Customer Service, What You Picture, You Create
by Kate Nasser | 7 Comments »
Working on the front lines of customer service can be wonderful or terrible. It depends on your mindset — on what you picture — not on the customer. Surprised?
It’s actually good news. What happens when you interact with others is not completely random. Success is within your grasp because what you picture, you create!
It’s not voodoo. It simply that what you picture or think about, you focus on, say, and do.
Customer Service: If you picture it, you create it.
Customer service starts with picturing that you can make a positive difference.
If instead you picture difficulty or conflict, you will focus on being right, being heard, and being in control. All of this creates the difficulty you pictured at the start.
The Story
I walked into the airport luggage service office when I arrived at my destination and my luggage didn’t. As the line inched forward toward the service rep behind the computer, I noticed that each person leaving the office was surprisingly calm.
When I reached the service rep, he handled my problem with empathy, accuracy, and calm confidence. Before I left the room, I said to him: “I teach customer service to large corporations and reps tell me how stressed out they are. How do you stay so positive with so many people in here complaining?”
He replied: “Kate, if they’re smiling when they come in here … they’re in the wrong room!”
He understood what people would naturally feel and he became the picture of a man making a difference.
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Picture the positive and you reduce your fear. Result: Increased listening that guides the interaction to success.
Picture the positive and you feel influential with no need to control others. Result: A collaborative success instead of a target shoot.
Picture the positive and you project empathy and connect sincerely. Result: You make a difference and that is great customer service.
One informed rep with a positive attitude and one customer-friendly policy of delivering luggage created a positive customer experience instead of a social media rant.
What will you and your teams picture before you all start work tomorrow? I hope that it’s caring for customers and making a difference.
Yours in service,
Kate Nasser, The People-Skills Coach
Related post: Customer Service, Key Link in the Chain not Life in Chains
©2011 Kate Nasser, CAS, Inc. Somerville, NJ. If you want to re-post or republish, please email info@katenasser.com. Thank you for respecting intellectual capital.
Kate Nasser, The People-Skills Coach, delivers workshops, keynotes, and consultations that inspire the ultimate interaction with customers. Leaders have been booking Kate to bring both her customer service experience and intuition to their success — repeatedly. See this site for customer results and book Kate now.
Attitude is everything isn’t it?
I would love to have that guy next time I have a problem with my luggage! That is a perfect example of the type of person who excels in customer service and turns a negative experience into a customer win. Of all places, the airport, especially when luggage is involved, is one of the most stressful places. For one person to be able to take angry people and turn them around so they feel satisfied or at least calm is impressive.
Great example of the right way to approach any job out there.
HI April,
It was sublime to watch and experience it. I will never forget it. So glad it moved you as well.
Many thanks for your time and comments. Hope you will share your insight on any post of interest to you on this Smart SenseAbilities blog.
Warmest regards,
Kate
So true, Kate! I am reminded of a scene from one of my all time favorite silly movies (I am a big fan of silliness) – ‘Miss Congeniality’. At one point the fabulous Michael Caine, as Victor the beauty pageant consultant, tells Sandra Bullock’s reluctant undercover contestant Gracie Lou to “see the crown, be the crown.” Visualization is a powerful, powerful thing. I learned that when I trained in archery. No amount of physical conditioning, book study, or technique and practice will get you to the target without seeing the trajectory of the arrow before you let it fly. It’s the same in business, and most particularly in customer care. Unless we can see ourselves reaching the target we share with our customers – a happy ending all the way around – we’re likely to end up with an arrow in the ground, or worse, in the customer’s loyalty.
Great post, Kate, as always!
Best,
Pattie
What you see and think comes out in what you say and do! Thanks Pattie.
Kate
Hi Kate, Very good article, love the story ! I agree totally that what we see or project is what we get, some call it law of attraction or empathy or whatever but this is the very fundamental need for humans: be understood and loved.