Is your time valuable? Is the customer’s time valuable? I would think we would answer “yes” to both questions, but what does that really mean? It’s important, and it’s finite.
Time is precious because it doesn’t come in unlimited quantities. We can’t go to Amazon and buy more time. It’s important because it’s where we do our work, our play, our fun, our learning, our rest. In customer service, if we want the customer to feel valued, we need to convey that we value their time. But how? Try these 5 Steps:
- Be Prepared. Have enough organization so that you can promptly greet someone, you can find information quickly, you instantly know to which co-worker or division to refer the customer.
- Be Efficient. Be pleasant, but limit pleasantries. Don’t go off on tangents unrelated to the customer or their need for the sake of rapport. Building rapport is based on a focus on the customer.
- Be Great at Q&A. Often time is wasted because we don’t fully understand the situation or the customer. Asking questions to expand your understanding is not a waste of time. Jumping to a solution before you really know the issue – now that’s a waste of time.
- Know Your Stuff. It’s hard to have an efficient conversation if we don’t know what to ask, we don’t know what resource addresses what need, what person is responsible for what procedure.
- Tell Them. Thank them for their time. Tell them that you want to be respectful of their time. Sometimes the best way for a customer to feel like you value them is to tell them so.
If you want to value the customer’s time, know that time is important and it’s finite. Build your approach around understanding what’s important to the customer and how to respond quickly, correctly the first time.
Value the customer’s time.
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Telly Savalas played Kojak – a hard-nosed detective who solved crimes while eating a lollipop. He was a tough guy with a tough attitude but a soft side. He used to say: Who loves ya, baby? 
I’ve been reading a book recently about a Charlotte-based service company, and the author of the book conveys the CEO’s perspective on management, culture, and serving customers. At the back of the book, the author noted the organization’s Core Values. They are honesty, integrity, fairness, and respect. I literally did a double-take on the pages, because my company’s Core Values are respect, honesty, fairness, and integrity. Yes, the order is different, but the values are the exact same!
