By Larry Galler

We were staying with friends while on a short vacation and naturally went on a buying excursion to give a “thank you” gift to our hosts.  The item we picked, while somewhat expensive, was a perfect accessory for their home but fragile and easily scratched, so we asked the clerk to open the box to make sure it was not damaged. The look we got from her in response to our reasonable request was withering.  She did it, but her body language spoke paragraphs of “attitude” and, as she finished the transaction, said, “it is so difficult getting it back in the box correctly.”
 
After we left with our package, we looked at each other and said, “well it might be difficult getting it back in the box correctly but it sure is much easier having her check and repackage it than going through the hassle of returning it if it was scratched.  The right answer certainly would have been “yes!”
 
“Yes” is such an amazing word.  It is so satisfying to the customer and, unless it adds appreciably to the cost of operating the business, enhances the buying experience and makes the task of customer retention not only possible but actually easy.  “Attitude” is just the opposite.  It is negative, erodes the experience, and kills the probability of retention.
 
The difference between the clerk saying “yes” and giving “attitude” is the responsibility of management.  Management must know the difference between the two, hire people that can learn the “yes” ethos, communicate it and train those hired to deliver it, then continually enforce and reinforce the “yes” ethos. Another great advantage of the “yes” ethos is that it costs less than free gift wrapping, less then free delivery, less than even enclosing a gift card.  A “yes” costs nothing but sure is filled with value.  It is the same with a “thank-you” or “good job” or “I appreciate your effort.”  
 
There is an investment the “yes” ethos, mostly in the effort to create and maintain it, but the ROI is huge.  It comes back in happy, returning customers who appreciate what you do for them while they grow your business.

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Larry Galler has been an owner of three small businesses selling to local, regional, and national markets.  Since 1993 he has been coaching and consulting high performance executives, professionals, salespeople, and owners of small businesses to extraordinary achievement.  He speaks frequently to business groups and has written a weekly newspaper column since 2001.  To increase the velocity of your business success, contact Larry for a free coaching session larry@larrygaller.  Sign up for his newsletter at www.larrygaller.com