Customer Service Is A Blank Canvas

Last week, we celebrated customer service and kicked it off with a team paint night. You can read all about it here.

My painting was inspired by our three part blog Cultivating Customer Service post with Nate Brown (@CustomerIsFirst) from back in August. You can read them here, here and here. In our series, we discussed the customer service garden. And, this metaphor always stuck with me.

Why?

Here’s why I filled my blank canvas the way I did:

1. Customer Service Begins From The Ground Up

Recently, in talking about customer service with the owner of a restaurant I was dining at, he told me, “You can train someone to wait tables. But, you can’t teach someone to give a damn.” It all begins with hiring awesome people. You must look through the resume they hand you into the eyes and heart of the person sitting at the interview–who is this person and will they match with our culture? What are you hiring for? Do you have your vision outlined?

2. Customer Service Is Ever Growing

There are endless learning opportunities in customer service–both in the office and lessons you can take with you outside the office. You must look at it from this perspective though, as it isn’t always obvious when you’re stuck on the phone with a screaming customer. What can you learn about this experience on the phone helping someone solve an issue that you can carry with you?

3. Customer Service Requires Nourishment

With every rain storm, you see more growth. Sunny days bring happy flowers. But, too much rain or too much sun can cause the garden to die. How can you keep the right level of nourishment for your team? I may be wrong but I think this all leads back to vision and everyone being on the same page.

4. Customer Service Is Unique

Every flower bud blooms the same way but not at the same time. There is a rainbow of petal colors. No two leaves are edged the same way. Everyone brings something to the table that needs to be appreciated. The unique qualities are ways that help us learn and grow even more as a team.

So, you’ll see, I’m no artist but this painting has some meaning!

What does customer service look like on YOUR canvas?

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