May 05, 2014
It is my pleasure to share the following article from Katharine Giovanni of Triangle Concierge. She has some valuable customer service advice to share. You can learn more about Katharine and her business at www.triangleconcierge.com.
Four simple words that will change your career
I want to share a very short story with you …
I had to go for my quarterly heart echo a few weeks ago (I’m a 2-year breast cancer survivor and they scan me all the time), and I often strike up a conversation with the hospital staff while I’m there. Being both a customer service and positive life trainer, it’s become a habit now to talk to people I stumble across during the day. If I can help just one person, it makes my day. Just making people smile and laugh brings me joy!
When we arrive, my husband and I park in the lot of the hospital, walk into the reception area, sign in, and quietly sit down and wait for them to call my name. Ron has been a pillar of strength through this cancer nightmare as he has been solidly by my side for every appointment, surgery and treatment! He often still comes with me to appointments.
When they call my name, I walk over to the woman behind the first door so I can be registered for the test.
“Good morning Mrs. Giovanni” she says brightly as I walk through the glass door.
Is it a GOOD thing that everyone here knows me by name? I wondered as I sat down.
“Are you the one who taught me to say ‘it was my pleasure‘ a few months ago?” she immediately asks me.
You see, the last time I was there, I struck up a conversation and we got onto the customer service topic, which I’ve been speaking on for the last decade or so. One of my biggest tips is to swap “you’re welcome” for “it was my pleasure” as it takes your customer service level up at least five notches! Just that one little thing changes the entire energy and brings your level of service a whole new level.
“Yes, yes I am” I said to her smiling.
“Oh, I’m so glad I’m the one checking you in today! I’ve been wanting to thank you for weeks now. I’ve been saying that ever since I saw you and the response has been amazing. Patients and staff are not only treating me better and with more respect, but I’m getting so much positive feedback! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. My supervisor loves it!”
WOW!
I’ve seen changes in people, but this one was incredible. The last time I was there, she didn’t smile when I walked in, and signed me in for my test like a robot. So out of habit, I struck up a conversation with her to see if I could get her to smile at me. We chit chatted for a few minutes and eventually I got her onto customer service topics. I then quickly gave her a few tips that included smiling and saying “it was my pleasure.”
Just four simple words changed her entire outlook! Even more amazing was that it got her noticed by her supervisor which might lead to a promotion. Now THAT’s a positive change! The negativity was completely gone, and a warm, friendly and approachable woman was now sitting in front of me. What a difference!
So here’s my challenge to all of you … start saying “it was my pleasure” instead of “you’re welcome” for the next week and see what happens. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!!!
Sometimes it is the simple things in life that are the most powerful.
Have a great day all!
Katharine
Katharine’s NEW book on how to live a positive life will be out this summer!
It is my pleasure to share the following article from Katharine Giovanni of Triangle Concierge. She has some valuable customer service advice to share. You can learn more about Katharine and her business at www.triangleconcierge.com.
Four simple words that will change your career
I want to share a very short story with you …
I had to go for my quarterly heart echo a few weeks ago (I’m a 2-year breast cancer survivor and they scan me all the time), and I often strike up a conversation with the hospital staff while I’m there. Being both a customer service and positive life trainer, it’s become a habit now to talk to people I stumble across during the day. If I can help just one person, it makes my day. Just making people smile and laugh brings me joy!
When we arrive, my husband and I park in the lot of the hospital, walk into the reception area, sign in, and quietly sit down and wait for them to call my name. Ron has been a pillar of strength through this cancer nightmare as he has been solidly by my side for every appointment, surgery and treatment! He often still comes with me to appointments.
When they call my name, I walk over to the woman behind the first door so I can be registered for the test.
“Good morning Mrs. Giovanni” she says brightly as I walk through the glass door.
Is it a GOOD thing that everyone here knows me by name? I wondered as I sat down.
“Are you the one who taught me to say ‘it was my pleasure‘ a few months ago?” she immediately asks me.
You see, the last time I was there, I struck up a conversation and we got onto the customer service topic, which I’ve been speaking on for the last decade or so. One of my biggest tips is to swap “you’re welcome” for “it was my pleasure” as it takes your customer service level up at least five notches! Just that one little thing changes the entire energy and brings your level of service a whole new level.
“Yes, yes I am” I said to her smiling.
“Oh, I’m so glad I’m the one checking you in today! I’ve been wanting to thank you for weeks now. I’ve been saying that ever since I saw you and the response has been amazing. Patients and staff are not only treating me better and with more respect, but I’m getting so much positive feedback! Thank you so much for sharing that with me. My supervisor loves it!”
WOW!
I’ve seen changes in people, but this one was incredible. The last time I was there, she didn’t smile when I walked in, and signed me in for my test like a robot. So out of habit, I struck up a conversation with her to see if I could get her to smile at me. We chit chatted for a few minutes and eventually I got her onto customer service topics. I then quickly gave her a few tips that included smiling and saying “it was my pleasure.”
Just four simple words changed her entire outlook! Even more amazing was that it got her noticed by her supervisor which might lead to a promotion. Now THAT’s a positive change! The negativity was completely gone, and a warm, friendly and approachable woman was now sitting in front of me. What a difference!
So here’s my challenge to all of you … start saying “it was my pleasure” instead of “you’re welcome” for the next week and see what happens. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!!!
Sometimes it is the simple things in life that are the most powerful.
Have a great day all!
Katharine
Katharine’s NEW book on how to live a positive life will be out this summer!
A Single Ray of Hope celebrates 16 years of being in business in July 2022! How is this even possible? It is an amazing milestone for me and I am extremely proud and a veteran and woman-owned business.
Where did the idea come from to open a Concierge Service in Portage, Michigan? Well, myself and two dear friends would gather over frozen strawberry dacquiri's and making jewelry while brainstorming businesses to go into. My friends chose other routes and were equally as successful in their career paths, while I pursued opening A Single Ray of Hope's Personal Assistant & Concierge Service.
Still today, I love being of service to people. I am blessed to meet and work for a wide variety of clients. Individuals of all walks of life....some working professionals both with and without families, retired seniors and their adult children, various businesses and more. I love getting to know people and hearing about their fascinating lives. My reward is knowing that my service is giving them the ability to focus on what is most important to them. It's about the value of time and how they choose to spend it while handing of their TO DO List to a trusted business.
I started my business as a way of giving back to others. My youngest son has special needs and many family and friends helped guide us over the years, providing respite, words of encouragement, providing helpful information of where to go for services and assistance. The term...it takes a village is true. Others helped us and I wanted to help others in return.
Another reason for my business is I saw my mother who raised thirteen children end up struggling later in life with Alzheimers. I'd visit her in her nursing home and think...is this really how life should be for a women who worked so hard to put her children through catholic school by donating her artistic time & talents, staying up late at night just to have a little peace & quiet, stretching a dollar beyond belief, and raising a good family? Mom's put themselves last, we do it willingly but in the end, we are doing a dis-service to ourselves and our families. I thought life shouldn't have to be this hard. How about a providing a service so that people could enjoy life more instead of running in a hundred directions?
Many times, I don't see a lot of my clients....I'm in and out of their home during the day while they are at work. Shopping is done, errands done, dry cleaning is hanging in their closet, meals prepped or cooked, prescriptions picked up, library books returned, service people have been to the home such as plumbers, etc. My business gives my clients some breathing room and that is how life should be lived.
You get the picture. It's about work life balance and peace of mind....for both myself and my clients. Life is short....take time to smell the flowers.