I just got my copy of “Raving Fans: A Revolutionary Approach to Customer Service.”  Of course I bought it used and am excited to start our next book club.  Check out what was written in the inside cover:

Randy,

Coming together was our beginning.
Keeping our work groups focused and moving forward shows our progress.
Working together to streamline and enhance processes is our success.
Having a Passion for customer service and doing the right thing is the legacy I’d like you to build.

Julie

It sounds a little bit like a Mastercard commercial doesn’t it?  It should say “Priceless” at the end.  There are two things that stick out for me here:

Passion

Is that not what we’re striving for in life?  To find a vocation that gets us out of bed excited to get in the car and drive to work every day.  Do you realize the chain reaction set in motion

every time you interact with someone else?  In the book, Employee Engagement 2.0, Author Kevin Kruse says “Did you know that people who are dissatisfied with their jobs are far more likely to be hospitalized or even die from a heart attack or other cardiac event?”

Take that and apply it to customer service.  You CAN make a difference in the lives of your customers by the way you treat them.  You CAN make a difference in the lives of your coworkers by the way you treat them.  Don’t trick yourself into thinking this is just a stupid customer service job.  You have a great opportunity and responsibility to make a difference in someone’s life.  Passion IS required.

Legacy

I would define “Legacy” as what is left when you’re gone.  It’s very simple when you think about it.  When you leave this job or the next or the next and ultimately retire or even die, what will you leave behind?  If it’s “I hate this job and I hate talking to customers” that’s a bummer.  If it’s “I aim to make a difference in the life of a customer on every call” don’t be surprised if that spills into the other relationships in your life and your legacy grows much bigger than you could ever imagine.

Anyway, thanks Julie for writing that inscription.  Thanks Randy for caring so much about it that you donated the book to Goodwill who posted it in the used books on Amazon!