As someone who has worked in customer service her entire adulthood and who is now in the role of assistance/receptionist in an appraising office I have noticed that going the extra mile is always the best policy for clients. It doesn’t matter if it's an AMC, personal appraisal client or just someone you might be talking to in passing about your job. 

Making people smile will not only make their day better (and yours too) but it will leave a lasting impression. When someone is a pleasure to talk to and can make you feel noticed or remembered there is always a piece of you that wants to go a little bit above and beyond what you might typically do. 

So how do you do that? Is it worth the time and energy? Isn’t it awkward? Might it come off as insincere?  So many questions… But it can all be as easy and quick as a question or statement that will only take a few extra seconds. Here are some examples:

• “I see you are in Chicago, I’ve always wanted to travel there to see the sites and eat some deep dish pizza”

• “How’s the weather for you today?”

• “I love your name”

• “Happy Friday!” or “Hope you have a great weekend”

• “You are always so helpful, it was great speaking with you again”

These can be used over the phone or via email and they are all just a little something extra to make sure people know that you notice them. Some days you may need to fake enthusiasm, we all have down days, but you just never know what kind of an impact the words or actions will have on the people we talk to. 

I can attest to the fact that most people do not take the extra time to say a kind word, I have been guilty of it in the past. We want to be as streamlined as possible, we don’t want to extend ourselves past what we are required to do, we are introverted - the list could go on and on. But on the receiving end, I always remember the people who take the extra time to make things a little more personal and a little less robotic.