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Create Value with "Feel Goods"

Given their options, most sane human beings would choose to do business with someone who is pleasant, courteous, warm, friendly, hospitable and dare I say, fun. Yes, of course it's critical to be dependable, reliable, credible, responsive and intelligent, but given that, isn't it great to also have an experience that is enjoyable?

Victor Borge once said that humor is the shortest distance between two people, and I must tell you, I heartily agree.

Isn't it always more pleasurable to do business with someone who has the ability to lighten, as well as enlighten, a situation? Now, I am not suggesting that customer service isn't SERIOUS business - you know it is. But what I am suggesting is that when a customer can feel comfortable with a customer-caring representative of your company they will have more trust and confidence in the whole company. Often, an easy way to build that bridge of understanding is through the human sharing of the common need for joy.

When you ask people to recount some of the most pleasurable experiences of their lifetimes, they often tell of times when they were having fun. Times when they laughed together with others, shared a chuckle, were amused or lightened by the same perspective of a situation. Some even tell of work experiences where the whole team pulled together toward a common goal.

Humor is used to bond with others, to lighten the heavy load of living and often to relieve stress. After a real rough airplane landing in Phoenix, a Flight Attendant announced over the system, "Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Captain Crash and the Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate. And, once the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced, we'll open the door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal."

I'd say that even the most frightened of the passengers on that flight got a hearty enough laugh from that announcement to at least take the edge off of the stress they were experiencing.

In our day-to-day interactions with customers and colleagues there may be many opportunities to have fun. They can be spontaneous or elaborately planned. Either way they make the experience more enjoyable and more memorable - and isn't that what you're after, experiences that both your staff and your customers will remember fondly?

What are you doing to smile more, laugh more, enjoy your job more? What are you doing to dee-light your customers? What are you doing to spread a little joy in the world? Think about it, talk about it, create a plan in your business to make it happen.

The good news is that optimists live 8-9 years longer than pessimists and the experience of positive emotions builds resilience, strengthens the immune system, opens the mind to think more broadly and makes you healthier - what's not to like about creating more JOY?

As my friends at the fun, friendly New Pig Corp (http://www.newpig.com/) would say, "Have a swine day!"

JoAnna Brandi is Publisher of the Customer Care Coach® a weekly training program on mastering "The Art and Science of Exquisite Customer Care." She is the author of books such as "Winning at Customer Retention - 101 Ways to Keep 'em Happy, Keep 'em Loyal, and Keep 'em Coming Back" and "Building Customer Loyalty - 21 Essential Elements in ACTION."

A Speaker and consultant, she is publisher of the bi-weekly Customer Care Tips Bulletin. To receive her free bi-weekly tips bulletin, sign up at www.returnonhappiness.com. You can also reach JoAnna at 561-279-0027 or e-mail joanna@customercarecoach.com.