Customer Service – Important Yet a Lost Art
My wife (better 7/8ths) is the most demure, polite person I have ever met. She is kind deep into her soul. But don’t let that confuse you as to the fact that she is wicked smart, off the charts intuitive, and has an amazing “Spidey sense” as to when it is time to walk away.
Last week, my wife called me. She had taken the kids to the new dentist’s office for their appointments. It was bad enough that the previous dentist didn’t take our insurance anymore (and we loved them and still do), but something new is not something that anyone really wants to deal with daily. And FYI, the other thing my wife demonstrates is being prepared---for nearly anything. She had had the former dentist office send the records, had the orthodontist send the needed request, called ahead to ensure that insurance information, etc.
And then the call. I could tell she was upset. Frustrated. Doing everything possible to hold it together. And she had only one question---can I just leave with the kids and forget this new option. I asked one question, “is your Spidey sense going off.” Her answer—”beyond belief.” “Get out,” is all I said.
Wasn't till later that I got the full story. My wife had arrived early with the kids. And then all hell broke loose. They couldn't figure out the insurance. They took her driver’s license and wouldn't give it back. They wouldn't look her in the eye. They had none of the needed records or requests. They made her and the kids wait for nearly 50 minutes in the waiting room, 40 minutes past the appointment time, with no updates.
The details are frustrating, the lesson is an important one. I tell my kids all the time, “people will forget what you tell them, but they'll never forget how you make them feel.” My wife felt as if no one cared about her children—or her. That she was not being respected. And that doesn't work for her. And it shouldn’t.
After helping my wife calm down and find another option for the kids dentistry needs, I reflected upon the concept of customer service. I own a business and I'm completely dependent on clients. I take calls at odd times, sometimes requiring us to move dinner or other family activities. I work weekends to make sure I’m ready for the next week. I don't follow to the letter the scope of work, adding extra duties to clients without charging them. I do it because that's the only thing I know. That's the way I was brought up by my parents. My dad's company philosophy was you take care of the customer. My mom, worked after all of us were out of grade school, took care of her customers like they were her children.
I certainly don't do the perfect thing all the time. Far from it. Frankly, I sometimes feel like I get it wrong more often than I actually get it right. But I try. The essence of customer service isn't finding the perfect solution every single time. It's actually carrying about what the other person or group of people are going through. To empathize. To communicate. To engage or lean in. To respect.
Never thought the dentist would help remind me of how important, each day, customer service is, in particular as it pertains to the way I take care of my clients.
