Last week I wrote about the many BAD experiences that I’ve been having with service people while traveling lately. Since this problem continues to be an important issue to me, I wanted to expand a bit more on how people in any service industry can boost their mind and body to be better prepared to deliver exceptional service. It’s all about mental and physical preparation.
Real World Story:
You will recall from the experiences that I wrote about that many of the service people I encountered had BAD attitudes, acted like robots, made no attempt to greet me warmly or even acknowledge my presence, or were, otherwise, distracted or disengaged.
That got me thinking. Is there anything we can do to improve our attitude and mood before putting ourselves in front of customers? I definitely think we can! It’s all about taking some very simple steps to improve our overall well being.
Strategies that Turn it Around:
Before we start our workday:
- Avoid the news: Don’t read newspapers, watch news on TV, or listen to news-radio. Nearly every story is filled with tragedy. We then internalize
these stories on a conscious—and worse, a subconscious—level. We then immediately get into a BAD mood, which we take to work with us. - Avoid negative people: We all have these people in our lives. While long-term strategies teach us to eliminate these people from our lives, it’s not always easy. So try to avoid them before going to work and once you arrive at work. Negative people have a knack for sucking the joy out of others.
- Think good thoughts: Make a list of the things that make you happy. Maybe reading a daily devotional makes you happy. Try reading a joke of the day, thought of the day, poetry, or anything that makes you happy. This will lighten your mood and prepare you to face customers with a smile on your face.
- Listen to music: If you’re not into reading, that’s okay. Try listening to your favorite music. It doesn’t matter what kind of music, as long as it puts you in a good and productive mood. Music, like few other things, can transform your mind and body instantly. And the feel-good effects are long lasting. And those feelings you should take with you wherever you go!
- Eat to improve energy: We’re all busy people, and we often grab whatever is easiest and at hand. But if we prepare carefully, we can ensure to have plenty of energy-improving foods and drinks handy before we go to work. Research and choose the foods that best fit your likes and wants. Say bye to coffee and soda—while they can boost our energy in the short term, the sugar lows we experience afterward can really put a downer on our attitude later.
- Run your stress away: Sometimes, we need to simply get up and do something physical to shake off a bad mood or bad feelings. It doesn’t have to be anything strenuous. The point is to get up and move. Get the blood flowing. Don’t like to exercise? No worries. Meditation can have the same effects. Before going to work, allow yourself 10 to 15 minutes of silent meditation. Breathe out the bad stress, and breathe in the good vibes. You’ll be greeting customers with a warm and friendly smile before you even know it!
these stories on a conscious—and worse, a subconscious—level. We then immediately get into a BAD mood, which we take to work with us.This list is not exhaustive by any measure, but it is a good place to start. The point is this: plan and schedule to do whatever it is that puts YOU in a good mood—mentally and physically!
Remember: Anybody can fill a glass with water. Anybody can sit a guest at a table. Anybody can hand you a key to a hotel room. And anybody can pick up a phone. But NOT just anybody can deliver a customer experience. As professional service people, we do more than fulfill simple tasks and requests. We provide customers with solutions; we deliver customer experiences worth remembering—experiences that keep our customers coming back for more!
What do YOU do to make delivering customer service a great experience for YOU and your customers? Please share your story in the comments section below.