Customer service in a day-care centre

In response to the previous article on the Pegasus NLP Blog about  good customer service paying dividends Karen from Demark asked if the same idea of excellent customer service applies with, in her case, people attending a public day-care institution.

Who pays for it?

I believe that whatever we do for a living, or as a vocation, we have customers – i.e. people who come to us for service or for products. To me, it’s irrelevant whether we are providing a tangible product or an intangible service such as care or information.

And it’s irrelevant whether they are paying us directly or whether we are getting paid by somebody else to provide them with the service.

For example, if I

• Sell fruit and vegetables in a street market – my customers buy the produce
• Work in an office administrative post I provide others, perhaps in another department, with a service – they are my customers
• Am a team leader – my customers will be both my own team and the people who are served by this team
• Sell tourist information to the public about my town – my customers are the people who come to me for the information
• Am a voluntary worker in a public advice centre – my customers are the people who come along looking for advice and guidance
• A school teacher – my customers are the students who depend on me to guide, encourage and motivate them to become excited about what they are learning
• Work in a day-care centre or institution – my customers are the people who turn up each day seeking company, assistance, or physical or emotional healthcare

A little more – or as little as possible

In each case we can do just enough and do it grudgingly. Or we can do it with a sense of enjoyment and interest in the people with whom we deal.

We can set out to exceed their expectations. We can have a ‘no problem’ approach with even the tougher customers, with the unusual requests, and with requests for that little bit extra time or assistance.

Or I can have a ‘gotta get through the day’ approach and do as little as possible, be only as helpful as is required by the wording on our job description, and watch the clock as we count the hours till the end of the day and the days till the end of the week, and the weeks till our next holiday.

‘They’re not paying me enough for me to be nice to people’

As suggested in the previous article in the NLP Blog good customer service results in additional business and profit in commercial situations. But what if you’re not financially rewarded for good service? And what if you’re poorly paid?

What’s the payoff if you’re ‘just’ a worker in a big institution with remote or ineffective management, providing a service to customers who are used to receiving poor or grudging service, and where your personal remuneration isn’t improved by going the extra mile’?

Drive your own bus

It’s true that in a lot of jobs doing things in a positive and customer-focused manner won’t benefit your career or your pay-packet. You need the work but poor management or poor salary or poor working conditions, or a combination of these, demotivates you.

So what do you do? Well, it’s up to you. If you let the conditions demotivate you you’re a victim – controlled by your situation. And that’s a key ‘unacceptable’ in NLP.

Your choice

Decide that

• The job is ‘beneath you’ – you are worth more than this
• You’re not paid enough to ‘be nice’
• You’re going to count the hours, and the days and the weeks… till something better turns up

Or decide that

• I’m paid to do this job
• I’m going to be here for the foreseeable future – even though I am actively seeking something better
• I can go through my day with a heavy heart or I can do it with enthusiasm and get my kicks from enjoying what I do and wowing my customers

The point is that if you opt to enjoy the job you’re controlling your own experience – rather than being a victim of circumstances.

You’re driving your own bus

Afterthought

Incidentally, it’s unlikely that the two individuals in Duo Boots and in Mont Blanc cycle carriers that I mentioned in the previous article, who gave such superb customer service did so because of their pay. I’d guess they did so because of their personal values and because of the atmosphere in their part of each company.

I’d guess that the same applies to the exceptionally helpful Maria, at First Direct bank last week. Nor the exceptionally efficient and friendly James (yes, it was his real name), at the Sky Customer Support centre in Bangalore just before Christmas.

Some people just do it because it feels good to do so.

They are priceless to their organisation – but are, so often, lost to other organistions by poor management and leadership.