I admit that I was born a pessimist, and have to willfully look for the bright side of things most of the time. So as the U.S.A. has navigated our way through some challenging economic times recently, it would probably stand to reason that I would be one of the first to see the trend as a terrifying one. But I don't. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Probably the oldest folk saying I can remember learning is the truism, "Every dark cloud has a silver lining." For me, that has always been a very important sentence, because it's often the thing that helps me realize that my natural pessimism is a flawed point of view. It helps me look for what's right in the world, not just what I think needs to be fixed. Right now there are plenty of things we'd all like to see fixed in our economy, and there's no shortage of ideas about the right way to go about it.
But I posit that real change doesn't usually come in the form of a government bail-out or new laws or regulations. Yes, those things affect us, but generally, they tend to come in the form of news that we hear is going to improve our world, but we never actually feel the impact as the real effects slowly trickle into our daily lives. But as I've learned to do, I've noticed a silver lining in the economic challenges we're currently seeing. And it's a silver lining that I really, really like.
If you pay attention, you'll notice that suddenly, the cashier at your local grocery is smiling at you more. The guy behind the counter at the local tire and lube shop seems genuinely happy to have your business. And your local fast food burger joint takes a lot more care to get your order correct the first time. I'm sure part of it is simple: these people are thankful to have their jobs, and that makes them happier. But the business owners who train and manage these employees are also taking the time to make customer service their number one priority. And it's a welcome turnaround for something that's been in decay for a couple of decades now.
I'm no MBA, but my perception over the last thirty years has been that somewhere along the way, the business community figured out how to factor great customer service into the cost of doing business. And for many businesses, great customer service probably cost a lot more than "pretty good" customer service. So the old adage "The customer is always right" slowly died off, replaced with a spreadsheet and an actuarial table that indicated how often, and in what circumstances, it was okay to be nicer than profit allowed. If you're staring at the bottom line, I imagine that spreadsheet is your best friend. But when the guy behind the counter would lose his job if he exchanged your faulty MP3 player one day after the store's 30-day return policy, those formulas for factoring customer service don't look very much like customer service at all.
But a funny thing has happened now that times are a little tougher. A genuine smile is now worth more than the value in "Column J," and helping you to your car carries your goodwill all the way home and back again these days. Just take a look around you and you'll see it. Customer Service is back. The real kind. The kind of service that comes from someone who knows that you truly are the reason they get to come to work every day. People are thankful for their jobs, and they're thankful to you for your business. If we're all lucky, as the economy turns around (and there's very good evidence to suggest the tide has already turned), we'll all remember how far those smiles go, and how valuable those customers are.
I got lucky on this one. I just happened to notice the change one day, before my natural pessimism managed to form an opinion about it. But if you haven't already noticed, take a look around. I think it will make you smile. But if by chance I'm wrong, and your corner of the world hasn't yet seen a return to heartfelt customer service, don't fret. If it's in you, it will soon be all around you. Just spend an extra five minutes with a client who seems a little confused today, or take the time to mail out the product manuals you forgot to leave with that customer last week, and include a thank-you note for their business.
Great customer service starts small, with just a smile. But it grows fast, it grows powerfully, and it takes on a life of its own that will improve your workday, your customer's day and, oh yes... your bottom line. It's funny how that works.
