Why do companies make it so hard to say thank you to the right people？
What is your company doing to let gratitude blossom？ Yes， we know， you have surveys， but they're impersonal， and no one ever sees the results except the marketing department. And no， it doesn't count to say that your customers could call up your support hotline and offer some praise. That's like complimenting your wife's new haircut by leaving her uncle a voice mail.
Suppose there were some way to lower the transaction costs of a thank-you so much that praise became effortless. What if there were some way to instantly deliver a thank-you to the people who count？
American Airlines has taken a step in the right direction with a program called Applause. It gives frequent travelers who've reached elite status* a set of preprinted cards -instant Hallmark moments-that can be handed to employees who provide exemplary service. Applause isn't ideal， but it has the right spirit.
For more inspiration， consider Kelmar Safety， which managers How's My Driving？ Programs for trucking fleets. Ever wonder if the drivers hear the comments you make when you dial the 800-number？ Absolutely， according to Kelmar's CEO and president Christina Kelly. Every single time. At lest one company has figured out how to get the right comment to the right person.
We know you're thinking that gratitude may not be foremost* among the sentiments* expressed during those calls. But take heart， cynical one：18 percent of the calls are compliments. Maybe one out of six isn't such a great hit ratio， but think how much better your organization might perform if it's in an industry not know for road rage.
Companies should pave the way to praise. If it works well enough， maybe someday we'll see call centers that receive as many thank-yous as complaints.
What is your company doing to let gratitude blossom？ Yes， we know， you have surveys， but they're impersonal， and no one ever sees the results except the marketing department. And no， it doesn't count to say that your customers could call up your support hotline and offer some praise. That's like complimenting your wife's new haircut by leaving her uncle a voice mail.
Suppose there were some way to lower the transaction costs of a thank-you so much that praise became effortless. What if there were some way to instantly deliver a thank-you to the people who count？
American Airlines has taken a step in the right direction with a program called Applause. It gives frequent travelers who've reached elite status* a set of preprinted cards -instant Hallmark moments-that can be handed to employees who provide exemplary service. Applause isn't ideal， but it has the right spirit.
For more inspiration， consider Kelmar Safety， which managers How's My Driving？ Programs for trucking fleets. Ever wonder if the drivers hear the comments you make when you dial the 800-number？ Absolutely， according to Kelmar's CEO and president Christina Kelly. Every single time. At lest one company has figured out how to get the right comment to the right person.
We know you're thinking that gratitude may not be foremost* among the sentiments* expressed during those calls. But take heart， cynical one：18 percent of the calls are compliments. Maybe one out of six isn't such a great hit ratio， but think how much better your organization might perform if it's in an industry not know for road rage.
Companies should pave the way to praise. If it works well enough， maybe someday we'll see call centers that receive as many thank-yous as complaints.