Yesterday I was at an event where snacks and beverages were sold. I bought a cup of masala chai and it was surprisingly delicious. Not brewed till it was bitter, just a touch of sugar, not too hot to burn my tongue and I really enjoyed it in the hot summer heat of Pune.
I loved it so much that I had to tell him. I trash the disposable cup and tell the server that the chai was perfect and that I loved it. His reaction was a bit of confusion and half a smile; do I say thank you or, I didn’t really make it or I’ll pass on the compliment. I guess they don’t really hear good feedback, generally.
I seem to be on a spree of complimenting people, generally unseen and unheard. I don’t know what’s come over me. Last week I was at a large grocery store near my place which in the last couple of years gave an impression that they don’t care for their brand image nor for the customer experience. Only thing diligently done is clam the customers’ bags for fear of shoplifting.
So it was a surprise when I walked in one weekend and found that a fairy godmother of stores had transformed the store in just a week. The hardware didn’t seem new, the rickety carts were replaced, the shelves were clean of dust, the passages were cleared of boxes and carts which was the norm, the check out counters were manned and cleaned. I wondered what could have happened in a matter of days for this dramatic change. On enquiring with one of the girls working there I was told that they now have a new Manager and he is strict but friendly. Just one person to usher in change. She didn’t even know his full name, just ‘Vishnu Sir.’
So, I wanted to meet this magician called Vishnu Sir, who I found managing the busy check out line on a Sunday morning. I never saw such a scene before in this store. I quietly walked up to him and asked if he was ‘Vishnu Sir.’ He nodded but looked puzzled that someone was asking for him by name. Perhaps he was expecting a rant from a shopper.
I, however, rattled off my compliments for the change he had brought and how happy I was that he had been posted here and that I notice the tremendous work he has done in a short period of time and wished him good luck for keeping up the good work. He was speechless and his expression seemed to say, ‘I was only doing my job.’
Few words of kindness and publicly recognizing a good job is the best compliment anyone can get. More often than not, bad feedback is given but a good one is never said or not communicated directly to the person concerned.