KQ Article

Each Wednesday, two Purdue University students plant themselves at a central location on campus and pay a sincere compliment to every person who passes by. "I like your scarf." "Your hair is very shiny." Some initially interpreted such comments as sarcasm, but now a vast majority of students look forward to receiving their weekly compliment. Many are also joining in on this act of pure goodwill and complimenting others.

These two "compliment guys' have since become celebrities. Their technique has spread to college campuses everywhere.

What's so fascinating here are not the acts of kindness themselves, but rather how effectively this grassroots movement has influenced the social behavior of others. This wasn't part of some campaign dreamed up by school administrators. Rather, it was simply a case of two students trying to make their school a bit more pleasant. The idea started small and caught fire from there. It couldn't have happened any other way.

Consider your institution the university in this story, and your front-line staff the potential compliment guys. As you know, the behavior of these individual employees profoundly impacts the customer experience. If you want to embrace the new trend toward greater social consciousness, for example, you can write mission statements about it all day, but these are just words.

Only your people can give such concepts life, and only they hold the power to make a lasting positive impression on your customers and members. It's why you hired them. This is their obligation as service professionals.

So in addition to having your corporate social responsibility messages trickle down from a formal policy that begins at the top, help them trickle out as well, by encouraging your staff to embody the social consciousness you proclaim, out in the open every day. Set aside time during your weekly "huddles" to brainstorm ideas. It will be fun. And who knows? You might uncover that next small idea that benefits the entire community in a big way.

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