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Can-Do Thinking – it does make
a difference!
The diversity in people will always fascinate me! And when
it comes to Customer Service, the differences can be particularly
striking! As you probably know yourself, it’s the people
involved (not the specific ‘product’) that makes
the service memorable – in either a positive or negative
way!
When travelling interstate and checking into a hotel the
night before the start of a workshop I’m facilitating,
I invariably ask for access to the room we’ll be using
the next day. If the room is free, I can check the room setup,
ensure materials sent ahead have arrived and unpack my training
kit of goodies. I especially want to pre-write some flip charts
that we will need in the first session before morning tea.
If the designated room isn’t available, I ask if paper
(and stands if possible) can be brought to my room so I can
complete the charts before going to sleep.
Now consider these two examples of service delivery by employees
at different hotels …
Hotel #1:
On asking about access to the workshop room, I’m
told this is not possible. A further frustrating five minutes
of questioning on my part reveals this employee has no idea
how (or apparent interest or intention!) to help me.
Hotel #2:
The same opening question from me – but
this time met with very different responses! Although the
room was unavailable, this time it was the service provider
who took the role of proactive questioner, determining my
specific needs and considering beyond my immediate requests.
Within 5 minutes, paper and stands arrived at my room, complete
with complimentary biscuits and coffee!
What a difference a person can make! I was so impressed,
I wrote about this on my feedback sheet when I checked out
and asked that my thanks and compliments be passed on to the
relevant staff. I soon received a letter from the hotel manager,
thanking me for my comments. He mentioned he was pleased to
hear this story, as new staff are trained to have “a
Can-Do Attitude and Solution-Based Thinking”.
What a wonderful idea! I have subsequently related this story
on many Customer Service Workshops with participants clearly
getting the message and relevance to their work roles.
My personal ‘Ah-Ha’ came many months later when
I was going through a particularly demanding time. Suddenly
I realised this ‘Can-Do’ Attitude need not have
exclusive application to Customer Service. I could apply this
thinking to countless day-to-day situations that I found challenging
to deal with.
So whether we apply these ideas to our personal or our business
life, consider the benefits of these strategies:
- Shift your thinking to explore what you can do.
It seems our brains have become well trained in focussing
on what we can’t do.
- Express regret or apology for the fact you can’t
meet the initial request. Before stating what you can
do, it is useful to acknowledge the importance
of an issue and the possible disappointment or frustration
the other person may be feeling. (“This seems important
to you, so I’d like to see what else I could do that
may help.”)
- Throw away the excuses and lengthy explanations. Your
client doesn’t want or need to know these. The only
potential beneficiary is ourselves as we attempt to banish
guilt and responsibility. The client does want to know
what can be done now. (And if applying
this to yourself, your brain and body will respond positively
to the excitement of possibility rather than remaining stuck
in the negatives.)
- Ask questions, be curious and think beyond the immediate
moment (especially from the client’s perspective).
This is akin to the old motto ‘Under Promise, Over
Deliver’. In my second hotel example, if I’d
been told coffee and biscuits would be provided and then
they didn’t arrive, I’d feel let down. But without
the promise of these treats, their unexpected arrival certainly
went beyond my service expectations!
- Spend whatever time it takes in sorting out what may
be helpful to your client (or yourself). This may well be
the first and last chance you have to make a lasting positive
impression on this person – and all the people they
will talk to about their impressions of your company.
Henry Ford once said, “Whether you believe you can
or you can’t … you’re right!”
So, do you believe you can?
© Sandi Givens, 2003
Permission to reprint this article is welcomed provided the
following:
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