A few weeks back, my husband and I traveled to Bodega Bay, CA for a quick overnight getaway. On our way to Bodega, we were excited to stop at this great little diner we were told about to start off our weekend trip just right with a great breakfast.
When we arrived at the diner, we both sat down at the counter. We had been driving for a bit, so we were ready for some good coffee. Several minutes pass and who we believe to be our waitress, walks past us several times, making absolutely no eye contact. She doesn’t welcome us or even acknowledge us (and no coffee was poured for us). So after several minutes, as the waitress is speeding on by us and many others, I say “Excuse me, could we please have some coffee?” The waitress nods her head and serves each of us a cup of coffee. No ‘Hello’ ‘How are you?’ or ‘How’s your day going?’ Just the coffee…… So after several more minutes, we were thinking that she should be bringing us menus. Nope. Didn’t happen without us asking. At this point, I started looking around like it was a joke that was being played. She was doing similar behavior with the other guests. As you can probably guess, it doesn’t get any better from here as we had to order food, etc. I’ll fast forward to the check. Not only did we have to ask for the check, but when she slid the check in front of us, she tapped it twice and walked away. No verbal communication whatsoever. My husband and I could believe it. Absolutely terrible guest service. The food was excellent, but our service was so incredibly non-existent, we will definitely not be going there again.
That experience at the diner made me think about communication. What might appear to be small things are actually the big things in life!
So what is the #1 smartest thing you can do right now for great success in your professional and personal life? CONNECT! Connect with people in your personal life and connect with those in your professional life. If may seem like a small thing, but it is really a huge thing! What do I mean by connect? Listen. Talk with others and be interested in what they have to say. My experience in the diner is a shocking example of how bad someone can be in communicating, but sometimes it takes those type of examples to really look deep within ourselves to gauge where we are in our own behavior and look at how we can improve! So why is CONNECTING so important? Here are my 5 main reasons.
5 Reasons Why CONNECTING Will Help You Really Succeed!
- You Will Be Seen As A Genuine, Authentic Person – People want to be around and do business with those that don’t have an agenda. People like to do business with people who they like.
- When You Go The Extra Step, People Will Be More Loyal To You – Connecting with others is really not hard, but once you do so, most people will be very loyal to you when they feel you relate to them.
- Others Will Feel They Are Important – Even if you can’t fix something for someone, most of the time people are very happy with just being listened to and feeling like someone understands.
- People Want To Be Around Those They Can Trust – The more you connect with people, the more opportunity you give someone to get to know you and trust you. When people trust you, they’ll want to be around you.
- When You Give To Others, You Also Succeed – One of the greatest things in life you can do is lift someone else up emotionally. I believe that when you connect with others, you are giving. That positivity in the long term will come back to you.
When you really start connecting with people at home and in your career, you will definitely see a huge shift in the quality of your life. How important do you feel it is to ‘really’ connect with others in your life? Do you have any great examples of how it has positively shifted you personally and/or professionally? I would LOVE to hear from you!
Cynthia Bazin is absolutely passionate about YOUR success and happiness. If you are ready and committed to change your life and take charge of your life, contact Cynthia today to start a conversation! [email protected] | https://cynthiabazin.com
Cynthia is also City Director for a national magazine ‘Today’s Innovative Woman’! Check out her city page today! http://todaysinnovativewoman.com/sacramento
What a story! Shows that you can do your job, but without connection, it’s impossible to make a positive impact. Unfortunately, this individual made a memorable impact!
Connection shows that you care about more than the work but about people… and that’s at the heart of every successful relationship.
Appreciate your insights as always!!
I completely agree Cynthia! Connecting with people is what makes all of us feel good on the inside. To connect with someone makes them know that they are being seen and heard. That what they are saying matters. Great post, thanks for sharing!
Years ago when I was taking a course in the human principles and how to win friends and influence people the three quotes that stricken me the most and stuck over the years was 1. Become genuinely interested in other people, basically ask questions and 2. Smile 3. Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves and truly connect
It is incredible how a person responds when we genuinely become interested in them and become the listener. Customer service is key if not the most important and critical role for any business success
Great post Cynthia! 🙂
Excellent blog post, Cindy!! I truly believe that making connections is so important. Establishing trusting personal and professional relationships will lead to a happier and more successful life. People want to be around others who are positive and caring. People want to do business with people they like!! 🙂
Thank you for sharing your wonderful post, Cynthia! As you so beautifully point out, connecting with others is essential for leadership and for building meaningful relationships.
I would also add that through connections we grow and learn as long as we keep an open mind. I think this waitress needed some EI training. I wonder if she really understood how she was coming across.
Great insights!
Brilliant Blog Post Cynthia!!! I love how you write! Sharing your personal story and how that is the catalyst to open up terrific teaching. I love and respect how YOU walk your talk and inspire me to be a better person along the way!!! Thank YOU!!!
Thanks for sharing your experience and using it to help your readers relate. I know. Connecting and communicating are as vital as air. People don’t know it, but I am totally uncomfortable with networking. It’s my least favorite activity – but I do it because I know it’s a vital as air. I have no problem with the 5 success tips you’ve shared. Communication is one of my strengths and I actively connect with many individuals. Networking and talking to people I don’t know is where I fall short – even though I know and believe it’s as vital as air.
Great post Cynthia! Unfortunately, you will never forget your negative experience. It’s so easy to connect with others, a simple greeting or make eye contact and a smile. She failed on every front, I’m positive that isn’t what the owner wants conveyed. Great post!
Hi Cynthia,
I have to ask you, WHO RECOMMENDED THAT PLACE????
This is a classic example of disengaged customer facing people. No connection, no interest, paycheck to paycheck people with no interest in you, the company, the job. The repercussions of this can be cataclysmic! The owner could end up shutting down through lack of customers and think to themselves ‘But, my food is great!’
Connection between a customer and a service provider, company, sales person etc yadda yadda is SO IMPORTANT because this gives you, as the customer, some indication of the level and quality of experience.
On the corner of traffic accident blackspots in Europe are shrines to remember the people killed at the junction. I realised in Greece that the size of the shrine is relevant as it gives you a clear indication of the amount of trouble that you can expect when driving across it. Bigger the shrine – bigger the problem.
Conversely: the lack of connection with your point of contact is a direct reflection of the lack of service care and attention and therefore ‘enjoyment’ of being in that diner.
No enjoyment…no repeat business. No satisfaction…no repeat business. Disengaged staff are the issue as they are the face of the company, restaurant, store, or whatever.
Here is an exchange from a year ago in a restaurant in England. After sitting for 15min the waiter came up and said.
W: Hi my name is Maurice. It has been one of those days so dont expect great service from me tonight …now what can i get you?
M: you can get me a new waiter.
W: I can’t do that this is my table.
M: You’re confused. this is MY table. I am paying for it. How stupid would I be to pay for bad service that has been promised in advance?
Unfortunately many people suffer in silence, smile and smile at other diners who are having the same experience but the problem remains. It is a lack of training. I understand that people have a bad day, personal issues etc but if the management haven’t noticed this, and the waiter/ress is fine and happy with them then the problem really is the waiter/ress attitude with customers. Not the right person for the job.
Connection is a simple thing to achieve. Eye contact, show some interest, the law of reciprocity works, maybe just a smile or an acknowledgement that the customer is even there is all that is needed. I am constantly surprised at how ‘building a connection’ is overlooked so often.
When are the two of you going back there 😉
Dave
Yes its 1 smart thing that anyone CAN do but there are certainly a lot of people who don’t. Its sad that its often a lack of effort or just plain bad attitudes that prevent us from treating others the way we’d want to be treated. I know in my business there can be times I dread calling someone because I have bad news or have to ask more questions or otherwise feel like I am pestering them – but I have to remind myself that if I were them I’d want honesty and follow up. I want respect and transparency – so this is what I give my customers as well.
Thanks for sharing your story – and I feel “smarter” already!
I love this post. I can’t tell you how many conversations I have had about basic customer service and/or human connection. When a customer service rep tells me “there is nothing I can do for you” I say “than may I speak to a supervisor because you aren’t a customer service rep is you can’t do anything for the customer.”
I had a similar experience not long ago at a restaurant not long ago. Human connect is everything. My husband has always been a big tipper, even if things are tight. He knows how hard wait staff work. In the 16 years we’ve known each other, gone out to eat etc. I’ve never seen him leave a zero tip. He wrote horrible service on the tip line and left nothing. I was stunned but couldn’t disagree. It was almost the same story.
Your people are the face of your company. They are your front line. They must share your belief in smile and greet and connect with every customer.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
loved this, Cynthia!
i have found that when we take the time to make others feel respected, it makes all the difference. so many yearn for nothing more than to be heard and SEEN.
great article. thanks!
I want to apologize that you even had to write a story like this. Service and connecting with people is a lost art. Gone are the days of the touch-feely moments…at least for most of the service organizations out there. The great companies that jump out at you like Zappos and Nordstroms do so because of their people-centric abilities. They actually care about people, connect and communicate with them…and they have decentralized their processes to empower employees to take care of people. It’s amazing what the little things can do to change an experience from meh to masterpiece.
Sheryl Brown / @BIONICsocialite
wow, funny what we are left with after a situation like that. The experience that we live has such a huge impact on the opinion we form. The human touch and communication is such a huge element and people tend to forget that. So loved your 5 tips after that.And communication is not always verbal. A smile, a small gesture communicate just as much. Loved this post Cynthia!
#1 Just jumps out on the page for me. If you don’t “Talk” to people in social media, then they obviously consider you to be “just a face.” I make an effort to reply to everyone who messages me via twitter. I don’t understand people that don’t. Twitter isn’t a one way street. I tend to tweet some personal things too because it makes you more geniune. People see your likes/dislikes/problems, they identify with you and who you are.
Thank you so much Geoff for your comments. You are an awesome example of someone who connects so perfectly. We have been connected for a long time and I appreciate our ‘connection’. Keep being awesome my friend!
Great post, Cynthia!
Many people fail to realize the fact that business is not about business, it’s about people. When a brand connects with its customers on an emotional level, it fosters loyalty and a love for that brand; it creates a relationship.
It works the same way with people, too. When we take the time to communicate with others, we create a relationship, and that makes all the difference.
You bring up some really great/important points – well done!
Donna! Thank you so much for your comments and wisdom! How true when you say ‘When a brand connects with its customers on an emotional level, it fosters loyalty and a love for that brand; it creates a relationship’. Perfectly said! I look forward to connecting with you much more in the future!
Hi Cynthia… that’s exactly my point, we need to go back to the basics: face to face time, interaction, make time for friends, family and those special to us. What you said is so true, the small actions make a huge difference.
Again, great blog and great wake up call. Sometimes I AM guilty of that, I talk to someone and don’t make eye contact because I’m reading an email on my phone ( rude).
I love the social media but I would love to meet you in person for a real cup of coffee and I’m working on that 🙂 because you’re awesome !! thanks for sharing.
Hi Sandra! Thank you so much for the shout out! We have been connected for a long time and I know our connection will go from virtual to face-to-face in the near future. I know our paths will cross for a cup of coffee or lunch and I am very much looking forward to that!
This is another great post Cynthia. When I was somewhat new in the business world I will admit that I did not truly understand the importance of connecting and frankly did not know the best ways to connect. As I gained more experience I began to understand how to connect and why I needed to connect with others. Connecting with the right people has does wonders for me and I hope I have been able to lift others up as well. One of the things I love the most about connecting with others is what I learn from everyone. For instance, I connected with you here on Twitter. By engaging with you via Twitter, etc. I have learned so much from you and I have since connected with many of your quality connections. It is like a snowball effect………the quality connections just keep coming. But, you must engage with your connections and as you mentioned above, build that trust. If you and Sandra connect for a cup of coffee, count me in :-)!
Adam, thank you so much for your comments and wisdom. Connecting with amazing people is a beautiful thing and you do awesome my friend. It’s amazing the positive effect it has when you surround yourself with fantastic people. The connections keep building on themselves. You’ll always be in my inner circle Adam. You are a rockstar!
I agree wholeheartedly Cynthia! I feel blessed that I am naturally a good listener…I can’t imagine going through life not connecting with others…we are all one anyway. Yes, from a business point of view, to be heart centered is both necessary and fulfilling. Thank you for a great blog!
Marianne, thank you for your comments on this blog. You are the absolute top notch example of someone who connects with people beautifully! You are amazing and I appreciate you very much!
I totally agree! I love connecting with others and hearing their stories. When two people connect it’s a force much greater bringing them together for a reason. Even if it’s only for that specific conversation. 🙂
Thank you so much Stephanie for your comments. Yes, I agree, when two people connect, the positive forces soar! I appreciate you my friend
Cynthia, many of us have had this same experience and it is amazing to me how one person can totally destroy what could be an amazing experience by not “connecting” via eye contact, conversation, or a genuine smile. It takes more work to not connect than to connect. It takes more muscles to frown than to smile. YOU Cynthia are a great “connector”, and I am thankful to be in your circle my friend! Let us all remember this and pass it on to our friends, colleagues and employees to always look for ways to “connect” rather than “disconnect”. What a better, happier and healthier place we will all be in if we practice authentic “connecting”! 🙂
Thank you Dale for the really nice comments and your wisdom. You are also a shining example of what connecting is all about. I appreciate you very much!
Cynthia
That’s a super blog.
Just shows how important connecting and communication is…service like that is so poor…never any reason for it whatsoever…just rude and downright ignorant.
I’m pleased we’re connected and communicate regularly which makes for a better life…it works both ways.
As always a big thank you for being the awesome and inspirational person which you are.
Aubrey
Thank you Aubrey for the great shout out! Yes, connecting and good communication is key to having a successful and happy life. I am so glad we have been continually connected through the years!
People are at the heart of everything that happens in my life, personally and professionally. Connecting with them is what brings me the greatest joy. I also think that through connecting with people, I not only learn about them, but I also learn a lot about myself. Thank you for the inspiration and for being such a positive voice, Cynthia!
Thank you so much Giovanni for your awesome comments. You are a great example of someone who connects with people fantastically!!!