Saying "Thank You."

As a customer service representative, I have realized how much it means when someone says, "Thank you." This is especially great when a customer takes the time to let my managers know when they feel I've gone above and beyond the call of duty to help them. When a customer lets a manager know that their customer service rep really took the time to help them, their comments are posted on a board at the managers' desk with the customer service rep's name written boldly in a star above each comment. All of us CSRs can read the great things people say about us, and that in and of itself is a great motivator.

Knowing how much it means to me to be commended for a job well done, I took the time to do the same for someone else this weekend. Kenny and I went to Red Lobster with a gift certificate from his little brother, Patrick (thank you so much, Patrick!!) and we were treated so well by the staff there that we felt we had to say something. It was a really busy night and we ended up having to wait, crammed into the tiny lobby, for about 40 minutes to get a table. It was pouring outside, so there was no slipping out into the night air to get away from the crowd, and for as squished as we were, more and more people kept piling into the restaurant. But despite what was obviously a tough night for the greeters, the girls that were managing the crowd and getting people seated were so friendly and kind (and relieved that we didn't throw a fit about the wait) that we felt very taken care of. Once we were seated, our server was so bubbly and friendly that we forgot all about the forty minutes of cramped-as-sardines hungry waiting. She whisked drinks to us before we even realized we needed a refill and was so smiling and attentive that it seemed like we were dining on a slow weekday night rather than a bustling Friday evening.

As we paid our bill and gathered our coats, we decided to flag down the manager (busy clearing tables and helping guests) and mention how great the girls on staff had been. She positively glowed and thanked us, saying, "No one ever tells us the good about their experience! And the girls who greet and seat the customers never get recognized!" The manager told us that because the girls were commended for their service, each one would receive a free meal and accolades. Wow! I realized as we walked out that you just never know what can happen when you take the time to thank someone for a job well done. Nor do you know if that person has ever been thanked before for their hard work, and what it might mean to them to hear that someone appreciates what they do. Ever since I became a customer service agent I've been aware of just how nicely (or not nicely) I ask for help when I need it. Now I have also realized just how important it is to say "Thank you" when someone goes out of their way to help you - and to send that "Thank you" to that person's boss! It will make your day, and it will make that person's day, too!