You don’t need a Ouija Board to know customer service is at an all time low.

What’s amazing to me is that in this challenging employment climate, businesses didn’t seem to keep the best people.

I just had the pleasure of reading an advanced copy of “Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose” by Tony Hsieh (pronounced SHAY). In this book, you will discover an instant way to do more business and build relationships without making an additional sale.

The book details the rise of Zappos.com and how it was built on customer service. Zappos.com did over a BILLION dollars in sales last year.

This isn’t a recommendation to buy the book, (although it’s a fun read with lots of great insight); it’s more of a wake-up call to pay more attention to the people you interact with whether they are customers or not.

The lack of respect for, and acknowledgement of, other people has hit a new high, and it looks like the sky’s the limit.

You may not start a billion dollar company by being more respectful but the dividends it pays in peace of mind and improved human relations are priceless.

The main problem I see in customer service and human interaction is the tendency to make the other person wrong. It’s not a battle about who’s right; it’s more about right action.

You will not satisfy every customer, nor will you convince everyone to come over to your way of thinking. That doesn’t mean they are wrong. They just have a different point of view. Regardless of whether you think they are obtuse, they deserve your respect.

If someone becomes insulting or belligerent, you can end the interaction on a polite note and say you decline to interact with someone who’s resorted to name calling.

I believe that we have forgotten that other people are people. We’ve reduced them to things. We try and bang them into place with a hammer and wind up sticking out like a sore thumb.

For many, it’s hard not to engage when you are under assault. In the past, I found myself at the top of that list.

What I’ve found is that strategy has poor performance. Being right at all costs is filled with instant gratification. The difficulty is it’s a sugar high and you wind up needing another quick fix. You may need an intervention.

The intervention that works is recognition. Recognize that other people are you in another suit of clothes. They have the same basic wants, needs and desires as you, and didn’t wake up today intending to make your life miserable. They just have a different point of view.

Take note how you are treating others. Is it the way you want to be treated? If not, an adjustment is necessary on your part.

Improved human relations begin with you. Here’s a starting point: Just remember what it feels like to be acknowledged and respected and then convey that feeling to others.

All the best,

John

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