The Spice
Girls message tells us how we should be dealing with others dealings with others.
Does your
mission statement talk about excellent
customer service and nurturing
strong relationships?
Its all about nurturing relationships
Providing outstanding service is hardly rocket
science. How hard can it be to return calls, respond to emails and keep
the customer informed of what is going on!
The relationship we have with our internal
colleagues is, more often
than not, fundamental to our own success; Without their support, knowledge and
skills the chances of us accommodating our external clients diminishes
dramatically.
Unless you have fostered constructive internal
relationships with those that you are dependant upon, it is quite probable that
the demands you make could well fall on deaf ears.
Few people
would consciously set out to sabotage the project – but the request for ‘that
little bit extra’ certainly won’t be top of their priority list. It could also
be argued that those individuals most stressed in the work-place and most in
need of assistance from others are those with the weakest internal
relationships.
When questioned about what they expected from their
colleagues, employees at a
major financial institution cited the following
- When they had problems or queries,
they were looking for answers and/or solutions. If this information was
not available they wanted to know where they could find
the answers or solutions they required. They didn’t expect an individual to have all
the answers but they did expect individuals to know where to find the
answers.
- ‘I want to be listened to, understood and empathised with’. This quote sums up the next three
issues. How often are we truly listened to by a colleague who takes an
active role in trying to understand what we’re saying. How often do we
long to be understood in both our personal and professional lives and how
much conflict occurs because of a lack of this understanding. We want to
be empathised with – ‘put yourself in my shoes for a moment’, ‘try to
understand the limitations and restrictions that I’m working under and
I’ll try my hardest to accommodate you’. The greater understanding we have
of others the less confusion is likely to arise and the more likely this
understanding is to be reciprocated.
- Respect was the final attribute
expected from others. “treat people like you want to be treated and you
are more likely to obtain the outcome you are after.
- Gratitude - Appreciate the role each
individual plays in ensuring the success of your organisation, show this
appreciation in your actions and words and enjoy greater success from the
demands you place on others.
So, if you want to be
successful with your external customers ensure you have worked on your relationships
with all your stakeholders – ensure you
have ‘made deposits before you start making any withdrawals’.
Make the time to invest in building
relationships first and the results will come.
