Choosing Your Words Wisely
Every word is important. Words change the meaning, if only minutely, of what you are saying. I know this sounds obvious, but I don't think we actually consider how important the details of our speech really are.
My parents just spent a few days at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort. They came back raving about the place--talking about the pool, the environment, and the service. Of couse, we all know that resorts are well known for good service, so that's no surprise, but the things that stuck out were not what I expected.
Here's what my parents liked the most: when the staff addressed my folks, they greeted my parents by name: "What would you like Mr. Maddox?" or "Good morning Mr. Maddox." You get the idea... Their service began with a personal greeting...
And the second thing that stood out to my parents was how they responded. The staff never said something like, "No problem" or "I think we can do that." The staff said "Right away, Mr. Maddox." or "Yes sir, I'll go place your order right now."
It's a subtle change: the response jumped from a negative to a positive. From "no problem" to "yes sir." As I contemplated this small change, I realized that small choice of words totally changed the service environment. And as I related it further, I thought of all of the times I said something like "no problem" instead of answering in a positive form.
For me, my responses indicate that I am fulfilling a special service for you...something that I don't really have to do, but because you're lucky, I'll do it for you. Instead, I should respond, "Sure, I can do that," or "That sounds great. I'd love to meet you for lunch" not "No problem," or "Yea, I guess I can make it."
Because those small choices in words make a big difference in building relationships and serving people.