I feel certain anyone reading this already knows, and could probably teach a master’s class on what I’m writing about, but every once in a while it’s worth mentioning the obvious: How we treat people has an enormous impact on whether they buy from us, recommend us to others or write bad Yelp reviews as soon as they can.
Examples: I have surgery coming up and while, like you, I’ve met doctors who needed a class in Emotional Intelligence and others who were warm and approachable, the doc doing my upcoming procedure I liked immediately. She took all the time in the world with me, as if there was no one else waiting to be seen. She made me feel safe; my questions didn’t appear silly or worse. I knew I could trust her.
And I fired a company not long ago that was servicing my pool. The company was recommended and from the beginning I felt they thought they were doing me a favor by allowing me to use them. They complained about how hard it was to get their equipment in my back yard and I should make it easier for them. The owner was rude and condescending when I would email with a question, and often not get back to me for days. So, it was interesting when I told him I no longer wanted their services that he actually said, “May I ask why?”
I’m sure all of you could provide good and bad examples of customer service. And yet it’s such a simple thing to treat each person we encounter with respect and understanding. It truly makes all the difference in the world!
