Six Reasons Why People Are Amazing - and Three Reasons They Aren't

Some people think you can't teach customer service. That may be true, but only if the person you're trying to teach doesn't have the right attitude or mindset to begin with. There is no doubt that some people "get" customer service, while some people don't.

You've heard the old adage that you hire the attitude and train the skill. Most of the time, people refer to the skill as something technical or specific to a business, that can be taught. Customer service can be taught, however the person must first have the right attitude and mindset that will allow him/her to develop the skills necessary to deliver an amazing customer service experience. And, if they are not already good at it, they must be willing and able to accept the training.

As it applies to customer service training, there are two ways that people become successful customer service superstars. Either their parents taught them or they learned on the job.

It's easy to teach customer service when a parent raises their child to do things right by other people. All they need is a little on-the-job training to be pointed in the right direction. Some people aren't so fortunate to be brought up that way, but still have an idea of what doing the right thing is all about. They are open and willing to delivering great service, but it may take a little more formal training once they get on the job. From the customer's perspective, it doesn't matter how a person learns their customer service skills. All that matters is that these people deliver, and they do. The superstars in customer service are amazing.

So, here is the big question: Why are some people amazing and others are not?

First, here are some reasons that people may not be amazing:

• They don't think about it and miss the opportunities.

   

• It doesn't take much more effort to be amazing, and people don't realize it. Sometimes it is just little or extra touches or paying attention to details.

   

• People think amazing is a big stretch. It's not. It's just being a little better than average – all of the time.

And, here are some reasons that some people are amazing:

• They care. They care about doing a good job. They care about their customers. They care about their restaurant. And, they care about themselves.

   

• They understand how to balance between the company and the customer. They know that the customer is important and must be taken care of.

   

• They also know their responsibility to the restaurant. And, they have an ability to always make the customer feel important, while at the same time upholding the values, mission and vision of their company. Sometimes that balancing act isn't easy, which leads to the next reason.

   

• They are problem solvers. They figure things out. They know what is expected by both the restaurant they represent and the customer they are dealing with. When there is a problem, they figure out how to make everyone happy.

   

• They are proactive in delivering customer service. They look ahead for opportunities to impress customers. They try to resolve problems before customers are aware of them.

   

• They are aware. They agree that customer service is part of their job (whatever their responsibility). They are "in the moment" and recognize that what they are doing right now is going to positively impact the customers decision to do business with them in the future.

   

• BONUS: They create confidence. As they work with a customer, they are developing the customer's confidence in them and the restaurant they work for.

As has been my common theme for years, being amazing isn't about being over-the-top or delivering a "WOW!" experience. It's about being better than average. It's easy to be better than average some of the time. It's the best that are better than average, all of the time. And that is what being amazing is all about; better than average, all of the time. So, be amazing!

Shep Hyken, CSP, CPAE is a customer service expert, hall-of-fame speaker and New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author. He works with organizations to build loyal relationships with their customers and employees. He is also the creator of The Customer Focus, a customer service training program that helps organizations develop a customer service culture and loyalty mindset. For more information contact (314) 692-2200 or www.Hyken.com