Service Strategy: Dignity and Empathy Before Direction

Much like toddlers who hear something like 320 "no's" per day, our customers hear more "nos" than they should. Challenged with duties of enforcing policy we are tempted to lead with the negative, "NO, You can't do that..." You can't take that book out because your fines are too high." "We can't give you a refund without a receipt." "We can't complete the project in your timeframe." No, no, no, no and NO!

The word "no" sets a chain reaction within the customer. The sound, akin to finger nails on a blackboard causes hairs on the neck to stand up straight, the stomach to tighten and and an Inner Rebel to emerge ready to do battle with you--a toddler temper tantrum!

Try this---Lead with dignity and empathy before direction.
1. Affirm what you CAN DO versus what you CAN'T DO.

"We can offer you an in store credit card for merchandise."
"We can complete the project in three weeks just one week short of what you want." This strategy demonstrates empathy as it aligns with the customer's preference to be treated in a positive manner.

2. Lead with the NEED of the customer. This shows you not only hear what they want but understand it. This technique requires that you really listen to what they want before you insist on what you want.

Say "We'd be happy to check out your book when the fines are below $10.00." to the person who fine is too high.
Try " We know you'd like to spend more time visiting your family member. Our doors open at 6 a.m.and we'll be happy to see you then." to the person who is lingering after visiting hours.

Assert " We know your call is important that's why we've arranged a call-out area. Here let me show you." to a person who wants to use their cell phone in an unauthorized area.

3. Preserve your customer's dignity by letting them save face.
Use the language of supposition to give your customer an out.

To the person who wants "just ten more minutes" on the computer try this--
"Perhaps you were unaware that we allow customers 30-minute intervals on the computer to give everyone a chance. You can use the computer to complete your project (lead with their need) as soon as you sign up for another session."

Other phrases that suppose something vs. insists on it are:

"Maybe no one informed you that our normal process is..."

"Perhaps you based your opinion on previous information..."

"What if this were an option?"

Make patrons your partners by preserving dignity and demonstrating empathy before you insist on direction.

AIM

Webinar in Review

In February approximately eighty professionals gathered with me for an hour’s focus on the topic of AIM: Preparing for Success in 2010. This program is one in a series of four webinars designed to “Shape the INFLUENCE of Leadership” through four pathways:
AIM, ADAPT, ALIGN AND ADVOCATE.

The ten tools offered in AIM builds a foundation for leader influence. In turbulent times, a leader is like a lighthouse. People look to the light to lead their way. Leaders clarifying their direction and vision turn on their brights: increase their ability to help others focus and inspire initiative.

Five steps aimed towards Preparing for Success in 2010: (1) Complete the Past (2) Clarify Purpose and Vision (3) Set Goals (4) Visualize and Affirm (5) Celebrate Successes

1. Complete the Past
We have only so many Attention Units. (Hard to imagine in a multi-tasking world!) This section asked us to complete the unfinished, cluttered, confused and irrelevant to release “stuck” and unleash “flow”. With each completion, we gain attention capacity.

2. Clarify Purpose and Vision
A mere 10% of participants had a written purpose statement and yet we agreed that identifying purpose brings us back to what’s meaningful so that at the end of the day, we tend to our soul as well as our achievements. As leaders we must inspire through vision—hold up the higher view. Too often we get caked in the muck of the details, become apathetic and overwhelmed and forget where we’re really headed. One vision tool inspired us to identify what kind of leader we needed to be and one offered information on creating a shared vision.

3. Set Goals
66% of our participants had written goals. We used the SMART goal setting system—ensuring that our goals were specific, measurable, realistic and timely. One key element was to create the vision first, borrow from the future so to speak and then write goals as a beam to achieve them.

4. Visualize and Affirm
We explored a “no paper” way to make our vision visible. A key learning; we move in the direction of the pictures we hold in our mind. An internal tension is created when there’s a difference between our now picture and our future picture. Our mind/body seeks to lessen the tension by aligning our world to the picture that is the clearest.

5. Celebrate Successes
We are an achievement-oriented, urgent-focused group. We want it now and we want it fast. Too often we wait until we’ve completed something before we celebrate. Celebrating small steps as we go creates momentum for keeping UP and keeping ON!