Customers should sympathize with you–you’re the one who has to work here!
Negative Ned Says…
“Of course I hate my job! That’s why they call it ‘work!’ Duh! That doesn’t mean I don’t know how to pretend that I like working here. I do that a lot, but I don’t see the need to do it right now. You want to know what really stinks about this job? Have you got a minute? Better make that an hour…by the time I’m through complaining about my girlfriend, my boss, and my short lunch breaks, you won’t want to come back…”
Positive Paul Says…
“If you don’t like what you’re doing, customers will notice — it’s written all over your face. Your actions and your words must be consistent. You can’t fake liking a job that you hate.
It’s difficult to work at a place that is not in line with what you believe and who you are. If your personal values — like honesty, trustworthiness, courtesy, compassion, sense of humor, and sincerity — differ significantly from your company’s values, I guarantee you will have a hard time going to work every day.
You have to be passionate about where you work and what your company represents. If you are not passionate, it will be extremely difficult for you to follow the advice in this book. If passion seems like an impossibility, look for an employer whose values are similar to yours. You will be doing yourself, your colleagues, your boss, and your customers a big favor when you find a job that brings you joy and personal satisfaction.”
A Real World Example
I’ve learned a lot from my past mistakes. Several years ago, I decided to work part-time for a company that claimed to have the same values as I did, but its employees’ actions did not demonstrate this fact. For example, they were horrible at returning my phone calls and e-mails. I was a new Sales Associate trying to make a sale, (which would make the company money!) and they would not return my messages. When they finally did respond, they were always very kind and gave lovely excuses. I kept giving them the benefit of the doubt. When I talked to my customers, I felt a sense of unease, knowing that they, too, would probably run into the same problem. The turning point came when one of my clients had an emergency and needed help immediately. The company would not return my calls or the customer’s calls. Now I had an irate customer on my hands, and I knew that I would not have the support of the home office to assist me. It was obvious that this company indeed did not share my values. Two days later, I resigned. Less than a month later, the company went bankrupt. Needless to say, I wasn’t surprised.
Moral to the story: If your manager or support staff refuse to return your phone calls, start looking for a new job.
Strategies to Turn This Around
Be passionate about your company and your job. If not, set your sights elsewhere!
- Make sure your values and your company’s values are in sync.
- Be proud of your company.
- Be passionate about what you do.
Remember: If you aren’t passionate about your company and your job, you will not be able to implement any of the other tips in this book!
“If you work just for money, you’ll never make it, but if you love what you’re doing and you always put the customer first, success will be yours.”
— Ray Kroc
© 2012 by Barbara Khozam Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this message may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission of the publisher.