Service with a Smile
I went to my favorite gelato shop last night for some dessert after dinner.
I was greeted with a wonderful smile which made me feel great, along with the anticipation of a wonderful dessert that evening.
But the smile, and the service, during my tasting and purchase made a particular positive impact….I felt good, and appreciated as a customer.
I’ve been to this store many times and always feel welcome. There’s a customer service message there.
I found myself thinking…this is the way it always should be in a business. Even when you are there with a problem to be solved as opposed to buying a product or service, you deserve a smile and a positive attitude. But as we all know that is not always the case.
Sometimes it’s a frown, grumpiness and a crappy attitude.
No doubt last night I would have bought even if the service person had an attitude, since they had what I needed. But I certainly walked away feeling good about my positive experience.
So what’s the lesson here for us in real estate?!
Do we smile when we are meeting buyers or sellers? Do they feel good after meeting us? Does our demeanor imply we are pleased to meet them, and to help them?
"Because of your smile, you make life more beautiful."
~ Thich Nhat Hanh ~
What about their experience with us on the phone?
Do you smile when you dial? Does your tone of voice imply a strong positive attitude, especially when answering the phone call from someone you don’t know? Or do you sound rushed, or annoyed, because you are busy with something else or having one of THOSE days. I have certainly experienced that as a caller haven’t you?!
That first impression, in person or on the phone, can be mighty powerful. Maybe more so if it’s negative.
How about your texts and emails? Does your tone come across as positive, even when the message you have to deliver may not be completely positive? Do you sound friendly and helpful, caring and concerned?
We also have the option to include emojis in our online communications (you know, those smiley faces and all the other options we have). But perhaps a smiley face may be going too far, and may be perceived as unprofessional, especially if you and the recipient are just getting to know each other. You have to decide.
It may be better to wait until you get an emoji from the recipient first, which might imply that level of informality is OK with them. I’m not sure what the protocol is. But personally, I wouldn’t just assume it’s OK. But that’s your decision.
And maybe using emojis, or emoticons (those made with with your keyboard) just isn’t your style. That’s certainly fine, too!
But I think you have to be careful about which emoji(s) you use and when. Delivering bad news in a text or email with a smiling emoji might not be a good idea.
The problem with online communication is you are missing the body language and your voice, plus your wonderful smile. So you have to be particularly careful about what you are saying and how. That testy text or email can get read over and over.
Service with a smile is more likely to be received well, depending on the news. And the positive impression counts a lot. I know if I had not already been to that gelato store multiple times my positive experience last night would have brought me back.
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