On August 16, 1977, Elvis Presley passed away at the young age of 42. Yet his powerful memory lives on 36 years after he sang his last note. He’s a pop icon and a major player in our collective memory and the fabric of American culture. Aside from the recent anniversary of his death, why am I bringing Elvis into a blog post on customer service?
Well, some time ago, I realized a great many parallels in Elvis’s spectacular performances and service as a performance art. In an article on my website, I provide many examples of how Elvis the entertainer gives us hints and powerful lessons about serving and delighting our customers.
I’ll give just one example here. Many of you remember how Elvis would express his appreciation to the audience after every song he performed, emphasizing these magic words: “Thank You, Thank you very much!” The first lesson we can learn from Elvis is this: If we are in a service position (and aren’t we all?), the four most important words in our business are “Thank You Very Much.” If we aren’t hearing and sincerely saying these words many times a day, we need to rethink the kind of business we’re in. At the very top of my website, I remind my readers: If you are not in the “Thank You” business, you’re probably not in business.
The first thing I learned as a hotel concierge was that I was very much in the Thank You Very Much business. If I was hearing those words consistently, I knew I was excelling in my work. I also instinctively knew that hearing those magic words meant we were separating ourselves from the competition. On the flip side, I recognized that, like Elvis, I needed—and wanted to–express my appreciation to my guests. And I did it as Elvis did it, with true heart and humility.
If you’re working in a front-line position or managing people who do, you know that hearing a sincere “Thank You Very Much” can go a long way in inspiring the spirit of service that keeps us asking, “May I Help You?” with renewed enthusiasm. Similarly, letting our customers know how much we appreciate them with a genuine “Thank You!” lets them they are valued and encourages them to bring their business back to us each and every time.