ZigOn Using Names

By Zig Ziglar, Christian Post Guest Columnist Tuesday, July 29, 2008

I just walked out of a ... new restaurant where I enjoyed a delicious meal. The food was fairly priced, magnificently prepared, and effectively presented by a friendly waiter. He was prompt and business-like and did his job extremely well.

. . . that is the kind of experience we all hope for when we walk into a restaurant. I'm happy to say that in this particular case it got even better. The young man who waited on me added one last touch which was very important and is seldom done: I paid with my credit card and when he came back and presented me with the receipt to sign, he again smiled pleasantly and said, "Thank you very much, Mr. Ziglar. It's nice to have you with us."

Question: How much time did it take for him to learn my name by reading it on the credit card? You probably will agree it took no time, and yet in most cases when I pay by credit card in a restaurant, the wait person will simply say, "Thank you, come back again, and have a nice day."

Little things really do make a difference. It is my conviction that if the wait person will always look at the name and, when they present the sales slip to be signed, just say "Thank you," and then call the customer by name, I can guarantee that not only will it benefit the restaurant, but the chances of the tip being larger will go up. In the incident I described above, that's exactly what happened. I added 10 percent to the tip.

I'm constantly amazed that owners and managers of all businesses don't train their people to call the person who pays by credit card by name. It definitely makes the customer feel good and will be a factor in bringing them back to your place of business. Think about it. Call your credit card customer by name and I'll SEE YOU AT THE TOP!

Adapted from 'Something Else To Smile About,' by Zig Ziglar.