Global Bridges Training

Getting Better Customer Service

I was at a fast-food restaurant with my grandson and decided to use the restaurant app for the first time and use a promotion. When I got to the counter, the lady looked a bit stern and didn’t smile despite my cheery “Hello!” Uh oh. Tough audience. So, I got to the point since she was obviously not in the mood for socializing.

“I’m trying out the restaurant app for the first time, hoping to get this promotion, but I’m not sure if I’m doing this right.” She looks at me flatly and responds. “I don’t know anything about that.” Not easily discouraged, I say, “Ok, let me see if I can figure it out myself and I’ll be back so I don’t hold up the line.” She shrugs and walks away. My initial impression? Whoa, she’s not very nice…or helpful.

After a failed attempt to decode the app, I return to the counter, notice her name tag, and say, “I’m back, Jeanne, but I give up. These apps just tease you. Oh well. Guess I’m not getting my promotion. I remember when I could just use a coupon”, as I chuckle. She laughs too. Ahh. She gets it because she is around my age.

I go on making small talk, telling her I’m babysitting my grandson who incidentally…where is he? Jeanne warms up and points to him behind the booth where he is hiding. Phew, crisis averted.

She asks me what I was trying to do, and I explain. She says not to worry about it, she will give me the package for free. I thank her sincerely. “Thank you for making up for my lack of technical skills. That’s really nice of you.” She finally smiles. I’ve won her over.

While we’re eating, she comes over to the table and asks if everything is ok and gives my grandson a crown and a toy. You have probably guessed where we were, but I bet you never got table service at a fast-food place.

When we hear or read about customer service, it’s usually from the perspective of giving it, but rarely do we think about the elements available to us to receive better service. Let’s face it, not everyone is always chipper and motivated. But here is the thing…someone is going to spread their energy to the other person, but who is going to be the spreader?

You have two options, to let the service person’s bad mood contaminate you and bring you down, making you frustrated and angry, spiraling into a battle of wills and unpleasant experience. And I get it, it’s their job, but even if you get your way will probably find yourself depleted. Or…. you can use a little honey and spread your good energy and win them over. I usually decide it’s me who will be doing the spreading. Challenge accepted, bring it on!!

I use a combination of strategies, but I particularly remember back to the great-grandparent of all influencing books, “How to Win Friends and Influence People”, by Dale Carnegie and use some of his suggestions as part of my tactics.

Some of the things that can help when you get a less-than-helpful service provider:

  1. Smile. It’s a way to showcase your goodwill on your face, setting a positive tone for your interaction. It didn’t work at first, but eventually, Jeanne started mirroring me once we established a rapport.
  2. Use the person’s name. I know this sounds super cheesy and over-used, but using the other person’s name shows you took the trouble to read their name tag and not continue calling them “Um” or “Excuse me”. I used Jeanne’s name casually as I spoke to her.
  3. Make the person feel important. This is basically showing the other person respect and empathy. If you show the person that you are taking their needs into account, it creates a sense of goodwill. I told Jeanne I didn’t want to hog her time with the app because I knew she was busy and didn’t want to hold up the line.
  4. Don’t criticize or complain. People tend to get defensive when you criticize them, and they will feel the need to justify themselves. Jeanne had no clue how to use the app and though it would have been much better if she tried or was nicer about it, complaining about her lack of knowledge or disposition would not have helped at all and would probably draw an argument.
  5. Give context. Explaining why you are asking for something will have the effect of drawing people into your reasoning and into problem solving mode, since there is a certain sense of natural reciprocity that comes along with revealing your situation. Once I explained to Jeanne what my reasoning or purpose was, she was willing to help me solve my issue another way.
  6. Give honest appreciation. When someone is initially uncooperative but makes a gesture to help, a sincere thanks can go a long way. When Jeanne solved my problem, I looked her in the eye and thanked her honestly for helping me. Something motivated her later to go out of her way to come from behind the counter and offer my grandson a kind token.

At the beginning of our interaction, Jeanne seemed to be indifferent and dismissive. At the end of our interaction, she was attentive and considerate. What you do in between is what will make a difference. Making the decision to win someone over to the light instead of succumbing to the forces of the dark will usually generate a happy ending. It’s your choice. You can use these strategies with everyday interactions with your stakeholders.

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