I walked into a local package delivery service and the customer service representative was obviously not having a great day. I was talked to as if I had just spilled my sippy cup all over their carpet. I was questioned as if I had put something inside that might explode with a raised eyebrow. Finally, after the interrogation I was politely asked if I wanted to add insurance the package.
I have experienced great service at organizations from IT people and have bought their product by the referral from that IT person. They walked with me through the entire purchase and guided me away from extras that were not needed. They did not leave my side until I was fully satisfied with the product and thanked me. That is right they actually thanked me for spending time with them.
I have been placed on hold and bounced between multiple departments of call centers and treated as if I was a burden on the representative that had to take another call during their shift. All of these contribute to poor customer service with organizations, but have you ever though of yourself as customer service representative for your organization?
It does not matter what the position in the organization is whether it be CEO, a sales person, an engineer, or a janitor. We are a representative of the organization to the outside world. We have the opportunity to build up or tear down the reputation of our organization by how we treat others. We are ambassadors for the organizations we represent. We need to keep that in mind when we are sporting our organization’s name, at events, and even what we post on social media.
It also does not matter if we are not a paid employee of the organization. When people see us representing an organization, they are making the association no matter our affiliation. People will make their perceptions based on the people they interact with.
I have had people in organizations tell me they don’t care if a customer likes it or not because they don’t have to interact with the customer regularly. It’s frankly, not their job. Unfortunately, what these individuals don’t understand is that the customer is buying products / services that are in turn funding the individual’s paycheck. Make enough customers stop buying from you and then you are looking for other employment.
When the customer has a bad experience now, they are able to send all over the world in a matter of seconds. The customer can influence their friend network faster than ever sharing their story. Organizations do not have the ability to respond to every negative comment on all of the social media platforms. There is just too much area to cover, but we can make sure we do our part and give the customer a great experience each and every time we interact with them.
No one is above customer service. We are all serving customers. Whether we like it or not, our organizations are judged by how we interact with others. Keep that in mind when you are repping a shirt or at an event for your organization. Make the interaction a positive one. Be courteous, helpful, gracious, and humble.
Sincerely,
Kevin Sidebottom