Made Ya Smile!

If you can find a way to add a little excitement to your job, it can make all the difference in the world.

Some jobs offer a variety of challenges that make the day pass quickly, while others are very routine and monotonous so that the day seems to drag on forever. If you can find a way to add a little excitement to your job, it can make all the difference in the world.

A few weeks ago, I had to make a trip to the airport to exchange some tickets. The reason for their exchange is a long story, but suffice it to say that the trip was the culmination of a series of very frustrating phone calls and a trip to the city ticket office that unfortunately was closed that weekend.

I know I need to remain calm with all of life?s little frustrations. But having just wasted an incredible amount of time exchanging some tickets, needless to say, I was in a bad mood as I left the airport.

I stopped at the parking lot toll window and handed the clerk my ticket. She put it in the slot to be read; and in a perfectly normal tone of voice said, ?That will be $75 and you?ll have to give me your credit card too.?

As I was just about to grab my credit card out of my wallet, her words finally registered. ?What?? my mind screamed. ?The fee should only be 75 cents!? I got a puzzled look on my face, and as I turned back to look at her, I noticed that she had a huge grin on her face. I started to smile too as she chuckled and said, ?Made ya smile!?

This had the pleasant effect of making me forget about the problems that had brought me to the airport in the first place.

Here was a woman in a very tedious and somewhat boring job and yet, in the middle of her shift, she was still upbeat enough to joke with people leaving the parking lot.

It really is essential to keep a positive attitude during work. When you enjoy your work, this task is much, much easier. With all the time you spend on the job and the time you spend driving to and from work, it is important that you bring some passion to what you do. When you don?t, not only does your own attitude suffer, but your attitude will spread to your co-workers and eventually to your customers.

Try to follow the example of the parking lot attendant who found a way to make a boring job more interesting and managed to transfer her positive attitude to her customers. If you incorporate this idea in your own work, you?ll see the enormous impact you can have on others around you.

Ron Rosenberg helps organizations get more customers than they know what to do with and keep them for life. For a Free Special Report with 44 Proven Customer Service tips, visit www.qualitytalk.com/tips.