In the textbook, McCornack (2019) defines three types of communication models; linear, interactive, and transactional. Transactional communication models intuitively capture what most people think of an interpersonal communication (McCornack, 2019, p. 7).
Once a week, I cashier at a local thrift store. I have observed different customer reactions to different cashier styles of communication. These brief encounters are optimal when the customer projects interest, happiness, and returns to the store. It is the cashier's ability to intuitively capture what the customer is thinking and then acting upon that information to enhance the customer experience which makes for meaning (McCornack, 2019, p. 8) in a quality transactional communication.
A couple was looking at leather jackets. From about 15 feet away, I watched a long and lanky man try on a jacket. I remarked that the sleeve length was perfect for his arms. Leather jackets are expensive and even in a thrift store, they cost more than other jackets. As the man continued, I jokingly remarked that the jacket made him look "strong and powerful." His face lit up and I think that his entire body straighten up! His wife looked at me and rolled her eyes. He ignored his wife's eye roll and focused on my subsequent complements. About 15 minutes later, the couple was at the register to purchase that jacket.
The customers and I shared meaning and impact (McCornack, 2019, p. 10). My words to the man seemed to accurately articulate his perception of self at that moment [his self-esteem] (McCornack, 2019, p. 14). He accurately received the information that I transmitted to him. The couple left happy.
McCornack, S. (2019). Reflect and relate: An introduction to interpersonal communication . Boston: Bedford.
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