Humanizing the workplace can be this easy

Can customer engagement be as simple as a few lines on a piece of paper?

In the case of a branch office where I do my banking, the answer is a big yes.

Positioned at each teller station is the associate’s photo — and below that are a few lines of personal bio information.

So when I stepped up to Michael Day’s station one day, I learned from the sign beneath his photo that he has two dogs. I asked about them, since I’m a devoted dog owner. “They’re spaniels,” he said.

That caught my attention, because our mixed-breed dog is mostly spaniel. Michael and I spent the next couple minutes talking about dogs while he processed my transaction. He was as professional as can be, but the dog talk somehow made the whole experience a lot more enjoyable.

On another visit to the same branch, I was served by a different teller. Her bio mentioned that she wanted to visit Ireland. That sparked a quick conversation about Dublin.

I asked Michael how the bio idea came about. It wasn’t a big deal, he said. Someone at the branch suggested it and they gave it a try.

Some customers don’t notice, or they notice but don’t comment. Many others (like me) get curious, ask, and enjoy the resulting conversation.

It’s a great reminder that humanizing the workplace can be this easy.

By Tom Terez • Contact