All I Really Needed to Know About Customer Service I Learned in Kindergarten.

In a world of contact us email addresses, automated 800 number systems, and less than eager employees who seem put off by the suggestion of providing good customer service, I’ve taken a step back to wonder, “Is it just me? When did customer service stop being about the customer, and why did it change?” And by customer service, I don’t just mean employee to external customer, but internally within a company as well. Every conversation you have, every relationship you build (or bridge you burn) within a company is as important as those experienced with outside customers.

In pondering the state of customer service today, including my desire to get back to my own roots and re-invigorate my own level of service, and in looking at the stellar (and occasionally not so stellar) habits of those long time friends and associates around me, I have come to the conclusion that all I really need to know about customer service I learned in kindergarten.

Share everything.

Okay, except perhaps when it comes to insider trading or selling international spy secrets, there is never a good reason NOT to share information. Tips, tidbits and tricks of the trade shared among employees can only lead to more educated, well rounded and efficient service. If you’ve found something works well and gets positive response from your customers – share the wealth. You might be amazed at how well it is received!

Clean up your own mess.

We all make mistakes, we all have clouded judgment at times, we’ve all spilt milk, and we all make a mess. That’s the easy part. Cleaning it up is harder, but when done with professionalism and a positive attitude, it can almost, if not completely, erase the fact that the mess ever happened at all. Don’t leave something for someone else to clean up – whether it’s your spilled lunch in the company refrigerator, the upset customer whose deadline you missed, or the coworker you snapped at, be a grown up, clean it up, and move on. There will be more messes!

Say you’re sorry when you hurt somebody or have done something wrong.

It’s never a bad idea to apologize, especially if you made a mess! Whether you meant to do whatever it was you did or not. From stepping on toes to copping an attitude, and everything in between, internally or customer facing, it is far more admirable to admit you were wrong AND apologize for it than to do only one of the two or nothing at all. You will always be respected for saying you were sorry.

Flush.

Whatever negativity is affecting your attitude or performance, let it go in the workplace; it’s not the customer’s fault. Just as they can hear a “smile” over the phone, they can sense your negativity. Inevitably, that negativity will be noticed (even if you don’t see it happening) and may come back to bite you (that’s a rule I learned in kindergarten too, no biting, but we’ll save that for another blog!).

When you go out in the world, watch out for traffic, hold hands and stick together.

It’s a big world out there, and in a big company or intimate office setting, people need to stick together. Good customer service isn’t about one person in the company, it’s about the company as a whole. The team is what makes up the public image, and that’s what people perceive as being “the company” (and the great or not so great service your company provides). We are always far stronger in multiples than we are alone, so tackling (okay, not literally) any issue, topic or demanding customer situation with a unified team approach is always sure to be not only effective, but morale boosting for everyone involved.

Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the Styrofoam^® cup? The roots go down, the plant goes up, and nobody really knows how or why it happens? We are all like that.

Everything will grow when nurtured, especially relationships! Whether internal among employees and supervisors, across different departments, or externally between businesses or direct customers, the more effort you put into seeding a professional relationship and maintaining positive rapport, the more successful the outcome will be.

Lastly, remember the Dick and Jane books and one of the first words you learned – perhaps the biggest word of all – LOOK.

And to that I would add LISTEN! See and hear what’s happening around you in your own environment and in your own personal space. Listen to yourself. What message and image are you conveying? What are your words and actions saying about you, about your company, about your professional relationships? Before we look outward, we need to look inward, and determine if our level of customer service is where it should be.

Don’t forget that while frustrated at the lack of customer service you may receive at any given moment and in any number of venues, how you relate to your customers (internal and external) speaks volumes about you, your company, and your own level of customer service as well.

Being aware of maintaining your own positive customer service approach, sharing your tactics for success, admitting your mistakes and rectifying them, and playing nicely with others in the corporate and customer sandboxes, will have a positive and affirming effect on you, your company, and your customers, now, and long after the next wave of kindergartners continue to learn their lessons.

Tagged as: customer service