Last week, my husband received his new cell phone ordered from a refurbished site only to find out that he'd still have to go into a Verizon store to get a SIM card. With his busy work schedule that was unlikely to happen until the weekend, and since I have a lot more flexibility to run to the Verizon store on a Thursday morning, I did.
Now, this was after frustrating Verizon cellular customer service that week, and equally aggravating Verizon customer service issues the week before regarding our home phone and internet. So when I was greeted at the Verizon store on Fleet Street by a gentleman named Kyle, who was respectful and kind to me even though I was practically venting to him, I appreciated it. A lot. The phone issues all got squared away and my husband's new phone was up and running in no time.
The next day, I still appreciated Kyle's excellent customer service, so I wrote a note addressed to "Management" at his store location and dropped it in the mail. I didn't take a photo of the note for my records because I wasn't even thinking of it as one of my "Thousand Thank You" notes. But from memory I can share that the note pointed out how great Kyle was at his job and how he should be recognized and rewarded for it.
I went on with my life, as most usually do following a technological transition in the household. Then yesterday my husband said his phone charger was giving him major problems and I offered to run the errand of getting him a new one the same day. I called Kyle (had his business card) and told him about the situation, and he said to come on in. He also told me that he had received my note that morning, and thanked me for it. I went into the store and got the new charger.
I went back to the store today to take in the old charger that wasn't working for a warranty refund, and get a belt phone case for my husband, and worked with Kyle once again. Over the counter, he told me that over the course of 24 hours, the note had gone up the chains of Verizon Wireless management and was ultimately emailed to EVERY EMPLOYEE IN THE NORTHEAST! Kyle thanked me again and again for sending in the note, and I just kept thinking "Well, thank you for doing your job!"
On my way out of the store, the district manager happened to be at the door and asked if I'd be up for filling out a survey online about my customer service experience, and when I mentioned that I was the one who had sent the note about Kyle, his immediate response was "You're so nice!" I felt a little embarrassed and didn't know what to say, so I just expressed that Kyle is a great employee and excellent work should be recognized, that's all. That's when the district manager reinforced a statement that Kyle had made earlier at the counter - that good, diligent work often goes unrecognized and unappreciated.
After hearing that, I decided I need to make a better effort at sending Thank You's as soon as they are warranted. The note doesn't have to be elaborate, or on my finest stationery in my best handwriting. It just has to be heartfelt and timely.
So even though I let the "Thousand Thank Yous" domain name expire months ago, this blog is still very much alive and will remain the central point where I share updates on the Thank You's I send out and any feedback I ever receive. And, given all that the note to Verizon has done for Kyle, and how much he appreciated it, I'm officially counting it as number Sixteen. =)
