The most popular “thing” on the market right now are fidget spinners. In case you don’t know what fidget spinners are, they are little spinning toys that you hold between two fingers and… well… spin. Sounds like something similar to playing with a cardboard box, right? And some people think that’s about right. However, many people claim these “toys” have benefits above and beyond simply being a distraction. Some say they help children with ADHD by giving them something to do with their hands. Some say they reduce anxiety and are beneficial for relaxation. Regardless of whether you believe any of these things or not, fidget spinners are, for the moment, the pet rock of our time.  

Fidget spinners could be looked upon as the type of success every company should strive for. Why do I say that? Because fidget spinners are popular with everyone – kids and adults alike.  

All businesses, at some time, endeavor to get their employees to latch onto some important company idea and… well… love it. If employees buy in to your company’s mission statement, culture and ideals, your business should perform much better. But do you know what your company’s fidget spinner should really be? 

Your customers! 

If all your employees were crazy about servicing your customers and wanted to interact with them because they enjoyed it, your customers would return the sentiment! You see, we are all people persons at heart. Stick a person in a room alone for months and many go crazy from lack of human interaction. Humans are social beings and need that interaction to survive.  

But how do you get your employees to embrace and enjoy your customers just as much as society has embraced fidget spinners? 

That’s actually fairly simple. Just as your customers enjoy positive interaction, so do your employees. Positivity quickly spreads. When your employees treat your customers as welcome guests and humans, rather than just numbers or nuisances, your customers will also start treating your employees in the same manner. This will create a self-perpetuating cycle that benefits both customer experience and employee engagement.  

“How do I start?” You may ask. “I can’t exactly tell my employees to treat my customers like fidget spinners?” 

Baby steps. Take the popular fast-food chain Chick-Fil-A as an example. One of the non-negotiable actions that an associate must follow is this: If a customer says, “Thank you,” the associate MUST say “My pleasure.” It may seem like a simple thing and, while a small gesture, it at the very least encourages civility. Associates who don’t follow this simple mandate cannot work for Chick-Fil-A.  

You’d be surprised how much patrons appreciate this small gesture. It also reinforces the value customers have to employees and creates an environment that’s customer-centric. Perhaps “My pleasure” could even be called Chick-Fil-A’s fidget spinner.  

Your fidget spinner doesn’t have to be some huge customer experience protocol. It could be as simple as “My pleasure.” Having something similar in your dealership can dramatically improve customer experience, employee engagement and company culture. And that’s a fidget spinner that every business should want.