News for the Hospitality Executive |
June 4, 2013 It’s about
your heart. With all I’ve written about touchpoints, anticipating needs and steps of
service, none of them can compare with your
heart. Your heart is what connects with people. Your heart is what
allows you
to listen empathetically. Your heart is what causes you to give a
genuine smile
to a complete stranger, who you find yourself now serving. Yes, the
heart is
what pushes you to love. Love IS service, and service IS love. To
create
consistent, world-class service on your team, there must be a regular
discussion about the heart and its role in driving service excellence. S.I.F.I.
(Superficially interesting, but fundamentally insignificant) There are
those who will mentally fast-forward through any discussion (or
article) about
the heart. They view this topic as superficially interesting, but
fundamentally
insignificant. In their minds, they believe that tactics and strategy,
alone,
will enable them to accomplish their service objectives. Tactics and
strategy
are not bad things. In fact, they are a necessity. But tactics and
strategy are incomplete without
a discussion about the heart. Imagine a beautiful car If you look
at some of the world’s most iconic service companies like Disney and
Four
Seasons, you will notice that they are blatantly open about their
hearts
and how much they care about who they serve. They don’t look at service
excellence solely as a competitive advantage, but rather as their
sacred duty. So, how
do we make the heart our central focus in delivering great service?
“But I’m too
busy! There’s no possible way I can make each customer feel taken care
of.” Do what you can with
what you have. Regardless if you have
30 seconds
or 30 minutes, approach each customer with kindness in your heart.
Always ask
yourself, “how can I do more than the bare minimum with this customer?”
By
asking that question of yourself everyday, you will actually be forming
a very
powerful thing known as a habit. And since it is a good habit, allow it
to take
root and flourish. More than
the fancy furniture, expensive equipment, chandeliers, and manicured
lawns,
every customer is saying, “I want you to know me, pay attention to me,
and care
about me!” Love is service. Service is love. Use your heart to reach
other hearts
and success will surely follow. About Bryan K. Williams Dr. Bryan K. Williams is the Chief Service Officer of B.Williams Enterprise, and the author of Engaging Service: 22 Ways to Become a Service Superstar and Work Like You Own It! 20 Ways to Go From Meeting to Exceeding Your Customers’ Expectations. Bryan’s passion is world-class customer service, and has facilitated workshops and delivered keynotes all over the world for various companies. He speaks on a variety of topics related to service excellence, employee engagement, and organizational improvement. As a consultant, Bryan works closely with companies to design, develop, and implement sustainable service strategies. His company’s online store includes a growing collection of customer service products that are well-suited for your training library. |
B. Williams Enterprise, LLC Website: www.bwenterprise.net Email: [email protected] Facebook: BWEnterprise Twitter: @bwenterprise Phone: 240-401-6958 |