Wow, from the ends of the spectrum (?) of business publications comes this flash:  Hire Happy People, especially those who provide customer service.  (We could ask the question "Who in your organization doesn't provide customer service?" but that's an entirely different discussion.)

 

A little snippet in the May 2007 Harvard Business Review (p.24) discusses the fact that smiles make customers feel good.  However, having people fake it is bad for the person doing the faking and for the customer, and thus for the enterprise.  The suggestions are to create an environment that encourages smiles, and to "hire happy people".  For the jargon lover, they state "consider including a measure of positive emotional expressivity in their employee selection system".  Say that three times fast!

 

At the other end of the spectrum, in terms of formality and perhaps topicality, is Inc. Magazine.  In a fascinating business profile of Dawson Rutter and his high-end limousine service business in the June 2007 issue, there are multiple points of interest.  Relevant to the idea of happy people and high quality service, the Director of Chauffer Services, Joe Rucker states "There's no secret to customer service; you've just got to be a happy person."

 

Okay, there you have it.  Hire happy people, make 'em happy, have them show it, and they'll make your customers happy which will make your business happy.

 

Now about those Shiny People...