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Have you ever second-guessed yourself, on purpose?
I imagine all of us have from time to time.
Sometimes it is about a decision we have made or those we fail
to make. Frequently, in our minds, we hold ourselves
accountable. There are times, I am sure, that every single one
of us have said, “If I only had it to do all over again”, I
would have done such and such differently.
But life does not allow us that option. I believe that everything
happens for a reason to allow us to grow and become the person
we are to be, with our faults and assets, failures as well as
accomplishments. We are here “on purpose”!
My purpose in my business is to encourage organisations and people
to find a way to trust again. “Trust is probably the most basic human value,”
someone once said.
Nothing is harder to regain, than lost trust.
I believe people do business with people they trust. I believe
people do business with people who are knowledgeable, efficient
and will deliver what they promise.
How did those companies develop and cement that trust? They
promised and delivered the following principles of building and
maintaining trust.
T- Truth- Trust and solid relationships are built on telling the
truth. Companies must maintain this principle both with internal
and external customers. It is imperative that this value is
represented in everything a company does. We have seen how the
lack of solid ethics can crumble even the largest of companies.
R- Responsibility- Trust is built when everyone within an
organization realizes what their responsibilities are and that
they are held accountable for them. Choose to schedule reviews
quarterly for every member of the company to make sure they are
aware of their responsibilities. Take ownership of mistakes and
be diligent to find ways to make corrections.
U-Unselfishness- Trust is built when employees give of their time
and talent in the workplace and do it, unselfishly. Customers
appreciate the employee who goes out of their way to satisfy the
customer. Customers don’t appreciate hearing how badly the
employee wants to go home, or how they didn’t get a break, or
how awful their schedule is.
S-Security- Trust is built on a feeling of security. Good lighting in
the parking lot and store entrance, fitting rooms with doors
that lock, employees that handle ringing up a sale with
accuracy, and alarm systems that are visible are all ways to
make the customer feel safe in your place of business. Employees
want to feel a sense of job security and that they are
appreciated for the job they do.
T-Teamwork- Trust is built when everyone within the organisation feels a
sense of ownership. How well do your employees work together?
Are they willing to go out of their way to help each other out?
Do the managers roll up their sleeves to help when the workload
is overwhelming? Is there a reward system in place that
encourages employees to want to excel? Most importantly, are
there cheerleaders within the organisation to keep the momentum
going when times are tough?
We are at a time when gaining a customers’ trust is critical. It is
a daily process, on purpose. It is a time to maximise potential,
ethically and to deal with conflict and problems, with
credibility.
It is a time not to look back but look forward. It is a time not to
say, “if only”, but to daily say, “I am proud of what we did”.
And we achieved it, on purpose!
Anne M. Obarski is "The Customer Service Spy!" As a
professional speaker and trainer, Anne will work with your
company to provide you with the clues to keep your customers
coming back. Anne presents nationwide keynotes, break-out
sessions and customized training in the area of customer
service. You'll want her two new books, "Surprising Secrets of
Mystery Shoppers" and "Real World Customer Service Strategies
That Work". Visit
www.merchandiseconcepts.com or email Anne at
anne@merchandiseconcepts.com
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