Why is it so bad?
I've considered this for a little while and I think it comes down to the fact that we (collective human beings) are selfish creatures. Service, ultimately, requires us to think about of ourselves less and others more, something I think a lot of people struggle to do. I don't think it is always purposely but generally we are busy, rushing, thinking about a lot of things, multi-tasking and we forget to stop. We forget to stop and think about how we responded to that person who approached us for assistance might have felt when we brushed them aside with 'I'm too busy'. We forget to stop and consider the difference we could to make to another person by listening when they want to talk about an issue they're facing.
I read about a lady who, at 8 months pregnant, went shopping at a large supermarket - there were no large carrier bags available but she was offered a box to put her shopping into. Nobody fetched a box for her. Nobody assisted her in getting her box of shopping into her shopping trolley or thought to offer help into the car with it, despite seeing her struggling. What has happened to humankind that we don't help each other? It's not my job attitude!? Why should I help?
We are a selfish society - a society that demands things instantly, a society without patience, not prepared to wait. Whatever happened to the patience we had when shopping by mail order? Sending off your order with a cheque, waiting for the cheque to clear and then allowing 28 days for delivery? If we don't receive something the next day we start complaining, perhaps commenting the service isn't very good and we wonder why it is taking so long. We don't need to wait for the bookshop or library to be open, we can use the internet, search engines or download an 'E-book', again instantly.
Good service makes the customer feel loved! And it doesn't take that much effort. Can I leave you with a challenge? Think about how you can add to the service of others in your everyday life......holding a door open for someone, asking that mum struggling with a pram up steps if you can help her, calling your customer to let them know the progress on their call, make a colleague a cup of tea.....there's lots more.....can you do that? Can we be challenged to think a bit more about other people rather than just ourselves?
Let me know how you get on!!!
