Say my name, say my name....

Next time you are interacting with a client, try this simple trick: use their name. It sounds obvious and simple but it can have real impact in a retail/dinning experience.

When I was waiting tables to put myself through college the restaurants I worked for often employed "secret shoppers" in order to insure quality customer service. One of the aspects we were graded on was a warm goodbye. It is hard to overestimate the importance of a fond farewell in the customer service experience.

I was recently at a fast food restaurant drive through (it was a moment of weakness) and I was thanked, as I usually am, by the attendant. The difference was this time it felt like a warm valediction instead of a forced utterance. The part that blew me away was that the employee actually used my last name. This is such a simple trick, but one that I don't think enough people use.

Most of us now pay with credit or bank cards with our names on them. It is so easy to read a name during an interaction. When I was working for tips this is something I would gladly do, as I had read once that it ingratiates yourself to the tipper. To have this done at a fast food restaurant blew me away. I will likely return to this location more often because of the generally more positive impression that I have. Again this is such a simple trick that should be employed more often. The wounds of standing in line could easily be resolved by a pleasant "thank you Mr. So-and-So" at the end of a retail experience. High-end retailers like Nordstrom do this why can't Target and Wal-mart?

So how would you implement a behavior shift like this? I think that you could always employ methods like secret shoppers but the real challenge is to integrate this behavior into your culture. During morning meetings and interactions it is up to the leaders of an organization to set the standard. Develop a script for yourself and stick to it. Try thanking your employees by name more often and in lieu of simple good byes and see if you don't notice a change in how they interact with you, each other, and the clientele.