Courtesy and a Smile – what a difference they make!

Paying attention to your manners and simple acts of gratitude can make or break you!

Sue and I recently spent a couple of weeks driving down south to catch up with family and friends. I like driving and the freedom of being able to set our own pace and explore different places. This is an activity we often get involved in, but for some reason our experience with some of the business operators we interacted with on this trip really stood out.

 Courtesy and a Smile – what a difference they make!

OK we all have to buy petrol at some stage, actually at several stages on a journey, but some of these outlets have foolishly assumed that I have to buy from them. Well I guess on occasion I have to, with the tank already full, I’m obliged to pay for it. But will I come back?

Definitely not, to some and this is a pity because I like to support the independents. They’re our only hope of keeping prices and service under some control. The reason I’ll not return – surly attendants who can’t even attempt a smile or a thank you, even when you do your best to engage with them pleasantly. Luckily there are still a lot who understand the importance of great customer service.

And motels, one grumpy operator, when asked if his rooms had queen size beds, replied all his rooms had queen beds. I was tired and prepared to overlook his manner until he tried to up his advertised tariff because there would be two of us in the room. His response to my simple question, “have your costs really increased by $15 because there will be two of us in the room?’’ made me decide to leave no matter how tired I was.  In his case a really foolish move because the next motel was just next door and they had just put out their ‘off the road special’ for the night.

Their manner was great and if we had been five minutes earlier, we would still have booked in without the special. But it was the next morning that cinched it for a future stay, slipped under the door was a personalised note thanking us for choosing them and wishing us a safe continuance of our journey.

Like I keep saying, let people know that you value and appreciate them, especially in an unexpected form like a note or a card, and I’m sure they will return and stay with you. Just as we intend to stay with these people on our next trip south.