Good Customer Service Is Up to You

Posted by Betsy Pruitt

The Business of You is made up of the same departments as a traditional company. Simply flipping the script on how you see these departments in your own life can be key to taking your career to the next level. Today, let’s look at Customer Service in the Business of You.

Ever hear of the Golden Rule?  Well, the way you treat your co-workers, vendors, friends, and absolute strangers, all adds up your customer service score. And, having good customer service is key to being considered when the next big opportunity becomes available.

You may not realize it, but while you are evaluating all of these people, they are simultaneously tallying a subconscious customer service score on you. Each interaction you have with them either adds or subtracts from your score.

• Are you always friendly (+1 point) or frequently moody (-10 points)?
• Do you accept new tasks with enthusiasm (+2 points) or opposition (-5 points)?
• Do you look for ways to help others at work (+3 points), or is every man for himself (-7 points)?
• Do you know your stuff (+4 points), or are you a know-it-all (-9 points)?

Notice how it’s a little harder to accumulate positive points, while the negative points add up super fast.  Plus, the points are more often based on how you treat others and a lot less on what concrete skills you bring to the table. I think that’s a pretty true representation of how people determine your customer service score.  You’re either a pain to deal with, or you’re a great team player.  So, you can’t just be nice when you think it counts because each encounter you have with someone either adds or subtracts from your subconscious customer service rating.

In addition to your boss and co-workers, have you ever stopped to consider vendors are some of the most connected people you’ll ever meet? They can make or break the Business of You, so it’s also  super important to treat them with great respect and courtesy – not like a lowly hired hand. This is especially true of professional-services vendors because all of their other clients are in the same line of work as you.  Therefore, they may be one of the first to know about a job opening or new client that would be perfect for you.

As you know, the Golden Rule doesn’t just apply to people you know. Opportunity can strike at any time, so have great customer service with complete strangers, too.  Your next client or employer may be standing behind you at McDonald’s when you chew out the cashier.  Maybe your response to the cashier was warranted, but points will be subtracted nonetheless.

This customer service score is exactly what people use when they decide whether or not to recommend you for advancement opportunities at your current company, refer new clients to you, or suggest you for a new job opening. Are you someone they can feel good about recommending? More importantly, how will recommending you reflect on them?  Bottom line – if your customer service score adds up to “JERK”, there’s no way they’d risk their own reputation by recommending you.

So, recognize that good customer service is 100% up to you. The Business of You has the opportunity to be the model of stellar customer service every day.  This is a test, and you are being scored.

How can I serve you?  What are your thoughts or concerns about applying good customer service in your daily life?