VIP treatment and the magic question to get you there.

When I worked in London, I met people from all over the world: Latvia, Norway, Spain, Poland, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Egypt, Lithuania, Romania, and the list goes on. I love, love, love people, asking about their story and how they ended up abroad. 

But the first question I always asked was “what’s your name?” and then introduced myself. I like to call it the magic question.

It is said that each of us has a favorite word….our name. Think about it: if someone references you by name, don’t you feel valued. They took the time and effort to remember your name. 

When we were in Paris, France several years ago, I learned enough French to say Comment t’appelles-tu? Je m’appelle, Christine. I literally observed a complete shift in how we were treated, from aloof - almost rude - to kind and compassionate. 

When you ask someone their name, they are no longer some anonymous person; they are accountable for their actions because you’ve made a connection.

I’ve noticed how much our experience improves when I ask a person’s name and share mine, whether it’s a server at a restaurant, the flight attendant, taxi driver, clerk at a store, etc. Now it could be happenstance but really good things seem to happen frequently: upgrades to first class for no apparent reason, free stuff, and other types of preferential treatment...do you think that’s a coincidence?

Go on and try it…it's simple…ask the magic question, “what’s your name?” and see what happens. 

Oh gotta go, Julie, our flight attendant has brought me some chocolates, hmmm, I wonder why? 

When was the last time you asked for someone’s name? Comment and let me know!