The importance of being kind

How crazy was your day today? He ponders with me for a moment… Who were you in contact with? What services did he receive? Who touched your day? Who made the difference?

It’s only 10:30 in the morning on a Sunday and I’ve already had a strange day. I’m headed out of town to a conference, my flight was delayed (lucky for me because I overslept and cut it a bit too close), there’s construction going on at the airport so finding my gate was a maze, the The line at Starbucks was crazy, and when I boarded the plane I realized I hadn’t called earlier to let the flight attendants know of my food allergy.

And yet, throughout, I witnessed incredible service, patience, and attention beyond expectation.

Who went above and beyond to help you today? Did you thank them?

In fact, I made it a point to start thanking someone every day, it’s amazing what a difference it makes. We often write scathing emails criticizing poor customer service, but what do we do when the service is exceptional? Have we reached the point where we expect a certain level of service? Are we taking the goodness of others for granted?

And that is what worries me. Have we forgotten the basic courtesy of being classy? Are we too caught up in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives, looking at our phones, rushing from activity to activity, task to task, that we have forgotten to look up from our phone when we call the cashier? groceries, thanking the staff for placing our bags in our cart, thanking the Starbucks barista for the “perfect” amount of foam on our latte?

In 2014, I was scouting locations for a client conference, approached the convention bureau at one of the potential locations, and was completely blown away by their attention to detail. All I had to do was bring the decision makers there, and the representative picked them up at the airport, made the hotel reservations, arranged all the meals, and provided tips and tricks to make our conference a success in that city. Three conferences later, in three different cities, and not once have we received a similar level of service. I emailed them this week, reminiscing about the service they provided, and letting them know how exceptional they were (thanks to the New Orleans Convention Bureau!) THREE years ago.

I’m sitting on a flight right now, knowing that my food allergy is a challenge for the flight crew, and I really appreciate their professionalism. I was the one who forgot to call ahead, I know better. They were patient, kind and courteous about my mistake (thanks West Jet!) and took steps to make my flight more enjoyable.

So I challenge you to make it your mandate for this week to thank someone every day. And I want to say really thank you, sincerely and with eye contact. Imagine the difference we could all make, if we would just take the time to look up and be stylish. Better yet, join me here on the blog and say hello to the amazing people who have touched your life.

Are you ready for the challenge?