How to Pay it Forward: Client Service

I had ordered a coffee and some ground coffee beans at my local Starbucks drive-thru; I knew it was going to be an expensive day. When I got to the payment window, the cashier told me that the person in front of me had paid for my coffee!

Confused by this,  I stammered “No, no I need to pay.” The cashier looked at me, a bit annoyed, and repeated, “No, the person in front of you paid.” I was in a bit of shock and just drove away, not paying for the next person. Though I had heard about this, happening, it had never happened to me before. 

A week later I decided, it was my turn to pay for the person behind me’s latte drink. After I paid, I had that kind of special exhilarating, happy feeling.

So, how did this groundswell start? I wasn’t the only one the cashier told me. It sure was a good way to start the day. From a work perspective, think about your clients. It is a bit about thinking about how can you manage a relationship by thinking five steps ahead as to what they need to succeed. You are thinking more about the client and their needs. This relates to what works for them and what is the best approach for them. How do you pay it forward to them from a client service perspective?

At a very basic level, client service is really thinking about others. How do you manage the client so that they have a comfort level and ease with how you are handling their work? There is a bit of paying it forward. 

• How do you think about this person and their needs?
• How do they like their materials delivered? What are their communications needs?
• Do they need more detail than others you work with?
• What is their appetite for risk?

Client service it is not thinking about you but how does it work best for the client? How do you pay it forward for your client and make them shine? 

(Here is an interesting article on paying it forward in drive thru lines from the New York Times)