Thank You and Good Job!

Have you ever taken the time to go out of your way to say "Good Job!" to someone you don't know and may never see or speak to again?

Do you know how far that can go in someone's every day life and job?

I work in a contact center and am on the phone with people most of my day (used to be all of my shift until I got promoted) and in the 15 months that I have been assisting members with the accounts, or helping them with a loan/credit card application I have only had a handful of compliments. I feel as though I am the nicest person you could meet, I go way above and beyond for our members to make sure that we have a one-call resolution and excellent member service. Yes, I get people who say thank you, or you've been great which is nice, but only a few have gone that extra step to speak to my supervisor to say what a great job I did for them.

Now, I'm not here to complain saying I should have more (wish I did!) but every one of those compliments I remember and feel proud of. It made my day, and makes me feel as though I am good at what I do, especially if you've had one bad call which can make your day seem longer and you begin to question why you are doing this job (believe me, I've had plenty of those days!)

Today, I was out at Panera. Went in to get a couple loafs of asiago break and a frozen mocha (tasty!). The gentleman who helped me out today was named Darel, and he had a smile on his face, made sure everything I ordered what right, made my frozen mocha (best one I've ever had from there) and made my experience there a good one. Now, to make the frozen mocha, it takes time. I wasn't in a hurry (you should never be when you're at Panera because they make everything to order) so when he handed me my drink I asked for his manager. I spoke to the manager at the front of the store, where another cashier was and told him how great Darel was at helping me out today, and that he deserved a nice compliment. The other girl standing there suddenly had a great smile on her face, and the manager told me that he would recognize Darel in front of his peers at the end of the day to let them all know how well he did.
As I was leaving I heard the girl shout to Darel, "Way to go Darel!" and I left with a giant smile on my face knowing that I made someone's day. I'm sure Darel does a great job, and I'm sure he gets a lot of impatient people, but I hope that what I did makes up for some of the craziness that happens.
I know that's how I feel when I get one.

So, if you have the time, thank someone for what they do, if you call customer service for anything and they helped you with what you need in a pleasant way, tell them they did great! Or, if you believe they deserve it, let their higher ups know, it's doesn't take too long, and believe me, it goes a long way.