The essence of customer service may be summoned up as people being of service to others, so having an attitude of service is essential for customer service professionals. And when customer service is delivered exceptionally well, it can dispel some of the myths that plague certain industries, especially when a person is experiencing his or her worst day. A colleague recently shared the following story.
Real World Story: “I’ve been a dog owner for most of my adult life. And my pups have always been part of my family. To say that I’m an animal lover is an understatement. And part of having pets is having to deal with different types of pet services, especially veterinarians. Over the years, I’ve experienced less-than-stellar situations with a few of them. In one such situation, after finishing up an appointment with my English bulldog Pearl, I asked the vet if there was anything I needed to bring with me to our next appointment. She replied, “Well, don’t forget your wallet.” Yup, you read that right. In another situation, I took another of my English bulldogs, Rudi, to see a canine heart specialist. At our first appointment, I brought the very expensive chest x-rays that my regular vet had taken just a few days earlier. So I was agitated when the heart vet said he would have to take his own set of x-rays because that was his company’s policy. The new set of x-rays cost me a little more than $1,000. And that got me thinking about the question many pet owners ask themselves at one time or another, Are vets in it for the love of animals or for the love of money?
“Two months ago, I lost my nearly 18-year-old Cockapoo Max. He had been ill for a long while, and after suffering a few back-to-back illnesses, he started to suffer from recurring seizures. One very early Sunday morning, he began to have non-stop seizures, so I rushed him to the nearest 24-hour emergency veterinary clinic, where I had to make the heartbreaking decision to put Maxie down. After making the decision to do so, I kept questioning the staff whether or not I was making the right decision. To my shock and surprise, they kept telling me it was the best thing for me to do for Maxie’s sake. Because of past experiences, I am now relieved to know that they didn’t prolong his end of life simply to make more money from running endless diagnostic tests that would lead to nothing more than ongoing suffering for my dog. The vet and her staff did what was best for Maxie. And I am eternally grateful to the staff at ACCESS South Bay for their exceptional and compassionate service and for dispelling the myth I held about vets caring more about money than their canine patients.”
Strategies that Turn it Around:
- One of the best customer service skills one can ever learn is the art of listening—actively listening to what customers are telling us. In active listening, we listen from beginning to end, without interrupting. We don’t begin to formulate an answer until we have fully heard what a customer is saying. We pay attention in order to recite back to a customer what he or she has said to us in order to show that we care to understand their needs. When I rushed Maxie to emergency, I was able to explain everything that he had endured during the past year. They listened and fully understood that I had done everything possible to keep him comfortable. And they understood nothing more could be done. They didn’t try to sell me blood work, x-rays, diagnostics, or more treatments. They simply guided me to do the compassionate thing for Maxie.
- Show empathy and compassion. When customers come to us, it is most likely because something has gone wrong. There is a problem with their invoice, a problem with their product or service, or they need some other type of assistance. And they may be having the worst day of their life. No matter the situation we find ourselves with customers, we always need to show up with empathy and compassion. And whether the situation is small or large, we need to show that we care about taking care of their problem or issue with compassion and with a heart of service.
- Put the customer first. One of the very best strategies for delivering great customer service is to always put the customer first. Customers are not interruptions in our day, but the livelihood of our business. Customers are not a bother but an opportunity to serve another. Customers are not demanding and unreasonable but are people who require that a need be met, even exceeded.
Remember: Customer service is about people helping people, about people being of service to others with care and compassion. And who knows, we may dispel myths about our industry and what we truly value—our customers.
How does your organization put people before profits by delivering exceptional customer service?