Over a decade ago I read an article in the La Jolla Light spotlighting a local parking attendant, known for his attitude of gratitude. Several years later, I had the privilege of paying him.
Here’s how my scenario with the highly respected parking attendant unfolded:
I pull up to the parking attendant booth after leaving my appointment
Him: Good afternoon. That will be $4. Thank you for parking.
Me: Ok, here you go. [handing over a $5 bill]
Him: Thank you for paying.
Me: [now realizing this was the infamous attendant] Hey, I’ve read about you!
Him: Thank you for reading, and thank you for and remembering!
Me: Yeah, of course – you’re a celebrity around here!
Him: Thank you for saying that. I’ll give you a dollar discount.
Me: Wow, thank you!
Him: Thank you for saying ‘thank you’, and thank you for smiling! You’re the best!
Me: No, YOU’RE the best!
And then I drove away, leaving us both with big smiles.
Never in my life have I been so happy to pay for parking.
Are people excited to pay your business? Do they feel great about giving you their money, and want to support your business again in the future? Do they leave smiling?
People don’t talk about getting what they expect. They talk about being WOW’d.
The good news is, we can be pretty easily impressed when it comes to service.
All he did was say thank you – a lot. I probably wouldn’t have even noticed if he didn’t say thank you at all, but when he did, it made an impact.
What’s that tiny thing that your business can do that’s just unique enough to catch people by surprise, and make them smile?
