Before performing, recording musicians, and singers and public speakers always run through a soundcheck to ensure that their equipment is working well and that their voices and their instruments are also tuned, and functioning well.

But what about you?

As everyday run of the mill ordinary garden variety people, do you ever encounter someone who uses a word, or a phrase, that is:

  • Meaningless
  • Pointless
  • Overused

Maybe it’s someone you work with?

Or it’s someone you know personally?

Or it may even be you?

Many years ago…..

Many years ago I won a weekend away on a television game show. When the contestants were interviewed privately after the weekend away, one of my fellow contestants pointed out to the viewers that I had an annoying habit of calling everybody I spoke to as “Pal”.

I can imagine how annoying that continued repetition would feel to other people… but for me, I was oblivious to the fact that I had fallen into this lazy habit.

When we listen to telephone recordings….

When Jayne and I listen to telephone recordings at our clients’ dental practices we hear conversational PATTERNS that we need to address and improve upon.

Often these patterns are simply lazy habits of speech where people are comfortable using CARELESS LANGUAGE rather than understanding the importance of using PURPOSE with every word spoken.

Right up there on the leader board of careless language are the well-worn phrases:

“Not a problem.”

And

“No worries.”

Both these phrases are lazy and contain double negatives.

Alternative phrases that would work much better would be:

“You’re very welcome.”

And

“It’s my absolute pleasure.”

which are both framed in the positive.

And are far better choices.

We’ve even heard a twenty-year-old receptionist calling multiple callers “Love” and “Darls” no matter what their age and gender might be…

In this case a little bit more COACHING of the receptionist was required to address and correct the careless language being used.

Although these mistakes may have been harmless…

Although these careless mistakes may have been innocuous and harmless, it only takes one instance where the careless phrase accidentally offends someone who decides that they will take their business elsewhere, and also tell their friends about it, and suddenly you’re wondering what the heck just happened to your business?

And the thing is…

And the thing is, for every one person that you might find out about, there’s probably another ten people offended who you don’t ever hear from who just take their business somewhere else.

That’s why…

And that’s why every person in every business needs to be open minded to CONSTRUCTIVE CRITIQUE about the language they use and the words they say.

Because anything except BEST PRACTICE is really unacceptable, no matter whether you’re the business owner, a seasoned pro, or the new recruit.

That’s why McDonalds staff have scripts to follow.

It’s because everything affects everything…

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Dr. David Moffet BDS FPFA CSP is a certified CX Experience coach. David works with his wife Jayne Bandy to help SME businesses improve their Customer Service Systems to create memorable World Class experiences for their valued clients and customers. Click here to find out how David and Jayne can help your business