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©Holly
Stiel 1999
"The
obscure we see eventually, the completely obvious takes longer."
-- Edwin Newman
First
I had an "ah-hah!" experience. Then I had a "Duh?"
experience when, a few days ago, I realized that all my passion
regarding customer service is nothing more than "Duh."
As in "Duh, I know that," or "Duh, of course,
it's so simple!"
Service
is based on foundations that are so basic it's almost ridiculous,
and yet even though it's simple, when it comes to consistently
providing high levels of hospitality, it's easier said than
done. It requires that we go inside ourselves to discover some
very important -- and necessary -- information. Most importantly,
what are the things that customers do to push our buttons and
cause us to react in a way we're not proud of? Is there a way
we can notice we've become reactive, and can we move into the
higher and, yes, the "duh!" level where true hospitality
occurs?
Living
in and operating out of a high level of hospitality requires
an in-depth understanding of "Duh." But what is "Duh?"
Here are some of its principles...
Caring.
If you don't care about the feelings of others, if you are not
interested in their "story," if their opinion of you
has no value to you, it will simply not be possible to function
at a high level of hospitality. Duh!
Empathy.
Apathy is not the path to empathy. One of the basic principles
of dealing with difficult situations requires first that you
must care.Duh!
Willingness.
You
have to be willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.
You have to open your heart and connect with someone else beyond
the perfunctory performance of a job. You have to be willing
to go beyond your ego. You have to be willing to stay present
and open, not protective or vindictive. Without the willingness
to do such things, it is not possible to function at a high
level of hospitality. Duh!
Patience.
This is a simple but difficult quality to demonstrate, especially
consistently. People try our patience, and many service encounters
can be described as "the irritable interacting with the
irritated." Patience requires that we know how to listen,
it requires caring empathy, and willingness, and it requires
that we don't take everything personally. Duh!
Love.
Yes,
love! There, I've said it. Everyone tells you never to mention
love when you're talking about business, but I say ... Duh!
It's the truth! If we would just remember to act more lovingly
toward each other, we would be able to operate at the highest
level of hospitality. The truth is to reach the minds of our
customers, servers must operate from the heart. Duh!
Understanding.
It
is each of our responsibilities to know our products and services.
It is simply not enough to be nice. We must also be knowledgeable.
A sincere service person who doesn't have information is still
unacceptable. It is important to understand that just because
we do things correctly, it doesn't mean we're delivering good
service. It isn't enough if we don't actually connect with the
person we're serving. The only way service magic can be created
is through connection; we must stay with people without the
myriad distractions that cause customers to feel rushed and
unimportant. Making customers feel good, letting them know you
appreciate their business, and being able to understand and
answer their needs: these are the fundamentals that make them
return. Duh!
Attentiveness.
In
order to serve, we have to pay attention to our own feelings
as well as to the feelings of our customers. We have to pay
attention and heed that little word: "think." So many
people don't think before they act. They simply react, setting
up a negative experience for everyone. If we paid attention
and took the split second to notice our customers in a deeper
way, we could fill our time with rich relationships instead
of rote activities. Duh!
Follow-Through.
If you say you are going to do something, do it! If you promise
something, deliver it, and don't promise what you can't deliver.
Following through means acting on something right away. It involves
handling situations before they become huge nightmares. It means
we have to see a job through to completion, and not pass it
off to the next person and then forget about it. Follow-through
requires accepting personal responsibility for every phone call
we answer and every request we receive. Duh!
Organization.
We must first be organized if we have the intention to be of
service. Most businesses are not set up to serve. Information
is not readily available, and often times peopleare scrambling
to find the answers. Downsizing has put
tremendous pressure on existing employees to have all the answers,
and a common problem is blamed on inefficient staffing. While
this is oftentimes true, it is also true that most places are
not set up to serve properly in the first place. A good place
to start to understand what is needed is to ask the people who
actually do the serving. Duh!
Laughter.
Find
humor in your work. Without a well-developed sense of humor
it is entirely impossible to maintain the attitude needed to
work with the public. But first you have to recognize and believe
that humor is a choice. A sense of humor is your most powerful
tool. It will get you through the most difficult situations.
It is all in how you look at it. Duh!
Appreciativeness.
Four simple little words -- "Thank You Very Much"
-- combine all the principles of "Duh." We don't say
these words enough as customers, and we don't hear them enough
as service providers. If we were jazzed when we heard those
words as service providers, and we were generous in our appreciation
as customers, the entire service process would flow from its
original and proper source. Duh!
"Duh!"
is just that. Duh! So then, why should something that's so obvious
remain so elusive? After 20+ years of customer service indoctrination
in the U.S.A., we're still having difficulty putting these simple
values into action. When all we have to do is . . .
D
eliver service with
U nderstanding and
H eart.
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