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Home » Business And Finance Articles » Do You Know The A Bit More Principles Of Exceptional Customer Service Part 1 Of 3

Do You Know The "A Bit More" Principles Of Exceptional Customer Service? Part 1 of 3

It is 2006, an exciting time to be alive. Our economy in Alberta, Canada is booming. There are oodles of employment opportunities. Businesses are sprouting up on every corner.

Where are you involved in this rodeo of life?

Whoa your horses, Bucko! Whether you are in business, starting a business, or working for a business, some basic principles are necessary to allow you to shine, in all areas of your life.

"Customer service is king. You gotta provide exceptional customer service," the business guru's say. In my mind, that's not enough.

When you have a similar product or service to that of your competitors, it is how you treat people that makes the difference. It requires exceptional customer service, plus "A Bit More."

Firstly, who is the customer?

A customer is anyone with whom you have a business relationship. It can be a paying customer, staff, supplier, partner, spouse, child, and neighbour. And it is critical that we treat EVERY customer with the same exceptional customer service, plus "A Bit More."

What is "A Bit More"?

My friend, Brent, is a Master Electrician. He provides exceptional service to his customers, plus "A Bit More."

Brent has the skills to take a snarly, tangly mass of wires, sort them out, and hook them together so that lights that are supposed to light â€" light, and switches that are supposed to switch â€" switch, and receptacles that are supposed to receptacle â€" do that. His work is a form of art. Great thought and creativity goes into the placement and synchronization of every electrical component.

"So what", you say. "There are hundreds of good electricians out there. What is so special about this guy?

What does he do that is "A Bit More"?"

Brent has customers who will not hire anyone else. Why?

One of his customers said, "Other electricians will do the work for me, and some will do it cheaper. But you treat me with dignity. You ask questions. You listen to me. You explain what you need to do. And then you do what you said you would."

These points are fundamental human relations principles for business, marriages, families, individuals, and communities â€" for all customers.

Hold the reins folks. Let's have a look at each of these key points before you gallop off into the sunset.

Because these points are so critical, I can't jam it all into one article. Therefore, I encourage you to stay in the saddle for a three-part series to gain all of the "A Bit More" principles of exceptional customer service.

This time, let's have a look at Dignity.

Dignity is defined as: high regard, worthiness, goodness.

To treat a person with dignity means you honour them as a good, intelligent, human being â€" worthy of your respect, attention, and time.

From my perspective, everyone deserves this.

I remember some of my previous business relations. There were times when I treated most of my business customers with dignity. In fact, I treated them as if they were royalty. When they said "jump," I said, "how high?" as my feet left the ground. It was great for business â€" some business.

But, what about my other customers, including my family and friends? Were they not deserving of the same dignity?

"Um, well, ah shucks. I guess I was a bit neglectful, uncooperative, rude, and unsociable. But I had to do that work for my big customers. That's business. That's what paid the bills."

Horse manure and hogwash!

The principle of dignity works like this: If you do NOT treat your customers with dignity, they will go elsewhere to find it, and they won't come back. A lack of dignity can lead to lost customers, workplace harassment, divorce, teenage pregnancies, drug and alcohol abuse, and more. Ouch! This reaches further than you may recognize.

Here are "A Bit More" dignity hints:

• Consider everyone a "special customer." They are all equally important.

• Put on your best demeanor every morning and wear it in every interaction. There are no holidays. If you choose to feel angry, sad, or any negative emotions, that's OK. But get away from others until you choose to treat yourself with dignity again.

• Be respectful and treat yourself, and others, as worthy human beings, regardless of differences of title, job, gender, education, etc.

• Be kind and demonstrate sincere interest and concern for others.

• Be helpful. A cooperative attitude is always beneficial.

When I apply these hints, I experience greater happiness and satisfaction. I experience a natural law of success, "what you give; you get." I find that as I treat ALL of my customers with dignity, they treat me in a similar fashion. And I know that it will work the same for you.

I challenge you to consciously apply these "A Bit More" dignity hints. Stick with them. Make them habitual.

If you use them already, become more aware of them.

When it comes to human relations, there's always room for improvement.

What do you have to gain?

Win/win success and greater happiness for all.

Keep practicing, friends. Don't mosey too far from the arena, 'cause there are more "A Bit More" principles to come.

Copyright© 2006

And here is another random article you might be interested in...

Making Resolutions Work!

Isn't it great each year we get to have an opportunity to "start over" and put the past behind us? We get to start with a fresh, clean slate. We can do that at any point throughout the year, but it helps that masses of people join the resolution game at one time at least once a year. It gives us energy. We play a couple of holiday weeks and we are ready for action!

It's a lot easier to think about what we DO want and not give any thought to what we don't want. What we focus on expands so focus on what you do want. Example: If you want to quit smoking, focus on what you get to have if you quit. You get to stay inside the building on breaks at work. Your food tastes better. Your house will smell fresh as a spring day. Focus on the things you love and expand them.

1. Make a list. Write your resolutions down. If you haven't thought of any this year, here are a few ideas to get you started. Spend more time with family. Work more. Work less. Quit drinking. Exercise more. Help my pet lose weight. Read more.

2. Define your reasons. Under each resolution you want to accomplish, write the reasons why you want to accomplish it. List all the consequences that come from not achieving your resolution. List all the great things that can come from achieving it.

3. Be real. Mark off the ones your inner voice spoke up on as not being real. Your inner voice may say, "You know you aren't going to do that. Don't even write it down." If your inner voice aligns with your list, you are more likely to accomplish the goal set. If your inner voice is saying, "You better do it or things are going to look even worse next year," keep that one on the list. Don't just make a list of things you know you SHOULD do. Make a list of things you absolutely want and intend to do.

4. Determine where to begin. Discover which degree of success you have accomplished with each resolution so far. Success in anything comes by degrees. Once you know where you are in the process, you can determine your next step.

5. Prioritize the list. Which one seems most urgent? Which one would bring the greatest joy and make the happiest difference? Those are your top two.

6. Organize. Choose ONE resolution to focus on first. Once you get that one all set and progressing, you can add the next one (as long as it doesn't start setting back the first one.)

7. Get support. Form a mastermind team or focus group of other people with your same resolution. Get ideas on how to stay focused on the desired result as if it has already occurred.

8. Strengthen. Get a coach who can listen and discover where you are in the success process and define your next step each week. This will keep you even more committed. Spending money to keep your commitment moving forward will strengthen your resolve. It shows a deeper commitment to the goal.

9. Schedule your actions in your calendar. An action determined but not scheduled is a fantasy. It's not true. It's not authentic and not real. If you keep scheduling it and not following through at the designated time, take it off your schedule. You are just playing a game with yourself. Be real.

10. Fail and Succeed. When you fail, make your failure momentary. Just get back on track immediately. Failures are inevitable. They strengthen you. They cause you to come up with creative ways to avoid failure. Don't use them for an excuse to quit. Use them for an excuse to invent ways to keep yourself in the game!

Make 2006 YOUR best year ever!!

Copyright 2006 Juanita Bellavance