This is the first post in a series that will explore a set of questions I received from participants during a recent webinar on the topic of customer service. (I say “explore” rather than “answer” because I’ve discovered over the years that there is rarely a single right answer to
This is the second post in a series that will explore a set of questions I received from participants during a webinar on the topic of customer service. (I say “explore” rather than “answer” because I’ve discovered over the years that there is rarely a single right answer to these
Last year I met with Zane, a manager of a fast-casual restaurant. During our conversation, he shared some of the recurring challenges he faces in trying to raise the level of service at his restaurant. One frustration he disclosed was the inability of his staff (with the exception of one
This post is the third in a series that will fully explore the definition of customer service offered in an earlier post. Too often, customer service is viewed as a department, a designated employee’s job role or, someone else’s responsibility. Because of this limited view of customer service, many employees
In 2011, I worked with a hotel general manager, Victor, in Boston. One observation he made was that, although his staff was friendly, there were numerous occasions when hotel employees would huddle in small groups and banter, some with their backs to hotel guests and others with hands in their
I often encounter managers who rightly cite the importance of selection in building a staff of exceptional customer service providers. But many of these same managers bemoan the difficulty of motivating those tenured employees whom they inherited to provide the same quality of customer service. These managers often describe certain
John Wooden, the legendary former UCLA basketball coach, said, “Don’t confuse activity with achievement.” This insightful quote reminds me of the common misunderstanding plaguing service industry employees (management and non-management) everywhere: they confuse activity (executing job function) with excellence (demonstrating job essence). So many managers race to their superiors with
During a recent trip to Lakeshore Learning Store in Lone Tree, Colorado, I debated which set of Giant Soft & Safe Dinosaurs to buy my preschooler for Christmas. I chose the set containing a pterodactyl. As I laid the package on the counter, the cashier, Pete, affirmed my choice, exclaiming,
Earlier today, I stopped by Office Depot to pick up some office supplies. Items in hand, I approached the cash registers at the front of the store to check out. There were two customers in line ahead of me. The first customer, after the cashier began entering her order, realized
The Revelation Conversation is Here!
