The "it's not my job" attitude can kill a service organization faster than most anything else. As I said in another letter, we are all in the service business [1].
A district superintendent for a New York school district invited my consultant firm to conduct a service seminar for teachers. One of the hardest obstacles was the objection form teachers that they did not have clients, let alone customers. That was demeaning to the profession.
During two breakout sessions we asked each small group to discuss specific experiences that they had where they received terrible customer service (in the first workshop) and excellent customer service (in the second workshop). They analyzed what it was about the experience that made it feel the way it did. And most importantly, during the presentations back to the plenary group, they displayed the same emotions that they had originally felt. It was clear that all could identify good and bad customer service when they saw it, and that everyone had high expectations of the quality of service that they deserved, especially from other professionals.
During the transition to the afternoon session we issued a challenge. Since each of us has such high standards for the quality of service that we receive, do we apply those same standards to the quality of service that we provide? Certainly our professional integrity requires no less. If it was a good enough expectation for doctors and pharmacists, it was good enough for teachers. You could have heard a pin drop in the room as the realization dawned on everyone that having high expectations for service was something they needed to expect for themselves.
Sometimes, having an exercise that allows practicing empathy can change hearts and minds. |