? I’ve got the secret ingredient for you. What I’m about to share with you I’ve actually seen one of my clients use to get two interviews with two Fortune 500 companies.

When you go into a company, restaurant, or any place of service, and you are treated with dignity and respect, this is what you say:

What is your name? You have totally blown me away with the amazing customer service you have come to provide me with. You have exceeded my expectations. You have worked above and beyond to provide me with the best customer service and have helped me solve x problem. This is very hard to come by in today’s culture, and I just wanted to let your management team know what an honor it is to have you on their team. What is your manager’s name so I can personally send them a thank you card?

This behavior makes you look like a leader, an individual that has respect for other individuals. Remember, friends, what you give will come back to you.

So what is the secret ingredient  that you write in the thank you letter to that company? I will lay it out for you right here.

Dear Mr. or Mrs. ____,

I just wanted to bring to your attention that I was in your store the other day and ___________ assisted me with__________.  I was extremely impressed with his/her level of professionalism. He/She treated me with dignity and respect, and offered top customer service which is very hard to find that in today’s culture. Mr./Mrs.____ , I admire the leadership qualities you’ve established with your team. I would love to talk further with you about your organization. When would be a great time to speak with you?  I’d love to refer business to you.  I would also be interested in sharing ideas  which  can help your team to grow.  I can be reached at (phone number). I honor and respect your time. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

With pleasure,

(Your name)

I don’t know about you, but if I received that letter, I would want to talk to that person. Managers want to hear good things and will devote time to individuals who have positive feedback to give.

My friends, honor people right where they are and respect them. Cherish their hard work and dedication to how they’re serving you.

We all like to be recognized for hard work and dedication.  Treat others the way you’d like to be treated.

I want to hear your stories of how individuals have served and honored you in the past. How did you handle it?

Please post your comments below so we can share with others.

Remember, the more specific you can be — the better. Because hundreds of people read these posts and what you share could spark the breakthrough someone else needs!

As always have a great week.

 

With you all the way,

Courtney