First-Class Customer Service: Your Attitude

Through research, experience and first-hand interviews, we know that:

a)    The caliber of customer service levels today are at their lowest.
b)    The priority customers place on customer service levels are at their highest.
c)    The companies that recognize and respond to this gap are capitalizing on an obvious opportunity.

Regardless of the product or service your organization offers, you have the opportunity to do what most companies aren’t doing: deliver first-class customer service experiences.

To help you do this, we have created five Moments of Magic, which are customer service strategies that will help you reap rich rewards if executed excellently. I will cover each of the five in separate posts, but the mentality behind the strategies is that they be done in sequence. In order to achieve a successful outcome, execute these five moments purposefully.

#1. MENTAL PSYCHE

Ironically enough, the first of the five has little to do with the customer, but everything to do with you. Your attitude dramatically influences your approach, so unless you optimize your outlook – you are bound to do more damage than dollars.

The reason this first step is critical to good customer service is because customers care more about how they are treated than they do about what they are told. Think about your own personal experience. When you are at the grocery store, and the store is out of stock on three of the five items on your list – it’s unrealistic that you’re going to leave the store completely satisfied because regardless, you won’t get what you came for. However, the way the store employees handle your response to the store’s poor inventory management will be the determining factor, in regards to how you feel as you leave the store. If one simply apologizes and tells you “Better luck next time,” what sort of comfort will you feel as the customer? But, if a store employee responds genuinely by letting you know when the store will be back in stock of the items you want, and even goes as far as to recommend substitute items that compare to your original “wants,” how helpful might that experience feel?

Do you see the difference? And what do you think determines how that particular store employee will attend to your particular need? His/her attitude. If he’s annoyed, rushed, and feeling frustrated at his boss, his spouse or his coworkers, well, you can’t tell me that won’t take precedence over the customer. But, instead if he’s aware enough to know that his mentality is disrupting his ability to deliver great customer service, he might do the due diligence of taking a minute to:

• Acknowledge his feelings.
• Affirm his priorities.
• Adapt his attitude.
• And approach the customer after making the appropriate adjustments to all of the above.

Remember, if you want to treat your customer well, you must tend to your mental state first.