Today's Receptionist is Tomorrow's ???

I often tell the story of when I was a sales rep and called on a local bank and the great lesson I learned. The bank's receptionist was a fantastic woman, always polite and cordial to anyone who entered the bank. She was without question the singled best first impression the bank could make on a new or returning customer.

For about two years or so, I religiously called on her and in turn her immediate boss, the VP of the bank. Every time I was in the bank I always took time to make a connection with the receptionist because she was so genuinely nice and I liked her. Unfortunately not every sales rep treated her the same way.

One two separate occasions I watched the sales rep from my competitor, who actually had the bank's business at the time, essentially treat her as a second class citizen. It was her responsibility to direct incoming patrons and vendors to the appropriate destination when they first entered the bank. Both times, this brash young sales rep treated her as if she was so unimportant, often interrupting her when she spoke and impatiently huffing and puffing as if the whole bank's business should stop the moment he walked in the door. He was a jerk to say the least.

I was always amazed at the grace and composure with which this young woman handled these interactions. She remained always polite and always drummed up a smile and bid the man a "good day" as he left the bank. Having to be nice to someone who treated her as poorly as he did had to just kill her but it never showed.

Then one day it happened. The VP of the bank announced his retirement. Over the course of the next six months, he would be personally overseeing the transition of the person to take his place, a person he thought could lead the bank by example. Guess who that person was?

Too often people fail to remember the ripples that they start today do return to them. That simple logic is true for the good, as well as the bad ripples. Needless to say, my competitor lost the business in very short order.

Everyone you interact with has the potential to be something other than they are today. Just as you should never prejudge someone when you meet them, you should never fail to treat everyone with the respect and consideration, you yourself would want.

Ripple On My Friends!