Deserve Good Service: 5 Key Values to Bring to Your Next Service Experience

"The most important thing?about taking care of customers is that, to do it well, you?must?take care of those who?take care of them.”??

That’s been my mantra for years and it?remains?at the core of how I engage?the?teams?I?work?with, but it takes on a special meaning?as we recognize Customer Service Week, October 4-8, 2021.?It’s easy to?stick with a mantra like this?as a leader of an incredible team who takes?delight in their jobs and consistently?performs?well?regardless of?the?circumstances. As?we?continue to?navigate?and endure?the?off-again, on-again pandemic, it’s something I’ve considered more and more.?

The service industry includes some very tough jobs. Under normal circumstances,?retail workers?encounter belligerent customers?angry?over limited inventory or not having an item in the right color;?people in hospitality engage with customers who expect world-class service and food, and who sometimes become volatile at the drop of a hat—or?a drink tray. I must admit I’ve been that belligerent customer and volatile diner on various occasions. I’m not proud of it, but I’m?pretty confident?you’ve?also?been that person at some point.??

What makes?the tenuous?situation of people in the service industry?dearer?to me is?the reality my own sister, Laura,?shared about her experience?in the retail space.?She’s?fulfilling multiple roles,?as?she’s not able to fully staff her team. On most days,?she spends?much of?her time interfacing with the public?and?enforcing?Covid-19 safety protocols she?doesn’t have control over.?Ensuring?customer safety?has never been?so?important—nor has it been?so hotly contested.?

With dressing rooms closed, people?began?disrobing?in the?middle of the?store; with inventory limited,?people?explode with anger?when a size or color?isn’t available for them;?people are hostile?when confronted with?mask?requirements, and?patience?dwindles?for anything?other than?their expected experience.?To see the stresses of?the world come crashing down on my sister?breaks my heart.?However,?it’s?important to?mention that she’s not alone.?Chances are you know a Laura,?and chances are you may have lost your patience with a Laura. We can?all?do better.??

The world is stressful and, wittingly or not, people?transfer?that?stress?straight to those?closest to?them—the people?they work with?or those?who serve them.?The same is true?in an?office environment.?I have?so?much respect and admiration for?our?Workplace Experience team members around the world who?continue to show up and elevate culture and community?in their offices,?despite?the?uncertain and?ever-changing nature of?today’s workplace.??

It's not just retail and?office work that’s changed in the last year and a half.?In my city, lobbies?are?still?closed at?some?coffee shops?and fast-food restaurants?and drive-thru lines?take at least 10 minutes?from start to finish?(if you’re lucky).?These companies, just like my sister’s,?are understaffed,?likely?from?people finding?better paying?opportunities,?leaving?the workforce to support their families in other ways or?developing?the?skills?to?pursue?their?dream jobs.??

The Lauras of the world—those?employees?who?are coming into work?and serving?the public—are?left?with a?big?job. Much credit goes to those who are willing and able to show up and share some delight,?despite?the?inherent?stresses?of?the job?coupled with?trying to survive?in?“these unprecedented times.” The hours are?long?and often?thankless, there aren’t enough?people on the team, customers are more tired and stressed than ever,?and?service expectations haven’t changed since before the pandemic started.?If anything,?people?expect more?and?better service.?The?already-difficult jobs?of customer service professionals?just got that much harder.?But they’re sticking to it,?and for that, we owe them a debt of gratitude.??

This takes me back to my original point:?to get the best service, an employer?needs?to take good care of their front-line employees.?But?it goes?much?further than that. I,?as a member of society,?also?have a responsibility to bring?empathy,?support?and delight to the interactions I have with people in public, the companies I engage?and?the people who represent them, and with?those closest to me:?my?coworkers and family.??

With?many of us returning?to our workplaces this fall, it’s important to?consider?these ideas?when?we encounter members of our at-work communities,?as?many of?them?share?the same?feelings of?stress?and uncertainty.???

At Host, we?are constantly developing ourselves in line with our?core competencies?to make every engagement more delightful. Here?are?five?key?values we’ve selected from?the list?to?emphasize?as you prepare for?your?next?engagement at?work?or?your local?mall, grocery store or coffee shop:??

Composure?–?To have composure is?to stay?cool under pressure?without?becoming?defensive or irritated when times are tough.?Composed people are?deescalating?influences?in high-stress situations.?

When things are uncertain,?people?tend to lose sight of?their?composure.?With modern life?steeped in uncertainty, it’s?crucial?to keep your cool regardless of the situation around you. Even if you’re losing your patience,?respect those around you enough to assume they’re acting with the best intentions.??

Empathy?–?Empathy is?an?awareness of the feelings and emotions of other people. It’s a key element of?emotional?intelligence, as?it?allows?you?to?understand what others are experiencing?like?you?were feeling it?firsthand.?

People?have?felt consistent?stress?for almost?two?years now.?Accepting other people’s?realities as they?perceive them—not?how you imagine them—will?make you less likely to jump to conclusions and more likely to share something of yourself, be it time, your?own?experience,?or?a bit of grace.?

Adaptability?–?It can be frustrating to see?empty shelves where your favorite tomato sauce once was?or?endure?a?longer-than-usual?wait?for your colleague to return?an?urgent message. When this happens,?take a minute to consider what’s behind?the issue?before you?make?a?snap?judgement, say something you regret or?leave in disgust.??

When?you?stay?flexible and adapt to changing conditions, you’re?less likely to respond negatively when new challenges appear. This makes you more productive at work and easier to work with,?regardless of?whether your expectations are met.???

Dependability?–?Dependability?is how well and how consistently you perform based on what’s expected of you. When you’re able to?follow the rules of engagement, you’re not subjecting others?to missed expectations and you’re reducing the likelihood that someone will become frustrated or defensive with you.?

Unspoken social contracts?like the?ordering workflow at a café help us?function?each day,?but?they’re?often forgotten when expectations crash into?reality.?Trust those who specialize in?their work?and do your best to hold up your end of the bargain.?If you?can’t?respond thoughtfully?or deliver on something that’s expected?of you, communicate it clearly and early to make sure?everyone knows what to expect.??

Collaboration?–?Provide everyone?with equal opportunities to participate and communicate their ideas.?Just like?with dependability?and communication,?it’s helpful?to?seek?collaborative solutions?when?your expectations aren’t?being?met. Instead of?becoming defensive or adversarial, look at the situation as?an?opportunity?and?those with you?as your partners.?Regardless of?which?side of the counter?you’re on,?everyone will?leave happier if you?collaborate?on a solution.??

All five?boil down to being human, accepting the humanity of others and living a life?of service;?what you put into the world tends to find its way back?to you.?At Host, we?talk about this all the?time—in?fact,?it’s?core to our?training and operating philosophies, and it’s what sets us apart?as an organization.?As we?continue to endure the pandemic and, at long last, begin our return to?normalcy,?I’ll be carrying this?with me?to?ensure I’m giving people the?benefit of the doubt,?a healthy dose of grace and?a whole lot of collaboration?to?make the most of our moments together.??

This Customer Service?Week,?it’s important to remember how difficult?it can be to serve?the public?in normal times, let alone in times like these.?Please?consider?using?tools?like these?to make every experience a little better,?no matter where?you are?or what you do.?This month, I encourage you to give yourself a?five-week?challenge and focus on one of these?competencies?each?week this month.?You may?be?surprised at the delight you experience?when you?add a little service?to your routine.?

?Patrick Cheeseman is?the?Global Experience Services Product & Hospitality Lead at CBRE | Host.?He helps clients by?developing best-in-class employee experience programs. Reach?him directly [email protected].?

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