At a recreation facility, staff had a problem. People were smoking close to the entrance, and smoke was drifting indoors. The rule was clear. The signs were clear too. Yet each new sign seemed to make little difference.

The first said No Smoking. Another made the prohibition stronger. A later version warned of enforcement. Staff kept explaining what people must not do, while the problem continued.

Brenda asked a different question: What did the facility want people to do?

The answer was straightforward. Visitors who wanted to smoke could move farther from the entrance. So the staff changed the invitation. They pointed people toward a place away from the doors where they could join their friends. They also made that place easier to find and use.

In Brenda’s account, the staff created a small place to gather at a suitable distance, with a bench and an ashtray. They even marked a route to it with playful footprints. The invitation on the sign now had somewhere practical to lead. That detail matters: asking people to change a behaviour works better when you also make the desired action possible.

According to the account in Brenda’s original story, visitors began using the new spot and the entrance became more comfortable for everyone. The rule stayed. The way it was communicated changed.

Ask for the action you want

This idea reaches well beyond signs. Think of the messages people hear at a front desk, on the phone, or in an email.

Or imagine a meeting room that must be cleared by 4 p.m. “Do not stay past your booking” states the limit. “Please finish and leave the room by 4 p.m. so the next group can set up” explains the action and gives a reason. The rule can still be enforced when needed. People first have a fair chance to follow it.

There will be times when a boundary must be unmistakable. Clear, respectful language can still tell people what to do next. A direction works best when the requested action is possible and the information is easy to use.

Look at the whole experience as well as the words. Is the alternative easy to find? Is the form available? Does the person at the front desk know what to suggest? A friendly sign that points to an unavailable option will frustrate people. The message and the service have to support each other.

Look at one message your organization repeats often. Is it centred on what people must stop doing? Could it also show them the action that will help? A small change in wording, supported by a practical option, may change the whole interaction.

Try it with one sign, email template, or frequently repeated instruction. Ask a colleague to read the revision. Can they tell you what action to take, and can they actually take it? That is a more useful test than simply asking whether the wording sounds positive.

The lesson from the sign is a useful three-part check: name the action, explain the reason when it helps, and make the action possible. The staff did all three. That is why the bench and the path matter as much as the new words.

Keep Exploring: The Customer Service Your Customers Expect, by Brenda and Harley Robinson, offers more stories and practical approaches to positive, personal service. See the book.