Dealing with tough customers and challenging situations calls for a particular way of thinking. With the right mindset and emotion management skills, you’ll be happier at work. You can even grow your skills so that you see challenges as opportunities to convert unhappy customers into loyal fans.

But what about those of us who are still developing those skills? How would they answer this question: “Why give great customer service to a difficult customer?”

• Because I’ll get in trouble and maybe even lose my job if I don’t
• Because customers will complain about me and my boss will yell at me if I don’t
• Because I don’t have to like the rules, I just have to follow them
• Because the customer is always right (said with a smarmy smirk)
• Because I have to kiss the customers feet if I want a pay check

Unfortunately, these responses are all too typical. If you are supervising a customer service staff or working with coworkers who hold these attitudes, what can you do to be a champion for exceptional customer service?

Given the fact that you’re reading a customer service blog, I know a few things about you:

• You’re someone who seeks out solutions to move situations from bad to good, and maybe even from good to great.
• You’re someone who understands that the way people THINK determines the way they ACT. That’s why you’re reading about successful mindsets for improving your business.
• You’re human, and that sometimes means forgiving yourself for not being perfect.

The human-animal part of us tends to be reactive when something we don’t want is happening. Here are three things you can do to sidestep reactive behavior and maintain your resourceful mindset.

1. Ask your less skilled staff to visit a competitor’s place of business as a customer. Ask them to report back what they liked and didn’t like about the service. This literally puts the employee in the customer’s shoes and grows their understanding of the customer experience.

2. If you are the manager of a customer service staff, take personal responsibility without taking others’ inappropriate behavior personally. Everybody is doing the best they can with what they know. When you are grounded and calm when dealing with an employee’s less-than-skilled responses, you’ll be more likely to reach that staff person. You have to reach them to coach them.

When a customer service staff is off course, their manager needs to step up and redirect them. Just look at any sports team - when the team does poorly, the coach is held responsible. Grow your management skills by offering excellent internal customer service. Model for your staff what you expect of them, and they will be quicker to pick up new ways of thinking. Also, be sure to take time for training and don’t forget to reinforce what your staff is doing right.

3. Ask yourself the question: “Why give great customer service to a difficult customer?” Do you like your answer? Give yourself credit for how far you’ve come, and how helpful your experience can be for those who work with you.

Here are some of the best I’ve heard:

• Because it’s the right thing to do
• Because getting skillful at turning tough customers into happy customers makes me more marketable, productive, and happy
• Because I love to see my customers happy when I delight them
• Because it’s rewarding to make a difference in the quality of a customer’s experience
• Because I like who I am when I treat people well
• Because I understand the value of building long-term customer relationships

What do you think? What do your answers to that question reveal to you about your customer service mindset? What might happen if you posed the question “why give great service to a difficult customer” during your next staff meeting?

Posted by Marilyn Suttle on www.whosyourgladys.com/blog

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