This area of Live Thank You is a forum for recognizing others—individuals, corporations and non-profit organizations. What would happen if more people took an active role in acknowledging others? I believe the rippling effects are endless because acknowledgment is such a powerful tool. That is what saying thank you is all about. What I propose here is to put it out there and see what happens. Let’s get some feedback of your results and I will post them in the Share section for the benefit of others.

Getting Started

To get you started, here’s a thought: During the holidays, people typically remember to say thank you to those who provide services throughout the year. How about making it a practice other times during the year by setting up a reminder program on your computer, cell phone or blackberry? If you still pay a bill with a check and return envelope, write a thank you note on the enclosed stub or make it a point to express your appreciation in person.

Some of the people that deserve a thank you note include your auto mechanic, baker, banker, beautician, computer technician, dentist, doctor, dog/cat groomer, dry cleaners, fitness trainer, grocer, insurance agent, jeweler, landscape/gardener, manicurist, optometrist, pest maintenance person, pharmacist, plumber, printer, restaurateur, teacher, tailor, travel agent and veterinarian. See what happens when you make an effort to Live Thank You.

Advanced Recognition

Individuals doing good deeds and companies focusing more on corporate values for both the customer as well as the employees, deserve to be recognized. For example…

I needed to call Verizon Wireless about several things and when the customer service representative answered, I began the conversation with a thank you. I said that while I had some concerns, I wanted to say thank you for several things such as the Friends and Family program which was saving me a lot of talk time minutes. The response was silence.

When the voice on the other end finally spoke up, she asked if I would put what I said in writing which I did. I guarantee you my concerns were exceptionally well handled.

What would happen if Verizon were bombarded with thank you emails, calls and text messages? It is my goal to activate this idea on a grand scale and I need your help to do it. For now, I am asking you to pay attention to who is doing what and take a little extra time to acknowledge it. Below are some of my favorite individuals, corporations and non-profit organizations. Please send your comments about experiences you had as a result and let me know if it is okay to post them in Kudos. Thanks so much!

Individuals

Michael J. Fox—actor, author, advocate for Parkinson’s Disease Cure

Steve Lopez—L.A. Times columnist, author of The Soloist

Corporations

Southwest Airlines—empower employees to resolve customer service issues

Hallmark–making personal connections with their customers

Non-profit Organizations

A Million Thanks—encouraging folks to send thank you’s to military personnel

The Pajama Program—providing books and pajamas for children in need