The New Year is a great time for making resolutions. The problem is, most people make a long list of unrealistic goals (lose 20 lbs. in two weeks, exercise every day, stop eating sweets or French fries or something equally difficult) and then break most or all of them by January 31.
Making too many resolutions and then breaking them can leave you feeling like a failure – worthless, depressed or embarrassed. That’s certainly not a good way to start out the New Year.
Instead of making lots of resolutions, how about just one? Sometimes we have bad habits, but we just aren’t aware of them. Trying to change all of them at once is frustrating and an invitation to failure. So, for the New Year, just resolve to be more aware of your actions. Just get clued in.
If you’re in customer service, this one resolution can help revolutionize your job, your performance and productivity. It can put you on the fast track and make you a leader. Because once you’re aware of something, you can then make the decision to start or stop the action.
An article in Forbes, “14 Bad Habits That Can Cost You Your Job,” lists 14 things people do to put them on the road to termination. Several of these habits are especially dangerous if you’re dealing with customers. Don’t expect someone else to tell you about your offensive behavior. Your co-workers are either too busy in their own world to notice or care, or may secretly enjoy watching you dig your own tunnel out the door. Paying attention to your own actions, how others react to you or customer feedback from surveys or reviews, will clue you into which habits you need to break.
- Tardiness. This is #1, whether you’re part of a customer service team or the lone ranger manning the phones or customer service contact system. Customers don’t like to wait. They expect a happy, helpful service rep on duty during posted service hours. If you’re late, the rest of the team has to field more calls or handle more customers. You lose credibility with your boss, team members and customers, which also reflects negatively on the company. Are you habitually late? Even a few minutes or a couple times a week is enough to jeopardize your job.
- Social Media Addiction. Checking your emails or Facebook page while serving a customer is the ultimate in rudeness. Taking a call or sending a text may just take a few seconds, but you have to shift your attention from a customer. Most companies ban smartphones and other digital devices while working, but this is a hard habit to break. Use your breaks to catch up and make calls. If you’re hopelessly addicted, leave your phone at home or in your car or locker. Missing a tweet is a small inconvenience compared to losing a job.
- Bad Body Language Habits. Do you find you always get the nasty, angry customers, while everyone else gets the nice ones? If may not be the customers, but how they react to your negative body language. Do you roll your eyes, give out a big sigh, or avoid eye contact while talking to customers? They may have been friendly to begin with but turned sour by your negative body language. This one is hard to spot without some outside assistance. Ask your co-workers or a trusted friend if you give off negative vibes. Perception is reality, and it’s the customer’s perception that matters.
- Speaking Without Thinking and Temper Tantrums. These two go together. Customer service requires a measure of professionalism. You may hug everyone or address them as “honey” or “darling” in your social circles, but that won’t fly with customers. Derogatory comments muttered under your breath or losing your cool isn’t cool customer service. This can be such a habit that you’re not aware you’re crossing the line. Pay attention to the reaction you get from customers, and apologize if they feel you’ve offended them in any way.
- Negativity. So your glass is always half empty and everyone is against you. You may need to get an attitude adjustment or see a shrink to help you get happy again.There has been plenty of misfortune and tough times for everyone in the last few years. Bringing your own negative attitude to the job is a fast way to get a pink slip. Customers expect you to solve their problems, not make them worse with a negative attitude. Do you bring your own little dark cloud with you? Leave it at home before you come to work.
What type of reflection did you see in the mirror of these job breakers? Make this the year of self-awareness. Ask your boss for feedback on your customer service performance. Pay attention to the reaction of co-workers and customers. That one resolution can have a positive impact on your job performance and job security.
Photo: Courtesy Freedigigalphoto.net
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