September 1, 2010

I love giving excellent customer service. I love receiving it even more. I love it so much that I devised a few ways to prime someone so I receive that caliber of service. 

If you also prefer better customer service -- which I'm assuming you do -- read my tips below:

Eye Contact First and Often

In the first Karate Kid, Mr. Miyagi told Daniel-San, "Always look eye." He meant it. The first path to great customer service is sustained eye contact and a smile. In this world of constant distractions and phone screen addiction, it's easy to see why both sides of the equation forget this one. However, I've never failed to get a smile back if I persist in keeping their eyes on mine, and keeping a big smile on my face until I see theirs. (Sometimes, I swear they smile back from fear. This is primal, but I accept either usage of a smile.)

Go Off Script

Most customer service was built to be scripted. It's a pity, but it's the "lowest common denominator" mindset of management and is sometimes the Pavlovian response of employees forced to shred away their typical self-nature. You can fix it pretty quickly. Pull them off-script. You pull up to the front desk of a hotel, road-weary and ready to hit the room for your $7 water bottle, but instead of just saying, "I've got a reservation for Leonard Cohen," say instead, "I was thinking of sleeping in the lobby. Could we make up a little bed over there? Well, either that or a penthouse upgrade. I'd settle for either." And smile. (Always look eye. Smile.) Try it. Just once. Pretty please?

A Little Less Conversation

One risk in this method is if you get too chatty. Customer service people are on a timetable. They are measured by time. If you dig too deeply into their clock, they're going to get antsy. So, do some fun off-script things, but be aware of the clock.

Be Prepared

It was a great motto for the Boy Scouts, but you can borrow it. When I pull up to a hotel, I hand over my credit card and my ID before they ask. This often gets me an extra smile, because I've made the other person's job a little easier. You can do this all over the place. For instance, if I want more iced tea, I put the glass closer to the edge of the table (if possible). If I want to ask about my auto insurance premium, I get my policy info ready. When you ease the customer service person's efforts, it comes back to you in benefits (most times).

My Favorite Trick: Post-Jerk Reset

Has this happened to you? You're in line somewhere, and the person in front of you is a total jerk. You can read in the customer service person's face that they're frustrated and still feeling the heat of that previous transaction, and you have every sense that it's going to transfer onto you. Here's my trick:

Empathize. Help him or her get it out. Say something like, "Phew. She was having a bad day." Don't go too deep into it, because misery loves company, but let your service person take a bit of it out. Oh, and smile-and-eye-contact. You're the good person in this equation.

Join the conversation ( 3 )

• Benoit Schumacher 1 year 5 months and 11 days ago

  

  Interesting article, I just finished a week training for a freelance job a few days ago, and we were told just what you mention: Smile and keep eye contact, no matter what the situation or the mood ;)
  
  

• Rebecca Midgley 1 year 5 months and 11 days ago

  

  I completely agree with everything you have said here, and as I often say, you get more with sugar than you do with vinegar.
  
  I have worked in customer service roles, and it's hard work! People are rude and difficult to please in the main, but there are some lovely people out there who can put a smile on your face - now I'm on the other side of the fence I try and be this person.
  
  Whenever I think I am getting bad service, I remember back to my old days and imagine what they might be going through and rather than bite back I try and make them laugh, or smile at least! If they really are terrible at their job it's wasted on them but at least I have fun.
  
  The thing with being in customer service is 'the smile' always has to be 'on' and there is no room for having a bad day regardless if your cat just died or you just split up from your partner, but people forget this all too often.
  
  Some great tips for consumers everywhere there, Chris, very well done :)

• Matthew Delman 1 year 5 months and 11 days ago

  

  I work PT at a major department store, and you would be my all-time favorite customer if you did at least one of these things on a consistent basis. Anything customers can do to make the clerk's life easier is always, and I do mean always, appreciated.