A welcome or a warning? Here’s how to tell the difference

❚ It depends on the context: If the phrase is preceded or followed by something that actually better serves you, and is explained as a benefit, then you can believe it, says Kristin Fintel, who owns the Chehalem Ridge Bed & Breakfast in Newberg, Oregon. For example, Fintel has a check-in window between 3 and 6 p.m. for incoming guests rather than a check-in time, to better accommodate guests.

❚ Watch for corporate-speak: Fake “to better serve you” initiatives often are penned in sterile language. Jim Brown, a former publicist for TWA, says he almost never used the phrase. “In my 25 years, I never once tried to get away with using that phrase unless it was an actual expansion of service,” he says. Today’s airlines don’t bother to draw any such distinction, he says.

❚ Pay attention to the platform: If someone tells you in person – not in a recorded conversation or online, but in person – chances are it’s legit. If someone conveys the message in writing, be wary. It could mean the opposite.