How to Identify With a Customer in Your Business Industry
34076
Business > Customer Service
Jun 26, 2007
joshstone
How to Identify With a Customer in Your Business Industry
No matter what industry you work in, this can be applied to your line of work, especially in the hospitality industry. Nearly half the jobs held at any given time are service positions. It's the way our economy works. The vital function of helping customers get the service and goods they want is pretty much everything that keeps the wheels going round. Amongst the special skills this position takes is being good with people. "Good with people"; we hear that phrase so much, but what does it really mean? It means understanding people on the same level that a rocket scientist understands a rocket. A service and sales person is, in short, an expert in interfacing with the public. Your customer is typically looking for an efficient transaction. Especially in today's society, they are probably pressed for time and have a million other things on their minds. There are harried parents running errands, stressed business persons who don't have a lot of time, and all manner of people with a hundred other concerns besides the immediate matter at hand. An old saying that you should keep with you at all times: "Be kind; everybody's fighting a battle, even if you can't see it." It is just a fact of life that you will encounter customers who are rude, obnoxious, offensive, or even... just between us professionals... just plain disturbed. But you are forced to cope with them within the space of your brief transaction, hopefully to make the best of it. But, without many exceptions, you will discover that if you were to see below the surface of some of your more difficult clients, that there is much more going on in their big picture than you can see. Every now and then, this happens: You get into a confrontation with somebody, maybe it gets pretty heated, and then something odd happens where you have to get to know each other a little better - and suddenly you make up and become friends! Now how in the world did that happen? What actually happened is, you're both good people, but you got off on the wrong foot, because you were strangers. Nothing magnifies this problem like the Internet. People get in outrageously heated fights on Internet forums all the time, taunting each other back and forth as if they were in kindergarten, and yet if you met each of the participants face to face and talked with them for five minutes, you'd usually conclude that neither of them were all that bad. But the nature of the computer screens out facial data, tone of voice, gestures, and all of the other subtle cues we use to understand each other. We have only the printed text, which is great for articles and books but not always good for casual conversation. Back in the "real world" where you deal with people face to face, many of the same effects apply. Some of your days in the customer service industry go by where your longest transaction is two minutes. Filtered through that short a period, a tiny misunderstanding can bloom into a full-scale fight - without either parties' intending it. You also have to take factors of position in life into account. People who aren't fluent in your language, the very old or very young, the disabled, or people with impaired cognitive functions may all be prime candidates for a communication accident. These are the times when you have to be extra courteous and patient. Give these people an extra minute to sort things out than you would a regular customer. For those "problem people" who seem determined to make trouble for you, the thing to focus on is to not react emotionally. People can not rage forever at a blank wall; their single-person, one-sided fight will expire in a matter of minutes, and as any customer service phone representative can tell you, their emotional state will dip and they will be remorseful for what they have done. The best thing to do is to protect both your own dignity and that of the hostile person as well. this isn't always easily done - some people seem so determined to make fools of themselves that you have to wonder if they get some kind of thrill out of humiliation. At the end of the day, forgive the difficult people, be happy for the much larger number of well-adjusted people, and forgive yourself, as well. We are all imperfect humans, even with as hard as we try to correct that.
Freelance writer for over eleven years. Looking for a discount on your work uniforms and accessories? You might want to check out these sites. Work Uniforms Aprons Uniform Scrubs
send email to joshstone
Write a Review
Add to My Favorite
Refer it to Friend
Report Article
Other links owned by this user
This is a question that many people have, and is becomes even more complicated with the reduced need to know anything at all about how to actually create a layout because of the increase in the number of free profile designers available online.
Category:
This guide is a quick look-up table for the commonly-used spices. Oregano - A peculiar leafy green herb, in that it is one of the few which is more potent dried than fresh. Taste like a cross between mint and lemongrass.
Category:
With so many people using the largest social networking site MySpace there is bound to be trouble at some point. How can you avoid your share of the trouble? By simply following some simple steps to avoid problem users you can ensure that you remain safe
Category:
The rapid uptake and saturation of technology in the 21st century has seen the growth of more small business owners. One of the major contributing reasons for this has been the globalization of business from the influence of the Internet.
Category:
We will explore the fruit varieties of the world which are far removed from the usual fare. For the bold, the creative, or the daring gourmand...
Category:
Be honest, how many places do you ever really remember online? Most people remember only a fraction of the websites that they eventually visit. However, this is an awful occurrence for someone who is running a business that has an online presence.
Category:
Look around the local shopping centre, and it is almost impossible not to spot all the franchises that are popping up everywhere.
Category:
This guide is a quick look-up table for the commonly-used spices. Fenugreek - This is native to India and southern Europe. The part used is the hard, yellow-brown seeds that come from the plant's pods.
Category:
To get one thing straight off the top, there should be two ingredients in vodka: water and alcohol. Barring any flavoring ingredients, of course. And the two kinds of ingredients you can get the alcohol from are either potatoes or grain.
Category:
Looking for a great night out on the town then Pittsburgh is the best place to be. From a wide range of performance arts available in the area, you are sure to be pleased with the outcome of all of the shows and options that are available to you.
Category:
I still remember the best cup of tea I ever had. It was at a Mediterranean restaurant on the Las Vegas strip. After an excellent meal of falafel, hummus, baba ganouch, pita bread, and lamb, I ordered the tea and was presented with a pot of steaming water
Category:
The decision over whether to take a normal brick and mortar type of business to the internet has plagued many business owners for a very long time.
Category:
With the low margins in the hospitality industry, you need every edge you can get. You've probably seen many articles on how to spot the bad employees. But what about warning signs that your own performance is lagging?
Category:
Millions of websites exist for the sole purpose of selling things online. Making your own store that will be noticed and allow you to make money is sometimes easy, but usually lined with problems, disasters and frustrations.
Category:
If you are going to travel to the Pittsburgh area and want to plan the best vacation possible you may want to read this article.
Category:
There are thousands upon thousands of people who are on MySpace, each day even more are signing up but what are they all looking for? Most people can agree that they are there looking to help make friends and some are even looking to help promote their bu
Category:
With everyone rushing towards the biggest social networking site around, MySpace how can you make sure you stay safe? After all, internet predators lurk everywhere, but what is the fun in hiding behind your monitor never meeting new people?
Category:
With many small businesses opening up each and every year there are always people who are out looking around for ways and methods that they can have their own business and work from home.
Category:
You have managed your own business for a while now. You have been highly successful and now suddenly you are faced with so much success that business is booming.
Category:
We all know most major cities and towns have some tourist attractions. The bad news is that most places are only geared towards a specific type of person, rather than gearing towards the majority.
Category:
Other links at Business > Customer Service
In running an IT consulting business, do not be too quick to give new clients credit. Even when you give them credit, keep their lines of credit relatively low until they?ve built up some history with you. Provide Low Lines of Credit
Category:
Discusses the benefits of live chat software and how to use it to increase online sales.
Category:
To get the details right at the point of service (or product delivery), people need to be trained and developed to deliver superior service or products. They need to possess the right attitudes, competencies, and motivation. There is only one way that can
Category:
A happy customer is worth a lot to businesses. Here are some tips.
Category:
Site Sponsor
Directory Statistics
Articles: 68252
Categories: 501
Yahoo Entertainment
