With the state of our airlines, politics, and social media, doesn’t it seem like organizations look to make things as hard as possible for their Guests, constituents, or fans?
It seems like leaders have forgotten the impact that positivity can have on their businesses – both for their Guests and their teams.
There is power in Yes.
With many businesses trying to figure out ways to say no and being handcuffed by rules and restrictions, its a good idea to dust off the rule book and ensure that your team understands how, why, and when to say yes.
Now before you stop reading because you have policies and procedures that must be followed or have safety rules that are integral to daily operations, let’s talk about saying Yes for a moment.
Think about Yes and what it means – it is simply the affirmative and desired outcome for the person asking. This could be a combination of positive phrasing, a little spin, and the ability to think of alternate ways to satisfy a Guest.
So there are three places where staying positive and finding ways to say Yes can benefit your business:
Yes For your Team
You might wonder why we didn’t start with the Guests.
Simple.
When you make things easy for your teams, they will turn around and deliver that same ease and positivity to Guests. Find a way to say Yes to your team and use positive phrases with them whenever possible. This could be listening to their ideas, providing recognition for great work, or simply finding ways to make their work days easier. They are the face of your organization and this is another way to take great care of them.
Yes For Your Guests
Guests have many demands – and they believe they are always right. To a point, they are right again here. Sometimes, though, they get so laser focused on the one thing they are looking for or requesting that they forget to think about alternate solutions. For example, if the you can’t have a product in their hands for their big business trip on Monday, can it be shipped to their meeting location to meet them there on Tuesday? You may not have a table available at 7:00 pm in your restaurant, but you have openings at 6:30 or 7:30.
There are 2 ways to script this interaction:
Caller: Hello, I’d like to get a table at 7 pm.
Restaurant: We don’t have any availability then.
or…
Caller: Hello, I’d like to get a table at 7 pm.
Restaurant: We have plenty of great tables available at 6:30 or 7:30. Can I reserve one of those times for you?
The difference is subtle, but enough to send a clear, positive message to your Guests.
Perception has a powerful impact on Guest satisfaction and the words and phrases we use drive those perceptions.
Here is a great way to help you codify this Yes thinking:
Start with Yes. Adopt the mindset that you are going to find a way to make it happen and then get to work. Once you take away the potential for No, all that remains is to find a way deliver.
Yes For You
Saying Yes feels good. It is empowering and helps you dream about what is next.
So you need to save a little “yes” for yourself.
When you say yes, it helps you keep your options open and also stay agile for the future. Remember that nugget we discussed earlier about saying yes and then figuring out how to get there? It will help you as well. Whether you are talking about growing your career or your business, deciding to take the leap is the first step. When you say Yes to your business – it could be a new investment in technology or training – it opens up possibilities for the future.
So remember, Yes represents all the great things that are possible for your Guests.
When you find ways to stay positive with them, you’ll find that your Guests want to keep coming back because you make their lives easier and are always looking to put them first.
Or in other words, treat them like cherished friends.
Tony
Tony Johnson
-Guest Experience Leader-