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This story happened to me just this morning. I went into the local mall where there are a handful of well established appliance stores. I was looking for a good quality hot water jug.

There was a 20 percent discount sale in one store so it was there I duly chose my kettle. I went up to the counter and said to the salesman I wanted to buy a hot water jug. “Which one?” were his first and only words to me during the entire transaction.

I pointed to the one I wanted.

Without a word he walked off and fiddled with his computer. So I picked up

a box with the jug I wanted and took it to the counter. The salesman put my box into a plastic bag. Then he silently held out his hand for my payment.

Before I paid I checked to make sure he had given me the 20 percent discount. No, he had charged me full price.

“You’ve forgotten my 20 percent discount” I politely suggested. Again he disappeared then reappeared and fiddled with his computer again as he entered in the new discounted amount. I paid my money, said “thank you”, picked up my box and left.

When I got back to the car I heard me saying out loud: “What was it about that transaction that would encourage me to spend money in that shop again?” And you know the answer.

The silent transaction
The sad thing is, I often have similar experiences. It’s the experience of ‘The Silent Transaction’.

Well folks that doesn’t do it for me. If you want my money, I want to be acknowledged. I need to know that you appreciate my business.

Like my friend who was loading her groceries into bags as the check-out girl, without a word, handed her the docket. My friend, not known for being shy, said: “I’ve just spent $200. I thought I might have got a ‘thank you’”. The girl spoke: “It’s printed on the docket.”

In the last few years I’ve seen surveys conducted with companies, trying to find out what their employees’ priorities are.

Over and over, top of the list was this theme: “To be acknowledged and appreciated.” The fact that it even appeared in the survey indicates to me that acknowledgement and appreciation from managers to staff are significantly absent in the workplace.

And my experience says that’s just as true for salespeople and shoppers. We want to be acknowledged and appreciated too. Is that too much to ask?

A couple of years ago I did some training with a large organisation on developing a culture of appreciation. At the end of the workshop one of the participants volunteered this to me: “We don’t go along with all that touchy feely stuff, we’re here to work.”

A basic need
I think acknowledgement is a basic need we all have from cradle to the grave. It never diminishes and often, especially in times of stress or fatigue, the need grows. When we feel unacknowledged, unappreciated, the typical response is that our motivation shrivels up fast. Energy for the tasks in hand seems to evaporate.

On the other hand, expressing appreciation is like feeding someone with pep pills! Appreciation gives encouragement and motivation. It fosters loyalty and commitment.

This is true across the board - between employee and employer, customer and company.

Someone agrees with me, in theory at least - look at the rise and rise of ‘loyalty cards’.

If you like the theory then here’s a dozen simple ways that you can show appreciation.