Today is evidently World Smile Day. And lately I’ve been thinking a lot about smiles and how powerful they can be. As Buddy the Elf would say, “I just like to smile. Smiling’s my favorite!”
Have you ever walked into a store to purchase something and the person working the counter notices you, but doesn’t greet you? Have you walked into a shop where the employee greets you with a huge smile and a verbal “Welcome to ______!” Notice the difference? Which business would you want to return to? Most likely it’s the one where you are greeted with confidence and with a genuine smile.
Today, service with a smile seems to be a lost art.
At your company, are the employees taught and coached to smile at customers when they walk in the door? Does your sales team greet potential customers with a smile and a firm handshake? Do your cashiers greet people with a smile when ringing up their items? If you answered no to any of the above, you need to re-evaluate your employee training techniques.
Smiling Sounds Better
It even shows over the phone. Smiling when you talk on the phone can actually make you sound more friendly. One thing that is taught to phone reps (or should be if it is not) is to smile when answering the phone to achieve better customer service. Are you teaching your employees to smile even while on the phone?
Smiling is Contagious
When you see someone smile, your automatic instinct is to smile back (hopefully!). It’s in our nature. Smiling at someone can brighten their day, even if it’s a stranger on the street. Most people will return a smile, even if their day is not necessarily going ‘as planned.’
Save the Drama for Your Mama
We all have personal lives filled with ups and downs. That’s life. But once that personal drama begins to interfere with work, that’s a problem. Customers do not care that your cashier has been on her feet for 6 hours. They don’t empathize with an employee’s bad attitude because that staff member only got a 15 minute lunch break. People are at your business to do business. It’s that simple. Bad attitudes result in bad return for your business.
Without even getting into any scientific data about endorphins or your muscle system, smiling can actually make you feel better. Try it. Right now. Do you feel better already?
Don’t make today the only day you or your employees smile while at work. Make every day World Smile Day!