Most of us have heard the saying that "you can catch more bees with honey than with vinegar." Twist this around a little and you could say, "You keep more customers with smiles than indifference."
Sure everyone knows that you are supposed to be nice to customers but I am amazed at how something as easy as smiling is so often forgotten. Think about your own experiences. Have you ever had an interaction with a salesperson, clerk or maybe one of your kid's teachers where the person wasn't actually saying anything rude but you felt unimportant or even like the person was irritated with you? It's a terrible feeling.
On the other hand, who among us hasn't had a day just go better because someone was helpful, friendly and smiling? Maybe it was a server who smiled and apologized when something went wrong with your order. Perhaps it was the unexpected smile at the DMV leaving you feeling grateful that there are still people who can be friendly.
I know, we are all busy, worried, stressed, overwhelmed and even so focused on our work that sometime we forget this easy way to connect. And certainly no one can be at their best every day. Yet, most days and at the very least more days, we should freely and generously give the most universally understood gesture among us humans, the smile. Like we have explored with Ubuntu, at the end of the day we are all really on the same team.
Sometimes you feel something and then you act. For example, a customer gives you a compliment, you feel a rush of pride and you smile. Sometimes you act first and the feeling comes later. For example, you decide to smile at a customer who seems to be having a rough day, it's more of an action than a feeling but then something happens, he smiles back and gives you that expression that seems to say "thanks, I needed that" and you start to feel something positive.
Everything good that happens on the inside starts with a smile on the outside. Have you ever tried to be mad at someone why you are smiling? Try it sometime, I find it almost impossible. That is why great service begins with a smile. And best of all, a smile is almost always contagious.
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