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Customer Service Mindset

Getting Passionate About Satisfying Others

The customer is #1.
The customer is always right.
Greet customers with a smile.
Answer the phone by the third ring.

Customer service mantras and rules are common. But are they useful when it comes to actually delivering customer service?

Will simply instructing your staff to "greet customers cheerfully as they walk through the door" have any real effect on how the staff handles questions that customers then ask? When a steaming mad customer tells you that you're incompetent and promises to have you fired, can you believe that he's "always right"? And when your boss asks for a report at the same time that the guy in finance needs today's closing balances, are you likely to answer your phone by the third ring rather than let it go to voice mail?

Probably not.

To deliver exceptional customer service, following a bunch of rules usually isn't enough. So, instead of rules, you need to adopt an attitude, or mindset, whereby satisfying the customer is your number one goal.

If you adopt a customer service mindset – and recognize the importance of that mindset to your organization, your job, and your job satisfaction – then you're well on your way to success. Truly great customer service is built on a genuine desire to please and satisfy the customer.