One of the most common reasons that I hear when asking people why they want to leave their current position is that they do not feel appreciated.
It is tough working in an environment where you do not feel your boss, co-workers or the entire organization does not value you as a team member or even a person.
Add to this when you feel as though those clients or customers that you serve do not appreciate you it can lead you with an overwhelming urge to run.
But do you show your appreciation to others?
The other day I had a question about something with the site that hosts my blog. I sent an email to the customer service department and got a quick “an answer will be on its way soon” email. I didn’t hold my breath.
The next morning I had a response from Jeremy. Not only did he answer my question, he also sent me some very helpful information as to how to find something on the site and asked a couple of questions to dig a little deeper. The next day he responded to my reply email with even more details and a link to an external site which gave a more in-depth explanation of how this issue came about and how to prevent it in the future. I was blown away.
Today I got an email from the website asking to rate my experience. My options were, “Good, OK and Not so Good.” That was it. No area for feedback just one click of a button. That did not work for me.
You see, we are so quick to fire off an email, make a call or blast it out on Facebook, Twitter etc. when we are not happy with customer service yet we rarely take the time to let people know when we are happy.
So I went through all the steps to email customer service and I sent a note telling them about my experience with Jeremy and that he deserved more than a click on “good”.
Then I sent an email to the owner of my local insurance agency. My ex-husband and I have been with them for 25 years or so. His assistant, Angela is amazing. Recently we had to contact her regarding and upcoming issue. Again, she was all over it in making sure that we were taken care of in the best possible way.
I wanted to let her boss know how much we, as clients, appreciate her.
I had to get copies made today and the young man that helped me was swamped. He kept getting interrupted and each time he smiled at each person, was friendly and helped them in a very professional manner.
He apologized to me for the interruptions and I told him there was no need and that I appreciated his helping me but also the service he gave to everyone else. I think I shocked him because not once did I hear a ‘thank you’ from any of those that interrupted him.
Take a minute today when you are receiving service from someone else today to thank them. They are performing a job – just like the one that you do and feel unappreciated for – so why not put your money where your mouth is?
You want appreciation – give it. You want happiness – share it. You want respect – earn it. The more you give the more it is given back to you. But here is the trick – you can’t give it then expect someone to turn around and do the same for you.
You see, your ‘reward’ will be much better. The smile on their face, the fluster from being recognized when used to being unseen, the genuine ‘thank you’ in return will do more for you than you realize. Think I am wrong? Try it and see.
Lisa K. McDonald, CPRW
Career Coach-Strategist
Certified Professional Resume Writer
Career Polish, Inc.