While discussing customer service with banking groups, I often like to ask whether their services are "complimentary" enough.
Most initially assume that I use the word "complimentary" to mean "free." They begin to think about how many no-fee products they offer.
But I explain that I'm referring to a different definition of the word "complimentary." Simply, I like to ask whether they consciously try to pay compliments and say complimentary things when interacting with customers.
Quite often, their initial response is a mix of skepticism and cynicism. Having honed the ability to read "thought bubbles" over the years, I can usually sense many folks thinking, "Yeah. OK. You want me to be 'Mr. Warm and Fuzzy.' I got it."
It is both funny and sad how many folks instinctively associate paying compliments with being sycophantic.
And, sure, a person who is insincere in his gestures and obviously self-serving in his actions can come off as fake. The pop-culture reference I like to cite is the over-eager boutique manager in the movie "Pretty Woman."
But I would suggest that in a world of inattentive and disengaged "service providers," having a "complimentary mindset" can be a powerful asset.
To drive home my point, I suggest that business schools ought to offer "Paying Compliments 101" as a required course for the degree. I believe that many banks would be well-served by deleting 20% of their sales training and replacing it with workshops on paying compliments.
In case they still aren't buying it, I tell them that, if there were only one "business skill" that I could teach my sons, I would make it the practice of paying appropriate and sincere compliments to peers and customers. It is truly a skill and a practice that can positively differentiate a person.
It is not simply that paying compliments is a "nice" thing to do. When a person consciously focuses on paying genuine compliments, three beneficial things happen.
The first constructive result is that a person must actually pay attention to others if he is to pay genuine compliments. This alone is a tremendous differentiator. In today's increasingly impersonal world, it frequently seems that no one pays attention to us.
How often have you stood in a place of business and felt like an intruder? I like to kid that there are some businesses that should be partners in the government's witness protection program. When you visit those businesses, you are practically invisible to every employee in the place.
If you are earnest about complimenting folks, you actually have to look at them, pay attention to what they say and do, and engage them individually.
The second powerful benefit is the effect on our outlook toward others. When we focus on paying compliments, we begin to focus on the most-positive aspects, actions, and behaviors of the people we interact with. It is an unfortunate human characteristic that many of us do just the opposite.
Too many folks can scan someone else and list everything that is "wrong" about that person in about 10 seconds. They identify a person's "weaknesses" and use them to define him or her. Their "mental Rolodex" of folks (including customers) becomes a negative collection of faults and shortcomings.
When we instead consciously focus most on other people's positive attributes, we naturally tend to exhibit more respect, patience, and enthusiasm when interacting with them.
The third major benefit of a more complimentary mindset is its effect on others. In a business environment in which customer loyalty is more important than ever, the psychological influence of compliments should not be underestimated. (We'll skip the review of the open loop nature of our brains' limbic system for now.)
Simply, a person to whom you pay a compliment is one you will almost assuredly see again. We humans like being around people who make us feel good about ourselves. When you establish yourself in the eyes of another person as someone who notices his positive aspects, he will look for every opportunity to give you the chance to do it again.
As customers become more able and willing to do their banking away from our branches, giving them compelling reasons to choose to visit the branch becomes paramount. And as "full-service" as online services have become, it is unlikely that a bank's Web site has made many customers feel good about themselves today.
Encourage your team to boost the perceptions of your customer service performance by focusing on paying timely compliments to customers whenever possible.
Becoming the highlight of a customer's day is extremely good for business. It is also easier and less expensive to achieve than you would think. In fact, it's complimentary.
