Driving to work this morning, you get pulled over for speeding. I bet you wish you had made a donation to the Police Benevolent Association so that you could post one of their stickers on your bumper that acts like a, “Get out of jail free” card.
The plant screws up an order. The customer is furious and is threatening to pull their business as a result. I bet you wish you would pointed out all the good things you’ve done over the last few months, including things like rush deliveries and 100% on-time service.
Your CSR, well, where do I begin? You don’t share the same sense of urgency. Your idea of customer service is far different than theirs. It seems like your work is not a priority. It’s gotten to the point where something needs to be done. So, you sit down for a face-to-face but instead of a conversation where you are doing the talking, you find yourself on the receiving end of a barrage of complaints, a few of which are grounded in truth but most seem oddly out of place. It makes you wonder if there’s something else going on.
There is.
When a client complements you, do you share the wealth? When an order ships, are you grateful? Every sales rep has a support group. Yours includes a CSR, Estimating, and a Production team. That critical job that shipped on time did so because someone perhaps stayed late even followed up with the driver to ensure the job got to where it needed to be. While you might be the face of the order and of the company, yours is just one role. There is a basic human need for appreciation. “Thank you” costs nothing and goes a long way. “I appreciate you” acknowledges those who work behind the curtain, helping to make you look good. Expressing your gratitude is not only the right thing to do, it helps to grease the skids or conversations including course correction or a clients special request that requires your support team to go above and beyond.
Don’t wait until your appreciation sounds disingenuous and self-serving. Today, right now in fact, is a great time for a quick note.
