Can Gratitude Grow Your Business?
November 27, 2008 by Ronda Del Boccio, The Story Lady
Filed under Storytelling For Business
It’s Thanksgiving Day in America, but for me every day is a day of gratitude and thanksgiving. Perhaps you’re wondering whether an attitude of gratitude makes any difference to your business success.
Let me share this story with you. Then I have an audio for you about gratitude and business growth. As you read this story, you’ll discover how appreciation and gratitude (and the lack thereof) affect business.
I have an excellent role model of a lack of gratitude in my life. He has been married for 26 years. When he actually comments that the meal his wife made was good, she practically has apaplexy. She makes a point to acknowledge him for fixing things around the house, for his amazing mechanical abilities, for helping her do anything, but he, alas, rarely gives any kind of acknowledgment to her for what she does. His wife fixes his lunch every day and his dinner. Even when she is working, she leaves him a plate in the fridge for him.
That is an all-too-familiar home life example of a lack of acknowledgment and gratitude. But what about a business example? Sure, I have one of those too. An example and a story.
Sandy, a waitress, dropped her daughter off at school and went to the diner. She couldn’t help but notice how worn Wendy’s clothes were looking, and if that child grew any faster she could be 8 feet tall by 8th grade. It was hard to make ends meet and harder not to worry about how to take care of her daughter.
Despite that, Sandy tended to have a good attitude about things. She enjoyed her customers. Today, she started off the day in a reasonably good mood despite her worries. But her first 3 customers grumbled and complained. One of them was especially rude to her because he didn’t like the way his bacon was cooked. She hardly got any tips, so worry and doubt crept into her mind. After all, tips were the mainstay of any server. Her mood soured and she lost her smile.
And what was up with the food? Carl rarely got any complaints, but today it seemed the food was great cause for complaint.
When the lunchtime crowd died to the post-lunch lull, Sandy went to Carl and asked him, “Hey Carl, you OK?” He did not look OK. His furrowed brow and tired eyes told her as much. At that moment, Sandy realized something.
A few days later, Sandy told me what she had discovered about herself that day.
“Carl’s little girl had been rushed to the hospital, and, bless him, he couldn’t afford to take off work. That hit me in the heart. I know how I’d feel if it was my daughter.” Tears welled up in her eyes. “But I learned something about myself. I saw something in myself that I did not like.”
“What was that?”
“I always said hello to the others at work, but it took Carl’s tragedy to realize that I had never told Carl what a good cook he is and how much the customers enjoy it, and even worse.” she paused and dropped her gaze to the floor. “I hate to admit it, but I went back there because of me, at first. My tips were off and that is what motivated me.”
Carl’s emergency set off a chain reaction. Customers complained and grumped at Sandy. Her tips were less than normal, and she got into a bad mood, which depleted her and diminished her level of service. She lost her smile and got a bad attitude (nobody likes to be grumped at).
Appreciation would not have saved Carl’s daughter to the emergency room, of course, but according to Sandy, “If I’d known – if I’d stopped to talk to Carl for more than a second, I would have known what was happening and given him a hug and offered to pray with him. A hundred times a day people do things and I don’t stop to say thanks. When I went back to ask what was wrong, after I got over my selfish self, I did give Carl a hug. We prayed together. We both cried too.”
Sandy wiped tears from her eyes and said, “After that, I told Carl how much I appreciate him and how his good cooking helps the restaurant. I also vowed to show more appreciation to people, including my own daughter.”
“What happened for the rest of your shift?”
“I smiled and looked customers in the eye as I thanked them for coming. Carl’s food got better. I guess having someone care about him made a difference that showed up in his work, too. Some customers who came in looking stressed went out with a smile. Appreciation really did help business.“
Sandy, thanks for letting me share your story. The best storytelling comes from real life.
Please enjoy this BlogTalkRadio show with The Story Lady taking the place of Dr. Robin Rushlo on Networking with the Blind Guy on SEAD Radio. Listen here.
Ronda Del Boccio is a transformational speaker, mentor and author known globally as The Story Lady because she teaches authors, entrepreneurs and business owners to easily connect with your ideal customers and contacts through the power of your story.
She is the author of numerous stories, poems, and articles, as well as her books I’ll Push You Steer, and other upcoming books.
Discover how to explode profits, prospects and prime media opoprtuntiies with her latest book is the Instant Credibility system, which teaches any business owner, entrepreneur, coach, speaker or writer to craft a lead-generating book that grows your business.
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Bonnie, thank you so much for this interesting take on gratitude. Although I wasn’t really connecting gratitude to business results, intuitively I’ve known that to be true.
This story is touching and thanks for sharing it. It makes me think differently about what we are celebrating here in the United States of America today.
I’m also thinking that I need to be more grateful as a customer. Just a few days ago, I stopped at a local WalMart and when I was going through the checking I noticed the harsh noise of construction behind me. I asked the checker how the day was going with all that noise, and took a minute to appreciate her smile in spite of it.
What she said made me cringe, as she thanked me for noticing it she mentioned that it was harder of a day. Because of the noise people tended to be more rude than usual and she took the brunt of the it. But, still she made it a point to hold on to the smile. It was all she could offer. That was very impressive. What an individual.
I left the store feeling better but also wondering how often we really touch others and don’t realize it.
thank you for the message and may you have a wonderfully gratefully filled day.
God bless you richly.
joe cepeda
Hi Joe – this is Ronda (not Bonnie – grin!) Thanks so much for your wonderful addition to this post!
I wish you abundant blessings this day and all days.
Warmly,
Ronda
Bonnie, thank you so much for this interesting take on gratitude. Although I wasn’t really connecting gratitude to business results, intuitively I’ve known that to be true.
This story is touching and thanks for sharing it. It makes me think differently about what we are celebrating here in the United States of America today.
I’m also thinking that I need to be more grateful as a customer. Just a few days ago, I stopped at a local WalMart and when I was going through the checking I noticed the harsh noise of construction behind me. I asked the checker how the day was going with all that noise, and took a minute to appreciate her smile in spite of it.
What she said made me cringe, as she thanked me for noticing it she mentioned that it was harder of a day. Because of the noise people tended to be more rude than usual and she took the brunt of it. But, still she made it a point to hold on to the smile. It was all she could offer. That was very impressive. What an individual.
I left the store feeling better but also wondering how often we really touch others and don’t realize it.
thank you for the message and may you have a wonderfully gratefully filled day.
God bless you richly.
joe cepeda
I know the days, Sad
Last month while working at lunch time in the school cafeteria, opening students snacks-The Hard Ones-LOL
Lunch ables and such. I had a first grader ask “What’s wrong Bill?”
I didn’t think a small child could notice any ones mood. But, they did.
Told them I was just tired. Didn’t tell them The wife and I stayed up late with my sick daughter. They told told me to cheer up and be happy.
This made my day., and I was able to cheer up.
From a school Head Custodian and a child author-William Sawyers
William and Joe – thanks so very much for adding your stories to this thread!
Warmly,
Ronda
Hey Rhonda, Thanks for sharing that story and your belief, that everyday is a day of Thanksgiving.Like everyone else I can fall into my own world and my mine own problems and forget everyone else is in the mode.However if you get yourself out of thinking of what you do not have—and never get it enough but rather dwell on what can GIVE—you always have enough Which is your chioce? Have agreat day a better tommorrow, and a wonderful week—-Joel Court aka Mr. Enshusiam
Hey Ronda,
Just had to let you know how much I enjoyed this great post! And the audio you included of you talking about the power of acknowledgment and appreciation.
It is SO easy to get so involved in ourselves that we fail to acknowledge the people we come in contact with on a day-to-day basis. I have embarked on an experiment which requires me to positively acknowledge everyone I interact with on a daily basis. So far this means I wave at people walking down the road as I drive past, give the bank teller a compliment when I drive up to make a deposit, and the same with every waiter or delivery person I meet.
I’m going to try to do this unilaterally, even if this means I’m given the opportunity to express gratitude for someone telling me something that is less than pleasant…
So I’m taking your message about the power of acknowledgement and appreciation to heart… I’ll check back in a month to let you know what results I’ve achieved.
Anne
hey Anne!
It was SO great talking with you today! I socialed your post on acknowledgment all over the place too.
Thanks for commenting and sharing your thoughts.
When cars go by, I smile and wave even though I have no clue who’s inside. I just assume it’s a friend or someone who could use a smile. I know all the postal and delivery drivers and even give them coffee if I have some!
Have a great weekend, Anne.
Warmly,
Ronda