I’m not kidding. I recently had an X-ray at Riverside Health Center in Columbus, Oh. We were checking my hand to look for evidence of arthritis. Thankfully, my hand contains nothing but boring, normal bones. My experience at this top-notch health center was everything BUT boring and normal, however. I would even classify it as kind of fun.

Thanks to Tanisha.

Have you ever approached a reception desk and been greeting by a H-U-G-E smile and a very energetic greeting? When it happens, you instantly feel more comfortable, especially in new, unusual, or potentially stressful environments (a.k.a. medical offices). A big smile and a warm greeting create a sense of welcome that no sign, brochure, or flat-screen TV video could ever replicate.

That’s the kind of greeting Tanisha gives you when you approach her reception desk. By the way, she doesn’t wait for you to get within two inches of the desk before she flashes that smile. She projects it at you when you’re still fifteen or twenty feet away. It pulls you in like a tractor beam. Heck, even if you weren’t there for an appointment, you’d still be compelled to walk over and talk to her.

After a very friendly exchange during my check-in, I was again very pleasantly surprised when Tanisha came around from behind the desk and escorted me to the waiting area. For a moment, I wondered if she had mistaken me for John Cusack, my celebrity look-alike (according to my wife). Nope. It’s just the way they roll at Riverside Health Center.

If I had any doubt that Tanisha was just a rare exception to the rule, my doubts were permanently shattered when Nicole, my X-ray tech came to get me in the waiting area. Another H-U-G-E smile, more VIP escorting, more happiness.

I wasn’t getting my Bentley serviced (no, I don’t really have one) or fitted for an Armani suit (don’t have one of these either…yet). I was there for an X-ray.

If they can do that at an X-ray clinic, could you do that at your law firm, auto parts store, elementary school, insurance agency, or whatever business you’re in?

Um, yeah. I’m pretty sure you can.

Try it. Flash a H-U-G-E smile at the next person who walks in your door, even if it’s one of your own team members. Greet them with an energetic hello. Treat them like a VIP. See what kind of magic happens. Sure, they may look at you like you’re crazy. But remember, crazy ideas are the only ones that really change the world.

Other articles you might like:

• How hard is it to smile and say hello?
• Forget what you need to do
• Washing our hands of bad customer service
• Greeting Your Customer for Cities. Boardman Does it Right!
• First impressions count!

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