When did you last compliment someone?
We hear a lot of people complaining about what’s wrong, but when do we hear about what people did right? I’d like to tell you about the time I wrote to a local McDonald’s franchise to thank them and let them know they were doing a good job. It’s a bit of a sad story though.
I was working near this restaurant and would often go in to get one of their wraps for lunch. They had just introduced table service and the staff were always quick, efficient and friendly.
They were busy though, as this was a popular spot close to a local attraction, but they didn’t let that stop them. It was also clear the staff enjoyed working there when I spoke to them. I picked up on a very positive culture.
The key thing for me is that they were providing a higher level of service than other chain restaurants, that often cost four of five times as much. This was something.
I had to let them know, so I wrote them an email. I simply thanked them for what they did. I let them know I appreciated the extra effort and it seemed to me this wasn’t something that happened by accident. They had clearly created the right culture behind the scenes.
What happened next was disappointing. The manager replied soon afterwards. He advised that my message made a very pleasant change, as people only tend to comment when something has gone wrong. He then advised that all the team appreciated it as well.
It was sad for me because I’d heard people complaining when I was there, often about things the staff had no control over. Things that didn’t seem important. I genuinely felt a lot of these people just wanted to be heard. To exert some kind of control.
So many people focus on the negative and they never think to compliment. The problem is, it can become their narrative. The viewpoint from where they see the world. It brings everybody down. Think about how a well-deserved compliment lifted people here though.
So the big question. What can you compliment and who do you need to tell they did a good job? I’d like to encourage you to think about this and put it into practice as soon as you can.