The Service Advocate…(Part 9)
What does unforgettable customer service look like?
In the hiring process, there are many employers who place more emphasis on a candidate’s attitude than they do on their academic achievements.  Without considering the impact of this statement, your first reaction might be one of complete puzzlement. But think about it…you can teach everything except attitude! 
And if you do give it some thought and relate this statement to an experience you had recently or to someone with whom you have dealt in the not too distant past, you may begin to shake your head and say to yourself, “yes, I see what you mean”.

Attitude towards one’s job is key to the lasting impression that a customer takes away from that interaction.  As customer service representatives, we have the responsibility to carry out our tasks with the right attitude.  And, by the way, what is this “right attitude”? 

The right attitude begins with something as simple as your personal appearance and the appearance of your office or surroundings.  If you are not dressed neatly, it says quite loudly and clearly that you do not care about yourself.  Extrapolating this: if you do not care about yourself, then why would you show a customer, seeking your assistance as their customer service representative, any more care or concern than what you have shown for yourself?
Indeed, it is a very simple habit you can develop.  Take pride in how you present yourself.  If you feel proud of yourself, the boost in self-confidence is astronomical and this is reflected in how you treat your customers.

So now that your outwardly appearance is what it should be – you are neat and tidy which suggests that you are ready to assist your customers – what other “right attitude” behaviour should you demonstrate?  Your attitude must be a “can do” one; that confidence that you portray will tell the customer that you know what you are doing and even if you do not know the answer to their question, that first impression that you created will allow them to express patience and understanding with you.  All in all, their experience with the company will be summarised as a satisfying one. 

Another important point to remember is that language and attitude are closely aligned.  You must pay attention to the type of language you use when speaking about yourself, your job and with your customers.  It is extremely easy for customers to spot an unhappy and dissatisfied employee and do not for one minute think that they will sympathise with you or that they want to listen to your complaints and problems.

This negative attitude towards your job will also manifest when you are dealing with customer situations in which you will have to address concerns or solve problems. 

There are many words and phrases that you may sometimes use when dealing with customers that send a bad impression about your desire to deal with them and some of those are “no”, “I’ll see” and “I will try” – you have to put a positive spin on your response and offer an alternative if you cannot deliver on a request for some reason.   By doing these two simple actions, customers will respect you and will enjoy dealing with you because you display an honest and genuine attitude – one that shows them you care.

Attitude is something that speaks for itself – loud and clear.  You will not have to express your feelings in words, your body language says it all.  Your attitude towards customers is directly related to your attitude towards your job.  Body language is categorised as non-verbal communication and is one of the most powerful ways to communicate; it is expressed by hand gestures, eye movements, facial expressions and body posture.  Body language gives an indication of a person’s state of mind; it can express boredom, aggression, attentiveness, among other states. 

It may seem surprising that a person’s body language has more  impact on your experience than the words that they may speak.  In fact, experts suggest that human communication is made up of about 60%-70% body language and only 30%-40% of communication is actually made up of words themselves.  Are those statistics significant enough to make you more aware of how you communicate?  Give it some thought and take the opportunity to correct your actions and provide a better customer service experience to your patrons. 

We will leave you with some food for thought; a quote that we thought we could all reflect upon in our quiet moments:
Attitudes are contagious.  Are yours worth catching? 
(Dennis and Wendy Mannering)

(Nadine King and Tameca Sukhdeo-Singh can be contacted via email at:
cru@networksgy.com)