Sometimes, I am astounded by the tiny amount of effort that can go such a long way toward building trust, putting a smile on someone’s face, and showing that you care.

Take, for example, last week when I pulled up to exit the National Rental Car parking lot at the Yo Philly airport. I forgot my pouch of cords, and my phone battery was on there’s-no-way-this-is-going-to-last-to-maneuver-you-around-the-streets-of-Philadephia percentage.

I asked the gate agent if they had any adapters for the cord I did have. She dug around in various bins. Negative. Then, she asked where I was headed, proceeded to give me directions to a Wawa that was more or less on the way where I could pick up a cord.

It was as if she said HERE ARE TONIGHT’S WINNING LOTTERY NUMBERS.

First, the effort of searching through bins instead of simply replying with, “No. We don’t have one.”

Then, being thoughtful about asking where I was going to see if there was somewhere along the way.

Next, giving me directions when hi Google Maps but actual, concise, clear directions delivered by a human being letting me know that I would still be headed in the right direction.

Delivered with a smile on her face.

THANK YOU SO MUCH THAT WAS SO HELPFUL YOU ARE THE BEST I CAN’T TELL YOU HOW APPRECIATIVE I AM!

I mean I was REALLY excited and thankful and appreciative. Over directions. To a gas station.

But that there’s the point. It wasn’t about the directions. It was about her owning it. Doing 1% extra. Taking a teeny bit of initiative. Answering a question before I could ask. In doing so, calming my stress about a dead phone and annoyance at myself for forgetting my pouch of cords.

Contrast that with my dumb doctor’s office, which didn’t do the basics of sending the order to the lab for me to get bloodwork done. Instead, I had to drive out to the lab, waste 45 minutes of my day, and then return to email the doctor to tell them the labs needed a doctor’s order to run the lab work, which seems to me to be a task a doctor’s office SHOULD KNOW TO DO.

Initiative, a smile, and care–left me stoked and trusting National Rental Car.

Incompetence, lack of effort, and wasting my time–shows me the doctor doesn’t care and left me fuming and annoyed and finding a new doctor.

Own it.

Take action on the small things.

Answer the unasked questions.

Minimal effort. Massive results.