Small Business Owners: Take Heed – Customer Service is All in the Mindset!
I work with businesses both large and small and it is reinforced to me daily as to how much of the “Service Mentality” truly stems from the mindset each and every one of us chooses to display. Yes, you read that correctly…we choose how well we will treat our customers. People try to blame their background, their boss, their peers, or worse yet… the customer, as the reason why they don’t give good service. But once you own up to it, it all comes down to CHOICE.
So with this being said, the small business owners sometimes feel outnumbered, out-lawyered, out-staffed, out-everything’d by the larger companies that advertise and market in such a way that they can only dream of.
To them, I consistently say one thing…. It’s all in your mindset. The mindset that you can create the ideal service experience stems from your beliefs and your desire that delivering a superior service experience is not only profitable for your bottom line, but that it is the right thing to do.
I believe this is an essential first step. You must believe that it is truly possible to assemble a dream team for service. You may have a few folks in your team right now that you regret hiring, but from this point on, we’ll work on that and ensure that you are hiring for the best service experience possible. If you don’t believe that this is actually a probability, then you may as well throw in the towel now and continue to make excuses.
The body travels in the direction of the mind’s most dominant thought, so be prepared to come into this with a beginner’s mind and be open and excited about what the possibilities are.
I have a past client who had so much more knowledge than she ever gave herself credit for until recently, and needed just to open her mind for what was possible. She recently accepted a position doing everything she had been hoping she could do in her past company, but with a much more progressive one that walks the talk, that has the mindset of all things are possible, and even, necessary in the world of service. So, yes, she had to make some changes by making the huge decision on how long to continue working for a large company with good intentions but no follow through, or to go where she knew it felt better to start from scratch and stay true to her mindset of connecting with customers and becoming a solutions provider.
To all of you who are leaders or owners in your businesses, you must envision the way that you want your customers to feel about you. You must envision the right team in place that is fulfilling the desires and needs of both the company and the customers. You must envision how each and every day you are gaining the loyalty and trust of yet one more customer. By doing this day in and day out, you are setting yourself up for success. There will be some days when it seems overwhelming and frustrating, but by envisioning the success of you and your team, you are practicing the same techniques that professional athletes, even Olympians, use. They envision the finish line. They envision themselves getting the gold medal. They push through the setbacks.
So to all of you small business owners, the customer service experience that draws your customers back time and time again begins with your mindset and your belief in getting the job done in the best interest of the customer.