You Both Win

I opened a business checking account about 4 months ago at Wells Fargo. It took about half an hour. In and out, no big deal.

So when I walked into the branch last week for the first time since I opened my account, I was shocked when I was greeted at the door by name. “Hi Mr. VanDusen, great to see you today. What can we do for you?[smile]” 

To say I was shocked is an understatement. Whether or not this guy had some special memory gift or not doesn’t really matter. What did matter is that I suddenly felt like I mattered to them. Sure, Wells Fargo could be doing damage control for their recent transgressions, but in that moment, I forgot all that. Because they recognized me. I wasn’t just an account number. They knew my name.

The more distant our daily business transactions become, the more we need to reach out and touch people on a personal level. Because if you can figure out how to make people feel like they matter, then you both win.

photo credit: Crystian Cruz @ flickr.com