By the way, when I say “oh really” (another phrase the author mentions), it typically means that I have been listening and have likely learned something new from you, not that I don’t believe you. For “no problem” and “oh really,” I think tone and delivery are key to making them good phrases to use with customers.

However, on those phrases alone, I would not base my hiring decisions.

Thanks for taking the counterpoint to article.

Fill in the blanks don’t create blanks with a few phrases!

Thanks for your contribution. Great addition.
Kate

I think the trick is not filtering out people who say “my pleasure” in an interview; the trick is knowing which applicants really mean it!

Good stuff Kate!

However, to base the value of a recruit on phrases instead of uncovering behavioral examples of superior service or initiating case questions. Get behavioral examples of the person delivering outstanding service. Discover if the recruit can exercise responsible freedom and be empowered to go next steps. Does the person have a passion for your subject matter?

Stop doing silly things, and maybe you will stop getting silly results.

Thanks for your time/comment on this one.
Kate

However, the Ritz actually gave people a variety of synonyms for “you’re welcome,” so that they wouldn’t sound too scripted (the other options include “certainly,” etc.) ; nonetheless the majority of employees seemed to choose “my pleasure,” so it became a sort of Ritz-Carlton trademark.

Since that time, companies that consciously emulate Ritz-Carlton practices (Chik-fil-A, whom you mention above, is in this group) use the phrase, and more generally, the people who have worked at the Ritz have dispersed throughout the hospitality industry, bringing the phrase with them.

The complete story — and its current-day implications — are on pp 15 onward in my book “Exceptional Service, Exceptional Profit.” A free chapter — including this story — is available at the following direct link: http://www.micahsolomon.com/books.html

Micah Solomon
“A new guru of customer service excellence.” –The Financial Post

I totally agree with you and it’s my pleasure to read your fabulous articles which I have no problem in tweeting to others

Regards,
Khalid

In a DON’T there’s automatically a DO. If I tell you not to think about a green apple, well guess what: you’ve just thought about…a green apple!

Creating an environment that encourages a positive attitude usually paves the wave for constructive interactions and communication. For leaders (not bosses), walking the talk, caring for people and involving them in the solutions is definitely the better approach.