the focus on Customer Service

I went for a training session with the bank (Which bank? The Commonwealth Bank... haha) today.
It was largely a sales and service seminar where they introduced communication and people interaction concepts but in a view to customer service.
And, during the course, I had learned a few interesting things.



1. You will sometimes fail

It seems that you will never get to please everyone no matter how fast you rush, how hard you work or how accurate you are.
And, that by listening and understanding your clients, it will never always mean that you will come to an agreement.



2. A Positive Attitude

The fact of the service industry (and a significant portion of life) is largely affected and effected by your attitude.
You may the cheerful and friendly guy at the bank, but do a half-baked job.
You will still get more credit due than the are surly and negative guy who does excellent work.
This is because your negativity works against you, and that the client will discount all your effort and hard work.
It's like the client going off and asking himself, "What the heck?"



3. ...dealing with difficult clients

When dealing with annoying or angry customers, there is not much you are able to do gain your measure of satisfaction from the situation.
Why?
This is very simply answered by the phrase, 'the customer is always right'.

What you are able to do is able to be tidily summarized as a perception shift.

The training session referred to this situation as the Aikido Principle.
It is where you take the moral high ground and to detach yourself from the angry words, insults, etc. and be objective with the client.
Then you should be apologetic, empathic and then as helpful as you are able to be by offering workable solutions.
After all, it is rather hard to be annoyed with someone who is bending over backwards trying to help you.



All in all, a very useful session in my personal development.