A customer service trainer argues that poor service stems from lack of focus on the customer. He uses the example of a home-improvement store employee distracted by inventory checks instead of helping a shopper find white flashing. The fix: identify what pulls your attention away from customers, then eliminate it.
Every time I speak about customer service, I ask you to share your worst customer service nightmares. The ones you've experienced and the ones you've caused. Over the last 10 years, every customer service nightmare you've shared can be traced back to one fundamental cause: focus, or the lack of it. One of the worst customer service experiences I ever had happened in one of my favorite big-box home improvement stores. I needed a piece of white flashing to finish a project I was working on. It had to be white because I'd already started the project with that. I'm standing at the bin that's marked "White Flashing" and there's nothing in that bin but bare metal pieces. Well, I approached one of the in-store geniuses for help. I knew he was a genius because he had that little laser gun that only geniuses can carry. He looked right at the bare metal pieces in that bin, turned to me and said, "These are white." So he took out his little Genius gun and he pointed it at the barcode, looked at the display, and he said, "This says those pieces are white." Long story short, I asked him to check his inventory and he said that's what he already did. If the gun says those pieces are white, they're white. Then I asked him if he would just call one of the nearby stores. I would have been glad to drive a few miles to get the piece I needed to finish that project. Instead, he said he had to go find a supervisor and try to figure out why the inventory was messed up. What was the problem here? Focus. He wasn't focused on helping me. He was completely focused on his own problem. He could have solved my problem in about 2 minutes. Instead, he ran off to do whatever he thought was more important. I left. That story is pretty obvious, but a lack of customer focus isn't always that obvious. Have you ever put off responding to a complaint call just because you were having a tough day? Have you ever made a customer wait online while you took care of a task that really could wait till later? Have you ever been on the phone or talking to someone else in the store and you never even acknowledge or look up when someone walks in? Have you ever asked a customer to wait while you finished a personal conversation? Have you ever sent a customer looking for someone else for help instead of walking them to the appropriate person? I could keep asking these questions for an hour, but the most important question is this: What could possibly be more important than serving the needs of your customer? Now, if you've got an answer to that question, we've got serious work to do. Focus is about turning off the noise. In customer service, it's about letting go of any distractions that are taking you away from your most important job—serving your customer. You can increase your ability to focus on your customer with these 2 simple steps. First, identify any distractions or detractions that keep your full attention from your customer. Number 2, eliminate them. You've got to practice to commit your full attention to the needs of your customer right here and right now. You've got to focus like a black belt.
Think like a black belt for yourself, for your business, or your next conference or event. Learn more at thatblackbeltguy.com.
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