"Have a Nice Day"

By Nancy Friedman

How many times a day do you think that phrase is said to someone? Or just how many times has that phrase been said to you in one day? I’m often asked if "Have a nice day" can be said too many times?

The answer: Yes, I guess it could if you’re saying it to the same person over and over. That might get annoying.

However, for the average person, hearing a genuine "Have a nice day" can be a good thing to hear – "genuine" being the key word.

Example: The other day I was in a video store (as always, we don’t name names) and rented several videos. The person, who was waiting on me, did so in complete silence. Complete silence that is, until she handed me my change. Know what she did? She told the cash register to "Have a nice day." That’s right. She spoke directly to the cash register and told "it" to have a nice day. Yeah, I thought she was pretty strange, too.

And not long before that, I had a young man at another store (yes, I do shop a lot!) tell the floor to have a nice day.

And again, more recently when I was at a fast food chain – the lady who handed me the meal looked off in space – and told someone out there to "Have a nice day."

Now, some can profess that they were doing the right thing. Almost. Sure the words were there, but the meaning and sincerity sure wasn’t. If you’re telling the cash register and floor to have a nice day, you’re really not doing any good. Try looking in the customer’s eyes and say it. It’ll mean so much more. And oh, by the way, "Have a nice day" doesn’t even count, unless you’re smiling.

And then there’s the phone call that ends with the same phrase. And because it’s impossible to say that phrase while looking into the caller’s eyes directly, it needs to be said with more conviction. And yes, that good, old smile still needs to be there, too.

And don’t forget, there are so many other ways to end a conversation besides "Have a nice day." Here are just a few. (And I’m betting you can think of a batch of your own.)

• "Thanks for calling."
• "I enjoyed talking with you."
• "Good to hear from you."
• "Enjoy your day."
• "Have a beautiful day."

As I said, you probably can add to those. Remember, there are lots of synonyms for GOOD. You don’t need to be stuck on that one word.

People like to do business with people who are nice and more importantly friendly. It’s that simple. And the way you can be extra nice is to look people in the eye when you’re talking with them. SMILE, and make it meaningful. On the phone, give the caller your full attention. Even though you’ve heard the problem or the question 800 times, that one person is most probably going through it for the first time.

Enjoy much health and happiness in the New Year. And MAKE IT A GREAT DAY!

Nancy Friedman is president of Telephone Doctor®, an international customer service training company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, specializing in customer service and telephone skills. She is a KEYNOTE speaker at association conferences and corporate gatherings and is the author of four best selling books. Call 314-291-1012 for more information or visit the website at www.telephonedoctor.com. Published in Networking Today, February 2005.