Spread the Good Word

By Karen Mathieson

The owners of the old motel had taken care with their website, on which images and text promised cozy ambiance along with spick-and-span housekeeping. My unit was indeed clean, and no fewer than 19 pillows – all but four of them decorative – adorned the two beds. The guest book on a side table offered an astonishing record of how these accommodations affected people.

Some writers described the place as a low point in their travels, denigrating everything from the staff to the state of the venetian blinds. Others painted their stays in the glowing colors usually reserved for black velvet, assuring future guests that they themselves would return for another experience of sheer joy. In my own relatively moderate entry, I offered thanks for a restful night and suggested installing another wall socket for modern electrical prongs. (My laptop battery had run down, and an outlet next to the bathroom sink had been the only place to plug in and take advantage of the onsite Wi-Fi.)

The fervor of those fellow guest book authors stayed with me long after I had left the motel and the piles of fancy pillows behind. I wondered who among us had actually spoken to the owners about our pleasure or dismay. In retrospect, I felt chagrined I hadn’t had done so myself.

A Good Word Opens Many Doors

Months later, I made an errand run near my home and returned in a cheerful mood. It was produced not only by having found some bargains but by the uniformly excellent service I’d enjoyed – and by the fact that this time, I had connected directly and cordially with the people who served me. That inspired me to come up with a handful of ways we can contribute as customers to what I’ve heard called a “delicious circle.” That sounds like more fun than the official “virtuous circle” (or cycle). Certainly, either term beats its vicious twin!

The feedback loop model is well-established, but now comes news via the series “This Emotional Life” on PBS that positivity is viral – spreading like influenza or juicy gossip. However you think about affecting customer service for the better by one’s own behavior, you may find an idea to try (or to hate like faulty blinds) on my Person-to-Person High Five tip sheet, Spread the Good Word.