Every Interaction Makes a Difference

Are there businesses or stores where when you walk in you feel instantly welcomed?  That’s how I feel when I walk into my local YMCA when Jason is there. Technically, Jason‘s job is to swipe members’ cards and take payment, but he does much more than that.  How he interacts with me influences my experience at the Y.  He greets me and other members with a warm smile and a friendly welcome.  There is a quiet sincerity about him. His greeting makes the Y a friendlier place. He often asks how I am doing and seems to really want to know.  What he exemplifies in his greeting is simple and takes seconds, and yet his presence makes a huge difference to my experience.

All of our interactions make a difference.  I recently called a company to seek information.  After I described what I was looking for, the person who answered the phone explained that she was “just the receptionist”.  “Just!” I exclaimed.  “Your job is incredibly important.  You are the first contact anyone has with this organization.  You set the tone!”  I could hear her smile on the other end of the phone.  By the end of the conversation, her voice was more confident and she recognized the influential role she played in the organization.

Have you ever walked into a store (or done business with someone) where you felt right at home from the start?  How you are treated makes a huge difference and often influences where you want to do business.

All human beings want to be
HEARD, to be VALUED, and to BELONG.

A warm greeting can help you feel that you belong.  When someone sincerely asks you how you are, you know that you matter and that they care about you.  How you treat others is a form of appreciation.  When you treat people with respect and show interest in them, they tend to feel valued.

 “Our lives are shaped by our interactions with others.”
“Every interaction makes a difference.”
quoted with permission from Gary Tomlinson reporting on
How full is Your Bucket? by Tom Rath & Donald Clifton, Ph.D.    

Every interaction we have has an effect on us whether positive, negative, or neutral.  All of our interactions affect us.  Each of us will respond to the way we are greeted when we enter a store or in any of our day to day contacts with others.

If you want customers and clients to enjoy doing business with you, to return again and again, and to speak highly of the experience, consider how you interact with them.  I encourage you to bring a warm smile and caring attitude to your work – whether in person, on the phone, or over the internet.  Your words and actions shine through in your interactions.

I’d love to hear your stories and experiences about interactions you have with people you do business with.

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