In customer service training, trainers spend much of our time teaching strategies to help you interact successfully with different types of customer personalities and attitudes and in various situations and phases of the customer service transaction. In essence, we teach the successful strategies of reacting to customers based on their needs and circumstances. But what can we teach you about mental and physical health to ensure you’re at the top of your game before you begin interacting with customers?
Real World Story: Like most people, I’m sure you’ve recently experienced a terrible drive to work—a rushed driver cut you off at the last minute or the driver in front of you on the freeway was driving 20 mph slower than everyone else in the fast lane. Or the barista at Starbucks once again got your coffee order completely wrong, but the three chocolate chip and fudge cake pops were delicious, but you’re now sluggish. Ugh! Such circumstances are sure to put you in a bad mood just before your work shift. And, of course, the first person you have to deal with on the phone or in person is upset about a problem with your product, service, or company policy. Ack! Don’t they realize you’re having a bad day too!
The point is, if you start your workday feeling physically bad or in a foul mood, your interactions with customers will most likely be a bad experience for them and you. So why not use a few tips to ensure your mental and physical health are at an optimal state to ensure you give exceptional service.
Strategies that Turn it Around:
- Eliminate late-night TV, increase sleeping time: Getting a good night’s sleep is terribly underrated. We often stay up late watching television and then wake up feeling exhausted. We should make every attempt to ensure eight hours of rest. We can always record our favorite late-night TV shows and watch them some other time.
- Limit news consumption, increase music listening: Watching or listening to the news, especially first thing in the morning, can be a real downer. Most news is negative and upsetting, and it can leave us feeling depressed and defeated. So it’s a good idea to limit our news consumption to traffic and weather reports. It’s also best instead to listen to music that uplifts us and puts in a great mood. Create a playlist of your favorite tunes that energize you and boost your positivity.
- Eliminate the morning rush, increase exercising. Rushing in the morning is a good way to put you in panic mode. It’s a better idea to set your alarm at least 15 minutes earlier and use that time to exercise—to get you moving and creating positive energy, which can give you mental clarity and physical vitality. Trust me, even 10 minutes a day with a few minutes of stretching can make a huge difference in your day.
- Eliminate sugar highs, increase healthy fuel intake. No matter how difficult it is, put down those deep-fried sugary treats. Don’t get me wrong; donuts are delicious. However, their sugar highs also lead to sluggish lows that are difficult to recover from. These lows can zap your energy, fog your thinking, and put you in a bad mood. Instead, look to fuel your body and mind with energy-building protein snacks that include eggs, yogurt, nuts and seeds. You’ll soon see how sharp you are throughout your workday.
- Be kind to yourself. We all love to be recognized by others for our hard work. But why can’t we reward ourselves for a job well done? Learn to be kind to yourself. Being kind to yourself doesn’t have to be about only rewarding yourself for small victories, but also giving yourself permission to let negative things go. If someone cuts you off when you’re driving, let it go. If someone is driving too slowly, then carefully drive around them and let it go. It’s amazing how being kind to yourself and letting things go can change your mindset.
Remember: Your mental and physical health are vital to providing exceptional customer service. While you can employ strategies to deal with different types of customers in different types of situations, ensuring your state of health is at an optimal level is just as important to providing consistently exceptional customer service.
How do you treat your mental and physical health to ensure you deliver exceptional customer service consistently?