Growing up, it was drummed into my sister and I to always say thank when we received something and to follow it up with a thank you note or letter.  This is still a ritual that I like to follow today but somewhere along the way times have changed and we’ve stop writing thank you letters and making it personal to show our gratitude.Thank-you-post-it

My manager asked me a month ago to name one thing that was important to me in my career at Optimum that wasn’t currently happening and what was I going to do about it.  My reply was simple; I just wanted to hear a “thank you” from clients that I assisted in achieving their next career step.

Whilst this is the core function of my role at Optimum, I found that I wanted the “thank you” to have meaning behind it and know that it was meant as a reward to me.  This meant that I had to be worthy of it and go above and beyond to earn it.

The answer for me:-

  • More communication
  • More regular contact and providing updates  to my clients and;
  • Being more consistent.

This was all to be done verbally, no hiding behind email!

In the last few weeks I’ve met three clients who I have proudly assisted in securing their next career opportunity in different disciplines and seniority.  From the very first phone call I made to all of them, followed by a face to face meeting, I carefully and diligently explained how I worked at Optimum and what they could expect from me.  I’ve always done this in the past but I decided to set the bar higher.

I’ve treated them how I would like to be treated and included the little things too, I’ve wished them good luck a few hours before their interviews, I’ve found out answers to their ad-hoc questions afterwards, I’ve kept in daily contact to assure them when it’s all gone quiet from the hiring company end.  In return, not three thanks you, but continuous ones along the way.  Its two small words but they mean the world and put a smile on my face to know that I am continuing to head in the right direction to providing superior customer service to my clients.

So next time someone helps you in your next career step, gives you a gift or helps you along the way, remember to show them your gratitude by saying “thank you”.  For the recipient, it’s a joy to hear.

Claire Frith  – Consultant 

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