Is service with a smile something which has gone by the wayside? Sometimes I think it has.
Yesterday I had to make four stops to various locations and I was at the mercy of a receptionist each time. Now, although I’m going to talk about an off-line experience – this also relates to on-line customer service situations!
Receptionist #1: Let’s call her Jane. Jane greeted me with a wide smile and a hearty greeting. We engaged in some small talk, giggled a little bit, conducted business, and off I went. Wow, that made this stop a pleasant experience. It set the tone for the rest of the day – or so I thought!
Receptionist #2: We’ll call him Mr. Personality. I approached his counter and gave him my usual cheery hello. He just stared at me with this strange, blank look on his face. What a bummer, because I just came away from Jane’s office and was feeling quite happy, and now I’m here with Mr. Personality and he took away my happiness. A cloud suddenly hung over me.
After telling him why I was intruding in his world, he rolled his eyes and gave out a huge sigh. At this point, if I had an alternative place to conduct my business I would have walked out of there so fast – but, I didn’t have an alternative – I was hostage to this man.
Finally, he told me what to do, and I did it. Then I sat, and sat, and sat. As I sat, I noticed that his cranky, and indifferent, personality hadn’t changed with any of the eight other people who had walked in after me. The only happiness I had in that office was when the gal who was sitting next to me began complaining about the receptionist’s attitude! Yes – I can get into that!
Mr. Personality never wavered – and even as I paid him he was still a grumpy, sulky man. I never even received a thank you! And as luck will have it, I need to see him again tomorrow. BUT, the ending will be different this time. My business with his company will be over tomorrow, and I intend to tell him, straight to his face how he makes people feel.
Receptionist #3: Sally made my day happy again! She couldn’t have been friendlier or more helpful! Thanks to Sally, the cloud was gone and all was well with the world. Sally actually went over and above the call of duty. Amazing what a smile and a great attitude can do!
I had met Sally a few days before, so there was already a connection. But even at our first meeting Sally was full of sunshine!
Receptionist #4: Brunhilda was just not a pleasant person at all. Now, she wasn’t outwardly mean or grumpy – she just didn’t have any expression on her face, in her voice or in her mannerisms. Pretty much like a wet dish rag. Blah.
I had seen Brunhilda a few days earlier as well. Matter of fact, Sally and Brunhilda work at the same place, but in different departments. Did someone forget to tell Burnhilda’s department that attitude is everything?
When we first met she piled up paperwork for me to complete. As she presented me with each form she explained them to me in a ho-hum, monotone voice. Okay, I get it, she probably does this all day, every day… but Good Golly Miss Molly… wouldn’t your job be more interesting and less bothersome if you had some sort of personality?
Before seeing Brunhilda for the second time, I called her – twice. I left her a voice message each time and she had ample time to return my call. When arriving at her office, guess what – she wasn’t there (I found out later that she HAD listened to my voice message and she KNEW she wasn’t going to be in her office when I said I’d be there – and STILL she didn’t call me). So, I left the paper work with a note saying I’d be back on Thursday. Finally, today, she called me wanting to know why I just dropped off the paperwork. She left the door wide open for me to tell her, firmly, what was on my mind. Nuff said!
My point here is that friendliness, courtesy, helpfulness and respect are key components of customer service, whether on or offline. As far as online is concerned, people can’t see or hear you. Providing great customer service in this venue can be MORE difficult than in the ‘real world’! People can’t see your facial expressions or hear your voice. So, it’s important to wear a smile when typing your carefully chosen words. If you’re virtual conversation with people makes them feel as badly as my face-to-face conversations made me feel then you need to put your bad attitude in a drawer, and throw away the key.
Your positive attitude can also turn a grumpy customer into a happy one. Why make life harder on yourself? Your good customer service skills will only help you build your business, retain the clients you have and put you in a better place in the world.
Remember – Customer service can make or break a business.
It’s just as easy to be friendly – plus your day WILL go faster and more smoothly. It takes more muscles to frown that it takes to smile. So smile – and you make the world smile along with you!
Good or bad, share your customer service stories with us. Please click the Comment link below.
Eydie 
(see, I even sign my name with a smiley face – whether it’s online, email or handwritten. My smiley face has become part of my brand)