The 10-4 Rule

My first read of the year was a little book titled, "Zingerman's."  
It is a book describing the wildly successful small deli located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

In the book, you learn a lot about what makes great customer service and how to create a loyal following.  One concept I thought interesting was something called "The 10-4 Rule." This rule is more of a guideline on how to treat others and it goes something like this:

Anytime you get within 10 feet of someone you make solid eye contact .
And when you get within 4 feet of that same person, you greet them verbally and extend a hand shake.

Here is what I love about the 10-4 Rule ...  It is simple.  
No one, not even I can mess this up.  
Notice how it is not the 20-1 Rule?  That would be weird, wouldn't it?  Standing 20 feet away from someone and waving might lead to confusion.  "Who is Anthony waving at? Me or the guy behind me??" Followed up by, "Did Anthony eat Garlic AGAIN? I just wish he would stand further away when he talks to me and perhaps lay off the sauerkraut!" For the sake of humanity, let's just stick to the 10-4 Rule. 

TAKE ACTION:  This is something that transfers with ease when you are leading your group in better customer service.  Take time to train those around you and incorporate this into the fabric of your organization.  I'm betting you will see positive results if you decide to take action and incorporate the 10-4 Rule.