Grace: The Secret To Great Service
By Chip Bell, Published on
October 9, 2015
Grace is a word with a heavy load. Some words are simple with a
singular direct meaning. Not “grace.” It can mean simple elegance—as in,
a sense of class and polish. We use it when we describe the effortless
movement of a superb athlete or the graciousness of a host. Grace can
mean honoring the presence of someone—“You grace us with your company.” And
grace can shoulder its biggest payload—the religious definition of “unmerited
or unconditional favor or love.”
Graceful service is an assertion, not a response.
It is an attitude, not a tactic. We get a glimpse when we witness a
“random act of kindness.” But service full of grace is not random; it is
perpetual. To borrow a line from Jack Nicholson in the movie As Good As It Gets, it makes
customers “want to be a better man (or woman).” Like some chemical
mixture, when compassion meets caustic, all the acidity disappears. It
tames hostility, enriches ordinary, and elevates “I got my money’s worth” to “I
have a story to tell.”
Graceful service is an
assertion, not a response. It is an attitude, not a tactic.
Grace is a game changer
“Thank you for being my customers,” the shop owner
said to a group of young prospects that appeared to be loitering in his small
mall-based store. I was window shopping and elected to go inside his
well-appointed store just to watch this very unusual hosting unfold.
The storeowner’s warm welcome had been directed at
three teenagers each with very loud cocky dispositions, extremely baggy pants,
and ear buds buried deep inside their ears. At the risk of profiling, they
looked noticeably out-of-place in this upscale men’s wear store. I was
halfway expecting they would return his kindness with smirks and hasty exits.
I was instead blessed with a lesson.
Out of earshot of the owner, one boy remarked to
his buddies, “Man, we gotta buy
something!” As they left the check-out counter, the proprietor shot point
blank one final blast of magnanimity: “Gentlemen, please visit me again.”
One of the young men boldly responded, “Thank you, sir.” I thought
of that famous scene from Pretty Woman
and the standoffs in Ferguson and Baltimore. I was expecting sneering
rejection and I saw sincere respect; I anticipated judgment but I witnessed
grace. And the payoff to all was plainly spoken. This merchant sprinkled all
three definitions of grace on his unsuspecting patrons.
Graceful service is omakase
Omakase is Japanese for “I will leave it to you.”
When I dine in a fine restaurant I often elect to skip the menu and
instead tell the waiter “I leave my meal choice in your hands. “I like spicy, I
eat everything, and I prefer light. Please surprise me with an appetizer,
salad, and an entree.” The result unfailingly is an awesome meal with great
care by the waiter. Often the chef comes out to explain unique features of what
was ordered on my behalf. Omakase originally meant “chef’s choice” but works
with the waiter (or customer) as well. Empowered by the faith entrusted in
them, waiters always go the extra mile to make it a unique delight. The outlook
of omakase is woven into graceful service. It is the personification of trust
and confidence in customers. It is granting instead of governing.
The outlook of omakase is
woven into graceful service.
Hurricane Hugo came ashore near Charleston and was
still a hurricane when it hit Charlotte, NC 200 miles inland. It resulted in an
unexpected crowd at Myers Park Hardware as customers rushed to purchase
candles, chain saws, flashlight batteries, and other emergency supplies. The
storeowner had limited help since her staff had been unable to get into work.
She surrendered to her patrons for help.
I was standing nearby when I overheard store owner
Jo Huntington pull three frequent customers aside: “Guys, have you ever
thought about what it would be like to single-handedly save a store?
Well, have I got a deal for you! If you have time, I need you to help me
run checkout.”
When the guys donned their hardware store aprons
and started bagging merchandise and ringing up sales, the crowd of formerly
frustrated customers suddenly broke out in applause. These “volunteers” also
registered their pleasure with the scene by offering to give up their “helper”
slot to the highest bidder. It became a bit like Tom Sawyer convincing his
skeptical onlookers that whitewashing a fence was an honor only for the
carefully chosen and lucky few! It was graceful and faith renewing; it was
omakase!
Graceful service is benevolent
Everyone, regardless of faith or theology, knows
the story of the Good Samaritan. The focal point of the parable centered on a
man who stopped to give aid to someone who hated him. Samaritans were
considered by Jews (the story’s victim of robbers) to be inferior people who
were despised. Think of the view as similar to the one that bigoted whites in
the Deep South held of African-Americans in the early 1950’s.
But, there is an unfamiliar part of this familiar
story. The Samaritan, before stopping to help his “neighbor,” had just walked
thirty miles uphill (from Jericho to Jerusalem) on challenging, rocky terrain
laced with thieves. The route was called the “way of death.” Despite the
exhaustion and anxiety of his journey, he stopped to help his enemy,
transported him to a nearby inn, and covered all his costs. He could have said,
“I am too tired,” “I’ll be rejected,” or “This is too hard.” But he
invested in the situation in a way that made all the difference. It was
more than a gift; it was a conscious sacrifice.
When Zappos elected to ship overnight when
customers expected routine shipping, it communicated a bold commitment to great
service. Tom’s Shoes donates a pair of shoes to a child in need for each pair a
customer purchases from the company. Graceful service takes more than routine
effort or everyday contribution. It is an abundance of spirit; it is
contribution beyond what is reasonable; it is altruistic.
Graceful service takes more
than routine effort or everyday contribution.
We live in an era of cynicism. Customers today are
on-guard, half-expecting a scam, rip-off or unfair treatment. They witness
hidden fees, nickel-and-diming practices, and greed-driven pricing. The venom
often found on customer review sites reflects pent-up scorn from a collection
of disappointments, not just a single incident. It makes graceful service a
powerful antidote to indifference and irritation. It begins with assuming every
day is your customers’ birthday. You can start igniting grace with a simple,
“Thank you for being my customer.”
Pesquisa, Divulgação: Miguel Moyses Neto Se gostou
desta matéria , divulgue para seus amigos.
Visite nosso linkedin http://br.linkedin.com/pub/miguel-moyses-neto/28/971/9aa---Twitter: @mikenetIT onde VC poderá ver as principais
agencias de noticias e os links das empresas & nomes mais famosos do mundo!
ou simplesmente visite nosso blog :
|
Bremense
Participacoes Ltda
|
|||
|
|
|
|
Desde 1940
|
|
|
|||
Uma
pequena informação, quando compartilhada pode percorrer um grande caminho, mas
acaba sempre encontrando seu legitimo destinatário !!!
Nenhum comentário:
Postar um comentário