If you want to find out just how bad customer service is, go buy something.

It hardly even matters where you go, who you call, or which website you visit. Sure, there are exceptions—those fabled companies that spring to mind when one thinks about legendary customer service: Zappos, Disney, L.L.Bean, Nordstrom, Ritz-Carlton, etc.

But if you’re not dealing with a very special company, chances are you’re dealing with a very average company in terms of customer service.

Just this week, my wife phoned one of those very average companies, AT&T Wireless, to verify that her data service had been disabled on her stolen iPad.

When she contacted the AT&T rep at the 800 number, she initially had difficulty hearing the rep’s voice. Unsure of whether the issue was on her end or the AT&T call center’s end, she asked the rep, “Can you hear me?” to which the rep answered, “AT&T Wireless. Can I help you?”

My wife responded, “Yes, I need to verify that the data service on my stolen iPad has been disabled but, first, can you hear me okay?” to which the AT&T rep said robotically, “If you give me your wireless number, I can verify that the data service on your iPad has been disabled.”

My wife, confused as to why the rep would not respond to her question about the quality of the call connection, provided the rep with the wireless number and then asked her again whether or not she could hear her clearly.

The rep verified that the data service had been disabled and asked, “Does this resolve your issue?” to which my wife responded, “Is there some reason why you cannot leave your script and confirm whether or not you can hear me clearly?”

The rep mechanically responded, “Your iPad’s data service has been disabled. Does this resolve your issue?”

Frustrated with the rep’s obstinance, my wife responded, “I’d like to speak with a supervisor.”

At this point, the rep said, “Please hold.”

My wife held for five minutes before she realized the AT&T rep had no intention of locating a supervisor but was just continuing her childish game of “You’re not the boss of me” at which point she hung up—frustrated and underserved.

This disappointing situation was avoidable. All the rep had to do was acknowledge my wife and respond to her question but she refused.

So, why is customer service at AT&T and elsewhere so consistently poor? I’ll answer this question in a moment but, for now, consider this:

Many employees define their entire job roles in terms of related job functions. For a AT&T call center rep, that includes: accepting phone calls, verifying accounts, updating accounts, providing information, etc.

Job functions are mandatory and, in many cases, are tied to a job description, policy, procedure, checklist, or script. Job functions are also what employees are paid to do.

What employees oftentimes fail to consider is that their jobs are not defined solely in terms of job function. There’s another half of their jobs that’s made up of job essence. Job essence is an employee’s highest priority. And, for employees at most companies, their highest priority is to create a promoter—a customer who is less price-sensitive, has higher repurchase rates, and recommends the company or brand to others.

This provides insight into why customer service is so consistently poor: While employees consistently execute mandatory job junctions (e.g., accept phone calls, disable data service, adhere to lifeless scripts, etc.), they inconsistently demonstrate voluntary job essence (e.g., express genuine interest, convey authentic enthusiasm, provide pleasant surprises, etc.).

So, the next logical question is this: Why is it that employees consistently execute mandatory job functions but inconsistently demonstrate voluntary job essence?

Here’s why: Because job functions are mandatory! (If they were optional, then they too would be overlooked!) Job functions, as outlined in an employee’s job description, are what she is paid to do. If an employee fails to perform her job functions adequately, she will be reprimanded or even dismissed.

Assuming the employee does receive feedback on her job performance, the feedback will likely be based on her mandatory job functions for which she is paid. In a call center, performance-based feedback may focus on protocol, scripts, and metrics such as: calls per hour, first-call resolution rate, average handle time, average wait time, abandonment rate, and completion rate.

In the absence of feedback on voluntary job essence (e.g., anticipating the needs of customers, expressing empathy, demonstrating flexibility, etc.), employees tend to direct their efforts toward what does get attention. In most work environments, this includes productivity and financial metrics that can be quantified, measured, tracked, and analyzed.

As a result, the AT&T call center rep consistently executes her mandatory job functions for which she is paid (e.g., accepting phone calls, adhering to a script, providing information, etc.) but inconsistently demonstrates voluntary job essence for which there is no additional cost to her employer (e.g., demonstrating flexibility, valuing her customer, creating a promoter of AT&T Wireless, etc.). And the customer is left frustrated and underserved—again.

Unlike AT&T, companies that consistently provide the very best customer service understand that energy flows where attention goes. Leaders inside these companies are intentional about recognizing and reinforcing the fact that every employee’s job role is made up of both mandatory job functions and voluntary job essence—both of which are required to create promoters!

I welcome all questions, comments, bouquets, and brickbats.

[Oh, and don’t just take my word for AT&T’s atrocious customer service. Check out the latest findings from the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) based on a sample of 250 customer interviews. You’ll see that its score has gradually slid nearly 17% since the ACSI first began tracking it in 1995.]

Tipping is a form of recognition—a way for customers to say, “Thank you” to service providers. Tipping, in most settings, is voluntary and left to the customer’s discretion.

Even so, many restaurant servers feel entitled to 15 percent or more from every table they wait on. Likewise, bellmen and skycaps feel they’re entitled to $2.00 or more per bag they handle. I’ve even been presented with charge slips asking me to tip, total and sign when I simply purchased two bags of whole bean coffee.

It’s easy to choose the path of least resistance and avoid confrontation—or, worse, retaliation—by rewarding indifferent (or non-existent) service with a tip. Americans are confronted with tip jars wherever we go. In most quick service restaurants, a tip jar is conspicuously placed near the register in hopes of capturing the remaining 90 cents of your $8.10 burrito. (Never mind that the employee who prepared your burrito may not have smiled or in any way expressed genuine interest in serving you.)

For employees in tip positions who demonize customers who don’t tip to their satisfaction and bemoan their compensation structure (generally a minimum hourly rate that, when combined with tip earnings, meets or exceeds the prevailing minimum wage), recognize that you’re no different than any other entrepreneur. Ultimately, you will be paid what your worth. If you’re unhappy with that arrangement, you have options.

Stories abound of hotel doorman and restaurant servers who make 20, 50, or even 100 percent more than their peers. To discover how they make more, all you have to do is identify what inspires you to increase the gratuities you offer to such employees.

What are the attributes, for example, of a restaurant server that inspire a 20 percent tip?

Here are a few from my list:

• Smile
• Eye contact
• Energy in voice
• Attentiveness without being intrusive
• Sense of humor
• Anticipate needs
• Sense of urgency
• Follow-up

Your list may look different than mine. That’s why the highest paid restaurant servers are adept at reading their customers and detecting which groups prefer chatty versus discrete table service in addition to other service preferences.

I recall a conversation with a Las Vegas taxi driver in which I suggested that he could increase his gratuities 20 percent by simply opening and closing the sliding van door for his passengers. Read about it here: An experiment in customer service

Tipped employees are no more entitled to 100 percent tipping compliance by customers than I’m guaranteed 100 percent sales by prospective customers.

As an entrepreneur, I recognize that there are no sure things. No prospective customer is obligated to take my call, let alone hire me and pay me money. I bet for every 20 contacts I initiate, I book a single event. At the risk of sounding like renowned sales trainer, Tom Hopkins, each of those 19 “Nos” brought me one step closer to that single “Yes!”

It’s the same with tipped employees, only their odds of success are much better. For example, for every 20 taxis ordered, a hotel doorman can expect to be tipped by at least half of the guests. So, while I’m rewarded for my efforts 5 percent of the time, the doorman’s rewarded 10 times as often!

Perhaps it is I who should shake my fist and shout, “There’s no justice!”

But, alas, after five years in business, I’ve tempered my expectations. I recognize that batting 1000 is a fantasy. One summer during my youth, George Brett of the Kansas City Royals went 4-for-4 in a game against Toronto, raising his season batting average to .400 (meaning he got a hit four out of every 10 times at bat). This was such a significant achievement that the game was halted while fans gave Brett a standing ovation as he waved from second base.

It’s okay to bat under 1000. Expect it. Don’t allow the inevitable setbacks to derail your success at work.

Look at it another way: What’s your mood worth to you? If you were under-tipped, what amount of money would justify altering your mood from positive to negative? From upbeat to downtrodden? From happy to sad? From optimistic to pessimistic? From outgoing to withdrawn? From engaged to disengaged?

Let’s say a waiter provides adequate service to a couple whose check totals $50.00 and who leave a minimal 10 percent gratuity of $5.00. This waiter, after discovering the amount of the tip, is now free to choose his response. If he becomes angry, bitter, or resentful toward the couple, he has allowed his disposition to be adversely affected for $2.50—the difference between a low 10% tip and a standard 15% tip.

And because human beings are emotional creatures, it’s natural to allow our resentment and negativity to spill over into our interactions with other employees and customers. When this occurs, we undermine those relationships and sabotage our success as one “bad table” turns into a shift filled with “bad tables.”

Let’s make a pact: I commit to not allow my 19 “Nos” to influence the quality of service I provide to my 20th prospective customer. And you must commit to not allow $2.50 (or whatever the number is) to dictate your behavior, undermine your relationships, and sabotage your success at work.

Deal?

I welcome all questions, comments, bouquets, and brickbats.

This post is the eighth in a series that will identify 10 different customer service advantages that have emerged from my analysis of customer satisfaction data. Maybe you have capitalized on one or more of these advantages in your own business? The eighth advantage is to consider service a verb.

Have you ever heard someone in a committed relationship say that he or she no longer loves the other person? When questioned, he might say, “I’ve tried. Really I have. But the love just isn’t there.”

It’s no wonder the love isn’t there—because love (the noun) is a result of love (the verb). In the absence of demonstrating love for another person, there’s only a relationship—an association, an existence together. Heck, I have that type of relationship with my mailman.

In a committed relationship, it’s insufficient to view love as a noun—a mercurial feeling that vacillates between satisfied and unsatisfied.

Love must be demonstrated. Love requires action. Love is a verb.

It’s the same with customer service. Too many service providers view service as a noun—a role, function or department. As a result, customer service is objectified and lifeless.

Last year, I met a friend for lunch who oversees the training of 4,500 call center employees for a Fortune 100 company. He mentioned that call center employees are required to express empathy during phone calls pertaining to warranty or other repairs. He said that if an employee simply repeats the customer’s problem back to her, then that would satisfy the requirement to express empathy during a call audit.

In other words, if a customer calls in and says, “My washing machine stopped working” then all the employee would have to say is, “I’m sorry to hear that your washing machine stopped working” in order to receive full credit for expressing empathy.

My friend was not satisfied with this protocol and is working to change it. He proposed that genuine empathy might look more like a call center employee detecting a crying baby in the background and saying, “I hear a crying baby in the background. Would you like me to look into the availability of a service appointment for tomorrow and call you back in a few minutes?”

Service must be demonstrated. Service requires action. Service is a verb.

Going through the motions, whether in a committed relationship or with a customer, will result in a routine, predictable, and lifeless association. This opens the door for a competitor…

Do not view service as a noun. Do not see “serving customers” as performing a role or function—whether or not it involves a script, checklist or a requirement to “express empathy.”

Service, like love, is a verb. As such, it requires action and effort. It must be demonstrated.

When done well—consistently, with genuine care and concern—you will make a lasting positive impression and ensure that your “customer” will only have eyes for you.

What are some ways that you actively demonstrate service to your customers?

When it comes to serving customers, most companies are more concerned with posture than performance.

Posture is based on what companies say they do—a stated claim or promise. Performance is based on what companies actually do—fulfillment or disregard of that claim or promise. Would you rather do business with a company that projects exceptional customer service or one that delivers it?

Consider the example of XFINITY (formerly Comcast). On its website, it claims:

“Our goal is simple-we want to provide you with a superior customer experience. We’ve been working in many ways to do that since we first told you in late 2007 about our company-wide commitment to improve. For example, we’ve been giving our employees new tools and training so they can answer questions and fix issues the first time you contact us.”

Sounds good XFINITY. Now let’s see whether this claim is more about posture or performance.

Here’s the situation:

Last Friday night, I was relegated by my family to the basement to watch the NCAA Tournament so they could watch a recorded American Idol episode on the large screen in the family room.

After watching two hours of college hoops, I emerged from the basement. The American Idol episode had ended and I saw that my oldest son had just downloaded Happy Feet Two via XFINITY’s On Demand service at a cost of $4.99.

Unbeknownst to my son, I had purchased a Happy Feet Two DVD earlier that day. And since the movie had just started (there hadn’t even been a single line of dialogue), I asked him to turn it off while I fetched the DVD from my office.

The next day I phoned XFINITY Customer Care to report what had happened and request that the $4.99 charge be removed.

How would you expect a cable services company with the above commitment to a “superior customer experience” to respond to my request?

Like many of you, I’ve seen the television commercials about XFINITY’s Customer Guarantee featuring seemingly earnest employees who genuinely want to do right by their customers.

We’ve had Comcast/XFINITY cable service (including voice and data services) for years, pay a monthly invoice that averages about $200, and do not have a history of requesting that On Demand movies be refunded. (This incident was an exception.)

Maybe it sounds naïve but I fully expected the XFINITY employee I spoke with (who had been given “new tools and training” in order to “answer questions and fix issues” the first time a customer called) to refund the $4.99 charge under the circumstances.

Instead, the employee said that since the movie was ordered, he’d split the cost with me and reduce the charge from $4.99 to $2.50.

Really?

I told him that I was not satisfied with that proposal. He put me on hold for a minute—presumably to speak with a supervisor. When he returned to the line, he agreed to remove the entire $4.99 charge.

I thanked him but the damage was done. This experience with XFINITY in no way increased my loyalty to the company—a frequent byproduct of successful problem resolution. In fact, if it wasn’t such a hassle and I didn’t have to wait between the hours of 8:00am and noon for a tech to arrive, I’d seriously consider switching to an alternative provider.

According to this article in The New Yorker, a survey of more than 300 big companies revealed that while 80% described themselves as delivering “superior” service (based on their stated priorities), consumers put that figure at just 8% (based on their actual experiences).

This demonstrates the chasm that exists between what most companies say they do and what these companies actually do.

Of course, there are exceptions that recognize the importance of aligning stated priorities and slogans with actual performance.

Zappos, the online retailer, uses the slogan, Powered by Service. Its slogan matches its performance. What Zappos says it does and what it actually does is one in the same. Zappos has a great deal of integrity. There is a consistency to Zappos. Highly-trained employees genuinely empathize with their customers. Loyal Zappos customers are confident that, if there is a misunderstanding, Zappos will do the right thing.

Imagine a Zappos customer calling to say that his wife had recently purchased a pair of sandals that she had expedited to arrive in time for an event that weekend. The sandals arrived but had not yet been worn.

Meanwhile, he came across a pair of sandals locally that his wife preferred but had been unable to find in her size. She ordered the sandals from Zappos before he made the discovery. For that reason, he wished to return the sandals purchased from Zappos and have the cost of the shoes and $15 expedited shipping charge refunded.

Can you imagine a Zappos customer service rep saying, “Well, you did order the sandals. How about we split the cost of the shipping with you?”

I can’t.

In fact, I posed this scenario to a Zappos customer service rep this evening and asked if he would propose splitting the shipping charge with the customer. When he stopped laughing, he said, “We have a lot of leeway. I don’t think that would ever happen.”

Me either.

The difference between XFINITY and Zappos is that, while XFINITY postures by saying it wants to provide customers with “a superior customer experience,” Zappos performs by actually doing it.

This post is the seventh in a series that will identify 10 different customer service advantages that have emerged from my analysis of customer satisfaction data. Maybe you have capitalized on one or more of these advantages in your own business? The seventh advantage is to deliver service heroics.

When you think about service heroics, what comes to mind?

When I pose this question to audiences, I generally hear references to customer service feats attributed to legendary service providers like Zappos, L.L.Bean, Nordstrom, and others.

Here’s a sample: “I ordered shoes from Zappos at 11:00 pm and, although I didn’t pay extra for express shipping, they were delivered to my front door the following morning!”

While this qualifies as delivering service heroics, oftentimes simply demonstrating initiative has the same effect.

For example, during check-in, if a hotel guest requests The New York Times be delivered to his room in the morning but the only newspapers offered are the local paper, The Wall Street Journal, and USA TODAY, here are some plausible responses:

• “We don’t have The New York Times. You’re in Seattle.”
• “Sorry. We only have the local paper, The Wall Street Journal, and USA TODAY.”
• “We don’t offer The New York Times but I know they carry it at the Starbucks across the street.”

Instead, if it’s possible to get The New York Times, why not list the papers offered and then say, “Let me see what I can do.” (It’s not like he’s asking for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung—although the very best service providers will find that newspaper too.)

If the guest does not have a strong preference, he’s likely to say something like, “Oh, it’s no big deal. I read The New York Times every day. The USA TODAY will be fine.”

If you sense otherwise, then this may be an opportunity to deliver service heroics.

If you are scheduled for the early shift the following day, why not swing by Starbucks on your way to work and then make a positive lasting impression on the guest by placing the paper outside his room—perhaps with a brief personalized note?

And if you are not working the early shift, then consider contracting to deliver the paper with a manager or another employee who is scheduled for the early shift. By doing so, you will make everyone’s job more interesting and delight a guest in the process!

Some employees will say, “If you do it for one guest, now you have to do it for every guest.”

That’s ridiculous. It’s just an excuse used by average service providers to deliver average customer service. It’s rationale applied by those who either don’t want to go out of their way or simply prefer the predictable routine of treating each customer like the last customer—neither of which inspires positive lasting impressions. (Besides, if more guests did begin to request The New York Times, then it should be included as one of the newspapers offered anyway.)

Delivering service heroics doesn’t have to be as dramatic as some of the legendary stories you may have heard. Most often, it simply requires being attuned to customers’ needs and preferences and then taking the initiative to fulfill them.

What are some ways that you have delivered service heroics to your customers?

This post is the sixth in a series that will identify 10 different customer service advantages that have emerged from my analysis of customer satisfaction data. Maybe you have capitalized on one or more of these advantages in your own business? The sixth advantage is to provide pleasant surprises.

One of the ways to elevate your customer service quality—and distinguish your business from competitors—is to provide pleasant surprises to your customers.

Have you ever received an unexpected upgrade, a complimentary appetizer, or some other pleasant surprise that you were not expecting? How did it make you feel? I bet you can recall many details from the experience—probably because you have shared the story with others many times.

Last week, my wife and I dined at Vesta Dipping Grill in downtown Denver. Our server provided us with an unexpected chef’s taste—also known as an amuse-bouche (a bite-sized hors d’oeuvre intended to amuse the mouth and invigorate the palate). The pleasant surprise was a tomato coconut curry soup served in a demitasse cup.

For a nominal cost, the restaurant—in a departure from the ordinary—made a positive lasting impression. And when restaurant guests are enticed to order a cup or bowl of the soup, the restaurant has actually increased its average check by providing a low-cost pleasant surprise.

Not all pleasant surprises cost money. If a hotel guest is granted early access to or late departure from his room, the hotel has provided a pleasant surprise that cost nothing. Similarly, if a gate agent chooses to upgrade a passenger to an empty economy plus seat with more legroom, there is no hard cost to the airline but a positive lasting impression has been made on the customer.

Sometimes a pleasant surprise is as simple as having your phone call answered on the first ring, having your group accommodated at a popular restaurant without a reservation, or not having to wait for your suitcase at the baggage carousel.

Just like each of the preceding customer service advantages highlighted in this series, providing pleasant surprises rarely happens by accident. More often, it results from anticipating needs, careful planning, and a deliberate choice to elevate the customer experience.

What are some ways that you have provided pleasant surprises to customers—or experienced them yourself as a customer?

This post is the fifth in a series that will identify 10 different customer service advantages that have emerged from my analysis of customer satisfaction data. Maybe you have capitalized on one or more of these advantages in your own business? The fifth advantage is to use appropriate humor.

The French novelist, Colette said, “Total absence of humor renders life impossible.”

Employees who add humor to their service delivery create positive lasting impressions—of themselves, the service experience, and the company or brand they represent. Using appropriate humor is an authentic way for employees to express their uniqueness while making it memorable for customers.

Here are some examples I’ve come across:

• A United Airlines flight attendant on a flight to LaGuardia Airport added humor to an otherwise predictable pre-flight announcement: “At this time, please turn off all portable electronic devices. This includes anything that starts with an ‘i’ or ends with a ‘Berry’.”
• Our waiter at The View Restaurant in New York City added a spark to the otherwise routine water order: “Which would you prefer with your meal: (upbeat) A bottle of San Pellegrino sparkling mineral water or (monotone) New York City tap?” (I almost never select the bottled water but, on this occasion, I ordered two.)
• The hostess at Shanghai Garden Chinese restaurant in Centennial, CO, after my father-in-law requested chopsticks, asked, “Are you left- or right-handed?”
• One of the fishmongers at the world famous Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle, responding to a customer’s inquiry about whether or not credit cards were accepted (as she placed her selection on the counter), said, “Sure. Would you like two?” (The customer paused for a moment to consider the question, then broke out in laughter!)
• Our server at The Summit Steakhouse in Aurora, CO, after introducing the specials, said, “If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.” Then, as he patted his rotund belly, added, “As you can see, I have a lot of product knowledge!”
• Hilton’s theWit Hotel in Chicago bucks convention by offering guests a wake-up call featuring the voice of the city’s most notorious mobster: “Hey you dirty rat. This is Al Capone reminding you to get your rotten bones outta that sack. Now get it moving. I’ve got an overdue Valentine’s Day gift for Elliot Ness I gotta deliver. Heheheheh!”

Displaying a sense of humor doesn’t mean that you need to force jokes or be the life of the party. Just be open to the comic relief that everyday life provides and seize opportunities to use appropriate humor to capture attention, break the ice, build rapport, or provoke smiles.

Of course, inappropriate humor may be offensive and leave a negative lasting impression on the customer—so use your good judgment.

What are some other ways that you have observed employees or companies using appropriate humor to their advantage?

Illustration: Aaron McKissen

On November 28th, 2011 during a pre-match warm up, I tweaked my right forearm while hitting a backhand stroke. At the time, I didn’t think much of it—although I continued to feel pain on and off throughout the three-set tennis match.

When I returned home that evening, I took a couple of Advil and figured I’d be fine the next day. Last November, I was playing 2-3 times per week. Had you told me then that I wouldn’t pick up a racquet until January 23rd, I’d have said you were nuts.

But the pain persisted. It was so bad that I began to favor my left hand when opening doors and reaching for mildly heavy objects. After seeing an orthopedic surgeon, I was diagnosed with lateral epicondylitis—the medical term for tennis elbow. I’m currently receiving physical therapy, taking anti-inflammatory meds, and wearing one of those forearm support straps that older players wear. {Insert audible sigh here.}

Now, you may not be all that interested in tennis. Perhaps there is another hobby or interest that consumes you? For me, it’s tennis. And the thought of being sidelined for weeks or months with a protracted case of tendonitis was genuinely depressing.

So when my physical therapist said, “Steve, I have an idea that will get you back on the court playing at a high level with less pain. Do you want to hear it?” I said, “Absolutely! What is it?”

What he said next made me cringe: “Learn to hit two-handed strokes on both (forehand and backhand) sides.”

“Are you crazy?” I said. “I’m 45. Learning two-handed strokes at this late stage would be like learning to play left-handed—especially on the backhand side.”

He said, “Well, the decision’s yours but if you want to continue to hit the ball hard, then you need to find a way to take pressure off your right forearm. Otherwise, this may be one of those nagging injuries that will continue to interfere with your quality of tennis and life.”

Five days later, I scheduled a lesson with tennis pro, Scott Ford to begin the daunting and uncomfortable process of developing two-handed strokes.

This experience illustrates how pain (physical or emotional) can force us out of our comfort zones (e.g., my one-handed strokes that I’ve been hitting since I was 10 years old) to pursue our potentials—which are usually found in less familiar places.

And while it’s too early to write the end of this story, after two lessons with Scott, I can tell you with certainty that the next chapter in my tennis history is going to be a whole lot more interesting than the last one.

How have you used a painful circumstance in your life as a catalyst to realize your own potential, personally or professionally?

This post is the fourth in a series that will identify 10 different customer service advantages that have emerged from my analysis of customer satisfaction data. Maybe you have capitalized on one or more of these advantages in your own business? The fourth advantage is to convey authentic enthusiasm.

To illustrate, I’ll share a true story about a Paradise Bakery & Cafe general manager who folks call…Cowbell Sandy.

{Insert dramatic Clint Eastwood Western whistle here.}

A few years ago, she introduced an incentive program to increase add-on sales of bottled water, cookies, and other high margin items. She worked with vendors to sponsor the prizes—which ranged from iTunes gift cards to iPods.

Employees were so energized by the incentive program that they constantly asked Sandy to print the sales report to assess how they were performing compared to their co-workers. The report was the only way that employees could see who on the team was generating the most add-on sales.

That gave Sandy an idea. Instead of letting people know how they were performing only when the report was printed, she decided to clank a stainless steel container with a metal spoon and hoot and holler just a bit to acknowledge—in the moment—when one of her team members had added sales.

In doing so, Sandy included an element of spontaneous recognition to the incentive program. This not only created additional enthusiasm among team members, it also created a stir with customers in the mall’s food court. All of sudden, customers were coming by to see what all the clanking and laughter was about. This increased store traffic in a competitive environment with plenty of other dining options from which to choose.

A couple of weeks into the promotion, the staff got together and bought Sandy a cowbell to use in place of her makeshift noisemaker. That day, she formally earned the nickname, Cowbell Sandy.

The program was a huge success! Top producers were adding an average of $11.50 an hour in add-on sales. Team members were receiving constant recognition from an inspiring manager in a high-energy environment filled with enthusiasm—and customers!

Authentic enthusiasm adds a spark to an otherwise ordinary experience and is an effective way to express one’s uniqueness while making a lasting positive impression on others.

How do you convey authentic enthusiasm at work?