I read a little guide over at Matthew Costello’s blog entitled “Ten Commandments of Customer Service”, by Pat Croce. I thought that it made some very useful points, but I wondered why it was limited to customer service? Surely if you behaved like that to everyone that you come in to contact with (except perhaps that moron who tried to overtake me on a single lane flyover on saturday…), then surely behaving that way with your customer becomes second nature? I believe that no matter how hard you try to be nice to your customer, if it is fake then most people will smell it a mile off.
So I’ve replicated Pat’s commandments, and i’ve given them some of my own flavour. Like them or loathe them, agree or disagree, because, hey, it’s only my opinion…
1. Say Hello and Goodbye, and SMILE!
Be sure to greet people with a hearty “hello†and a well-meant “goodbye.†Offering everyone you encounter a hello and goodbye is a common courtesy, and coupled with a genuine smile and an interest in their wellbeing will make a difference in another’s day, and, the best part, you feel great!
When someone asks you how you are, tell them how you want to feel, not how you actually feel. So many people I know respond to that question with “alright”, or “not bad”. So you are telling yourself NOT to be bad? That’s the same as telling someone NOT to think of an elephant!
Jamie Smart told me that when he is asked that question, he answers with a typically over the top response, such as “I feel so great, it hurts!” or “If I was any better, I’d be twins!”. Responses such as these not only make you feel good but they put a smile on the face of everyone in hearing range. Imagine getting a reputation for being positive and able to enthuse a room of people?
2. Use First Names
Our name is the first thing that separates us from everyone else and makes us an individual. When you use a first name, you personalise your experiences with people and make them feel important. Every day, call those first names out loud!
People tend to drift in and out of concentration when listening, and a neat way to hold attention is to use their names regularly during the conversation. We are so conditioned to respond to our name that you can use it to “interrupt” their daydreaming and bring them back to the conversation.
3. Listen, Listen, Listen
People who talk, talk, talk may monopolise the conversation. But it’s the people who listen, listen, listen - and then ask strategic questions - that actually control the conversation. Never underestimate the power of silence, especially when negotiating.
A neat way to develop your listening skill is to say to yourself internally, everything that the person says to you. Try it and you will find that you remember a lot more about the conversation, and the speaker will also get the feeling that you were really listening!
Open questions involve the other party and build rapport. Plus it has the added advantage that you can concentrate on learning more about them - not necessarily what they said verbally.
4. Communicate Clearly
There’s nothing so simple that someone can’t misunderstand it. Making a clear and full explanation is like going around closing windows - windows that might otherwise be left open to misunderstanding. It takes a measure of discipline to achieve, but it’s an important habit to cultivate.
Of course a key principle of NLP is, the meaning of what you said is how it is interpreted. If they don’t get what you meant, you need to listen to what they say and try telling them in another way. Using their preferred sense channels can help:
“Did you hear what I said?”
“No I can’t see what you mean!”
“Ok, well let’s look at it this way…”
5. Be Neat, Clean, and Fit
People respond more readily to someone who takes an obvious pride in their appearance and environment. This attitude automatically establishes you as a person who can be trusted and an authority who should be respected.
People like people like them. People like people that they want to be like. Being respected or looked up to will always be more influencial than not being respected or looked down upon.
6. Be Prompt and Professional
Being habitually late creates the impression of being unreliable. Being on time is a habit, nothing more. It requires a little organisation, a little discipline, and a little planning. People who are late in their personal lives are swimming against the tide of being on-time in their professional lives.
7. Be Positive
Life has a way of becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you always expect the worst, then you’ll hardly ever be disappointed. We are all capable of starting out in a positive frame of mind. But to be able to sustain that through failure upon failure…that is the true measure of a positive attitude.
Remember - what the thinker thinks, the prover proves!
8. Extend Compliments
Heartfelt praise elevates a person’s spirits, leaves them feeling better about themselves, and will often result in them having an encouraging word for someone else.
9. Have Fun
A good sense of humor makes other good things possible – a positive attitude, passion, pride, productivity, a sense of well-being, and compassion for others.
10. Do It Now!
If you do not immediately implement what you learn today, then the world will have changed by tomorrow and you will be two steps behind.
Excellent words. You can find out more about Pat Croce here: http://www.piratesoul.com/patcroce.aspx.
July 6th, 2006 at 5:01 am
Matt,
The reason it’s the 10 Commandments of Customer Service is, this was and still is Pat’s approach to customer service. When he was the owner of over 30 PT facilites, this is what he taught each and every single employee. It’s from his book, I feel GREAT and you will too.
What’s interesting is some of your inputs have crossed my mind many times, like number 1. You may have seen on TSN about One Kind Act.com, the idea is quite simple, perform one kind act each day for no other reason than to be kind. Small small like letting someone in front of you who has 2 items when you have 10. In fact, I did that today. Also, you don’t tell anyone, I told mine to use as an example but just do it you see, it will not only put a smile one someone’s face but it will snowball…
Ok, enough typing for now. I had to made sure I explained about the commandments, Pat is a friend and mentor. He’s one of the people I know who walks the talk!!!
Cheers,
Matthew