With the start of the 2014 NFL football season, I got to thinking about how customer service is like football.
Two nights ago, my 11-year-old son and I analyzed game film from his season opener last weekend. Our observations weren’t terribly surprising or original: Block until the whistle sounds on offense and, on defense, wrap up when tackling, contain the outside corners, and keep the receiver in front of you.
These observations could make up the pre-game instructions for any youth league coach or, quite possibly, a football coach at any level. These are really the basics – the X’s and O’s – of football. It’s widely acknowledged that even with all the bells and whistles (from fancy uniforms to elaborate playbooks), the team that does the best job blocking and tackling usually wins the game.
In face-to-face customer service, “blocking and tackling” consists of smiling, making eye contact, and adding energy to one’s voice. By doing so, service providers express genuine interest in serving their customers and distinguish themselves from those who are content to simply go through the motions, treating each customer like the last customer.
So, if you provide service to a customer (or, internally, to someone who does), remember the X’s and O’s of face-to-face customer service: smile, eye contact, and vocal energy. Doing so is a winning strategy that will leave a lasting positive impression on most customers.
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Watch the 90-second book trailer.
