I recently made a purchase at a retail store and after the sales associate completed my transaction, she walked out from behind the counter, handed my bag to me, and with a sincere smile said, “Thank you for shopping here. We really appreciate your business.”
I was in another store and asked a sales associate where an item was. He stopped what he was doing and walked me over to the location of the item on the opposite side of the store. Later, the sales associate passed me in the store and asked if I found exactly what I was looking for and if I needed help finding anything else.
Yesterday, I was visiting another city to deliver a presentation. Two of the employees of the business I was working with offered to sit with me while I waited outside for my ride to pick me up.
In each of these situations my initial thought was, “How nice.” All of these individuals went above and beyond the anticipated level of service. They were willing to go the extra mile to help me. As a result, I will be loyal to their businesses and share words of praise about them with others.
As we negotiate through a tough economy, it is important to remember to go the extra mile for others whenever we can. By doing so, you will gain respect and loyalty for yourself and your place of employment.