I’ll have the Service Sandwich! 

In the modern age of texting and emailing taking the place of a lot of verbal communications in many businesses, one thing we often hear people say is “I didn’t understand their tone” or “they were so abrupt.”  In the era of texting random pictures of shoes or the ceiling (does anyone else have a teenager that can relate to this nonsense?), let’s encourage our employees to use words…formed in sentences…with punctuation. 

When we hire new team, we put every effort into making them successful, from onboarding, making sure they have the right equipment for their job (computer, desk space, materials, supplies, etc), to making sure they have the training they need.  We know a client doesn’t want to repeat themselves to a new hire, so we have briefings & debriefings to make sure an employee is up to speed before a meeting with a client.  So, why would we not care about how a person represents themselves as a member of the company?  We work HARD to create our brand and to market that brand (check out the Thrivecast to hear about marketing your firm). Well, our employees are walking, talking billboards of the brand!  Invest in it!

One way we invest in our team is by introducing them to the “Service Sandwich.” The service sandwich consists of three parts.  Let’s look at those together. 

1. The Greeting (the top slice of bread) – Now, your high school English teacher would tell you that this is the opening of your email where you say “Good morning, John.”  No!  Let’s put more effort into it.  How about something more like “How are you doing today?” or “I hope your week is going well.”  Or maybe even something fun like “Happy national hot dog day!”  Make this a fun part of the email…not anything work-y or boring.  If you want to make it extra fun, include a GIF!  (We love GIFs around here).
2. The body of the email (the meat and cheese and all the other goodness you want to include) – This section of the email is where you get down to business…where you let it all out, whether you have a lot to say or just a quick comment.  This is the part that most everyone gets right…with the exception of punctuation or minor grammatical errors, but I’m not one to talk about that. (Thank you spellcheck, amirite?)
3. Wish them well (the bottom slice of bread) – I know we oftentimes are in a hurry and need to move on to the next thing, but the way you end a conversation can really make an impact.  Try making one last effort to wish the recipient a good day or again, if you know something personal about them, use that to be more amiable.  If it’s Tuesday and you know they golf on Tuesdays, say “I hope you shoot some eagles this afternoon.” (that’s 2-under par for those of you who aren’t familiar with golf).  If you know nothing about golf, just tell them you hope they have good weather for their round later in the day. The main point is to just make a thoughtful effort to think about that person specifically. It’s kind of like the chocolate sauce on top of a sundae (I’m not a fan of cherries).

Put a little extra effort into that new team training and talk about the Service Sandwich.  As a firm owner, you have put so much effort into building your company & your brand. Let them know that the way they present themselves is a reflection of the company and the culture you and your team have built.  

Remember, people deserve the same respect when using written communication as they do when we are speaking with them face-to-face. A screen shouldn’t diminish the value of the individual. It’s time we slow down and be just as intentional in writing as we are in person.  Give your clients something good to chew on.  Dish up a Service Sandwich.