Here is something Dale Carnegie forgot to mention when he wrote “How To Win Friends and Influence People.” Write letters of compliment.
There are people who give us their support and even do a little extra for us. This might be the lady at the checkout in the supermarket, the postal carrier, the teacher, the neighbor, or the customer service representative. Maybe it is the bank clerk who always brightens your day with a smile or it might be the store clerk who is always willing to answer your questions.
Write a letter about this super person and make several copies. One for his or her boss and one of him or her.
I love microwave popcorn, but don’t have a microwave. I ask the workers at the deli at my grocery store if they would pop it for me. Most of the workers there say no. It is not their job. But one woman always says yes. She is even glad to do it. I learned her name and wrote a letter of praise to her manager. I also sent her flowers.
Too many people will say, it’s not my job and they don’t do any more than the minimum. When someone gives a little extra, that person should be rewarded.
Compliments are wonderful. They will get you extra super service in the future. Even the worker who just does the minimum may start going out of his way to please you, once he gets the compliment.
If enough of us wrote letters of praise, no one would have to ask for a letter of recommendation. We would have all those letters saved. They are more precious than love letters.
Here is another way to help the people who work to help you. Go to websites and praise your professionals. College professors have ratemyprofessors.com and many other fields have similar sites. Even if you have been out of school for many years, go back and rate your best professors. It is anonymous, but the professor who helped you so long ago will read your kind words and it will make his or her day.
