Why You Should Change Your Customer Service Habits
Habits lead to traditions. Traditions become part of the culture. Should you make room for some new customer service habits?
You probably have to clean out your closet before you can buy something new. When both hands are full you need to put something down and let it go before you can grab on to something new.
Do you have an old customer service habit that needs to be revised or replaced?
Customer Service Habits and Labels
Here are a few ways that we might label customer service habits:
Established. What is well established seems reasonable, but in a world of constant change the worst thing to do is to stay exactly the same.
Tried. Many times people have tried something new, only to discard it quickly and label it as not working. Just because it didn’t work then, doesn’t mean it won’t work now.
Old. Old habits are traditions and traditions may be the hardest to break. Traditions are good, but what if you can only have ten of them? Could one of them be replaced with something fresh, something new—should it?
Tested. Knowing what works is important. Passing the test is always critical. Did the test cover all possibilities? What has changed since the test?
Broken. Chances are good you have a habit that is broken. That doesn’t mean you’ve broke free, it means that the habit is not effective. Broken, weak, or useless means it should be discarded. Replace it with something new.
New Habits
The landscape of your service interactions are constantly changing. Certainly, you may have some fundamental values, policies, and procedures, but the interactions you have today may not still be effective tomorrow.
New doesn’t last very long. Some people see that as a problem, others see it as an opportunity. Tomorrow you’ll have a choice, some habits should stay for a while, others may need to be replaced.
There is an advantage to new, it gives you energy, something to talk about, something to promote.
People always ask, “What’s new?”
Will you have something to say?
– DEG
Dennis E. Gilbert is a business consultant, speaker (CSPTM), and corporate trainer that specializes in helping businesses and individuals accelerate their leadership, their team, and their success. He is a five-time author and some of his work includes, #CustServ The Customer Service Culture, and Forgotten Respect, Navigating A Multigenerational Workforce. Reach him through his website at Dennis-Gilbert.com or by calling +1 646.546.5553.
