empathy | Customer Service Solutions, Inc.

Jeff joined the company, in part, because he loved their approach to culture.  Leadership tried to create an empowerment culture.  They tried to develop an environment where, within certain parameters, individual team members could make a decision and feel confident that they would be supported by leadership.

The reality was like the portrait they had portrayed for him when he was interviewing.  He really liked his job, liked the leadership, and enjoyed working at the company.  He felt like a part of a culture that aligned to his values.

As time went on over his first two years, the culture was still good, but the organizational performance started to drop.  Sales began to decline as operating expenses increased.  Profit was pinched.  And all of a sudden, leadership started to turn over.

Who knew how long Jeff would stay at the job?  It was obvious that the culture was changing with or without him.

But Jeff loved being empowered.  So eventually he asked himself the question: How can I empower myself?

He did the following for himself:

Set Goals: He identified what he wanted to achieve, what performance levels he wanted to reach, and he identified actions needed to get from here to there.

Learned New Skills: He taught himself some new skills, learning some of the technology better, becoming proficient at the use of AI and PowerBI, becoming the resident expert in the customer information system.

Understood His Strengths and Weaknesses: He reflected on what he did well and what aptitudes or characteristics of attitudes were somewhat lacking. He asked others to give him a quick 50/50 evaluation: Where do I excel, and where don’t I?  He used this understanding to figure out how to get better.

Found His Work Joy: He identified what he liked most, still, about the company.  He loved going to the common area to socialize briefly with others.  There were certain staff whom he enjoyed chatting with about fishing and football.  He enjoyed leading project teams, and he sought out opportunities to do so.

The culture was changing, and not for the better.  But that didn’t mean that he needed to change not for the better.  He could stay stagnant, or he could grow.  Jeff decided to self-empower.

Map out your own plan to Self-empower for the New Year.

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I sometimes hear it said

That things have never been like this before.

That challenges are unique,

That stresses seem like more.

I sometimes hear it said

That we’re asked to do much more with less.

That workloads are increasing,

And we’re resource-constrained at best.

And others often say

That things are really very good.

That they enjoy those they work with,

And they appreciate those they serve.

Yes, others often walk around

With a smile on their face,

that comes from their within.

That brightens up the place.

You see, all these things, both bad and good,

Can be true at the same time.

Things can be challenging, and we feel overloaded;

We enjoy others and feel good inside.

It’s amazing how much the external world

Surrounds our every day.

If we let it, it can affect us

In every imaginable way.

But the key is “if we let it,”

The key is our control.

Instead of external driving internal feelings,

The internal drives it all.

My wish for you as we end this year

Is to find peace and joy and light.

To be full of hope on the inside,

To keep positives in sight.

My appreciation for you, as always,

Is of the utmost, as I sit and reflect.

For you who serve your customers,

Deserve big courtesy and respect.

Happy Holidays!

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Have you ever heard the saying:  Your poor planning is not my emergency.

I’ve heard it said often – not necessarily directly from one person to another.  More typical is that I hear it from the person having to drop everything and do something immediately because someone else didn’t think ahead or plan well enough.  Their poor (or lack of) planning led to an urgent need – which you now have to address.

Unfortunately, we in customer service are presented with this issue often.  Sometimes it’s from co-workers, but other times – usually – it’s from customers.

They got that e-mail reminder 3 times to do something before a deadline passes, the deadline passes, and now they freak out because they can’t return an item.  Because they can’t submit an application.  Because they lost a perk or benefit.  They freak out because they are in a bind – anxious, upset, angry.

So now it’s your emergency.

When it’s our emergency, that doesn’t mean we have to circumvent policy; some companies allow these late customers to do so, others don’t, and others take policy exceptions case-by-case.

You may not have control over how the policy is administered, but you do have some control in these situations.

It’s about your knowing alternatives.  What could the customer do, if not what they want in this timeframe?

It’s about your dealing with their emotions.  Empathize with the frustration; avoid blaming them for their error.

It’s about your educating them for the inevitable “next time.”  In a professional manner, provide tips to make the process more smooth and timely for them in the future.

When you’re in this situation with a customer, ensure you know how your organization handles these issues, these policy decisions about requests made after the deadline passes.  Then know the options you can offer, deal with the emotional component of the conversation, and educate them moving forward.

Don’t let their poor planning become your emergency.

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