Day 76. How to transform a day from crummy to yummy.

365 Days of Living the Dale Carnegie Principles

 Day 76.  Thursday, June 9, 2011
As I finished placing my order for a #1 combo meal at Chick-fil-A, Karen the cashier, asked me for my name.  I told her “Smiling Daffodil”. 

While she was filling my cup with sweet tea, I told her that this Chick-fil-A restaurant is the only one I have encountered that asks for customers’ names.

She replied, “thank you for the feedback—we continue to do it—hoping we don’t frustrate customers as we try to learn their names.  I think it’s nice to take the time to learn names.”

I replied, “It’s such a nice touch.  It makes the transaction human.”

Karen smiled at me. 

As she handed me my meal, she said, “here’s your meal “Smiling Daffodil.”

I replied, “Thank you Karen!”

What other fast food restaurant takes the time to learn your name?

Karen gave me a big smile.

The Dale Carnegie principle I used is from How to Win Friends and Influence People:
Principle 6.  Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language. 

From How to Stop Worrying and Start Living:
Create happiness for others.

Most of my day was stressful.  I went to Chick-fil-A for dinner hoping I could create happiness for someone else. 

As the story shows—I had a simple, quick conversation with Karen but it brought a smile to our faces because it was sincere. 

My lesson to you—don’t go through life oblivious of other people.  Take the time to learn people’s names and make them feel important.  Do what you can to create happiness for others.  When you get into this habit you will enjoy a richer life and these small moments have a way of transforming your outlook on an entire day. 

Housekeeping / Notes
Don’t forget to read this week’s guest blog post:  Guest Blogger Elijah found an opportunity to use a Dale Carnegie principle while at a stop sign.

Step up to the plate!  All are invited to become an official guest blogger.  The first Dale Carnegie principle in How to Win Friends and Influence People  is “don’t criticize, condemn or complain”.  This means this is a very friendly, safe, non-critical blog where even non-writers are welcome!  No criticism is allowed by design!

Catch up on blogs you’ve missed.  All blogs are available on a fun pictorial page.

Day 8. Ode to the rotting fish and my name sure sounds sweet to the ear…

365 Days of Living the Dale Carnegie Principles

Day 8.  April 2, 2011 
Preface:  I was concerned I wouldn’t find an opportunity to exercise the principles.  By the day’s end I have two stories to share.

Story 1.
I was at Chick-fil-A, ordering a chicken sandwich combo meal.  The cashier asked my name which I thought was odd—because they serve the food immediately after you pay.  I handed her the money and she said, “’Smiling Daffodil’, here’s your meal.  Thank you.” 

Admittedly, they are trained to add this personal touch, but I have to say, I was reminded of Dale Carnegie’s principle from How to Win Friends and Influence People:
Principle 6.  Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.

The effect of calling someone by their name humanizes the relationship—no matter how brief or seemingly insignificant the moment.  Yes, this was just a meal at a fast food restaurant.  But as I sat eating, I was also observing the manager:  Cody Northern, working hard—talking to the customers, cleaning the tables, asking customers if they want refills on their drinks.  I heard him gently advising a young employee to train his eye to make sure the tables are in order… etc, etc.  You could really see that the manager takes great pride in his restaurant—as he should.  He was creating a very friendly atmosphere with a focus on serving his customers. 

I would never have bothered to observe any of this had the cashier not called me by name to humanize my visit to Chick-fil-A. 

So, next time you meet a stranger—take the time to learn their name. It makes the person feel important and it indicates to that person that you value human relationships. 

In my case—odds are very high I will be loyal to this particular Chick-fil-A restaurant by visiting again and again—because they proved they value my business.

Story 2.
Preface:  I remember with strange fondness the foul odor of a rotting fish in my backyard a week ago today.  That rotting fish was the inspiration for me to begin this blog.  Thank goodness for that fish. 

Swedish Fish to celebrate 1 week anniversary of this blog

I was returning home, about to drive up my driveway into the garage.  Except I couldn’t because there was a car parked horizontally, blocking most of my driveway. 

This was the last straw for me.  First the mysterious rotting fish in my backyard last week.  Now this?  I got out of the car, refused to take a deep breath and approached the neighbor’s house, pretty steamed.  I thought about Dale Carnegie’s Principle 10:  The only way to get the best of an argument is to avoid it.  (From How to Win Friends and Influence People) But that principle went out the window—because I was knocking at the neighbor’s door and I wasn’t leaving until I confronted the neighbors.

I had no idea what I was going to say and despite being steamed I knew I needed to use the Dale Carnegie principles.  Somehow I managed to come up with:

Hi—I’m your neighbor next door.  I’m afraid I’m not a very good driver and I don’t want to hit your car as I try to squeeze through up my driveway.  Is there anyway you could move the car?

They apologized profusely.  I said—oh no problem.  And I’m sorry to interrupt your Saturday night movie.  We ended up talking for a few minutes—catching up on each other’s lives—it turned out to be a very pleasant experience. 

There are multiple principles I used from Dale Carnegie. 

From How to Win Friends and Influence People:
Principle 8.  Talk in terms of the other person’s interests. 
Principle 13.  Begin in a friendly way.
Principle 20.  Dramatize your ideas.

From How to Stop Worrying and Start Living:
Don’t worry about the past.

I began in a friendly way, dramatizing the idea that given my poor driving skills I will likely hit their car—so they probably want to move it out of harm’s way.  By having a friendly conversation—the moment was humanized—these are people just like me.  They have faces and names.  There was no need to worry about last week’s mysterious rotting fish that was at the side of my house.  It could have been anyone that tossed it into my yard.

So remember—if you find yourself in a position that you need to confront someone—take a deep breath, remember they are human and approach them in the same courteous way you would like to be treated.  Most people will respond in a reasonable way with this approach and you will avoid an unnecessary battle or feud.