Behind a desk, phone to ear, paperwork mounting, always there is a decision to make. You can decide to be the shoulder, the guide, the human answering machine—that is, the one your client recalls months later simply from your listening. From first contact to lasting impact, Zahi Abou Chacra proves that exceptional service is all about empathy, trust, and follow-through.
Giving committed customer or patient service is not about mechanically nodding and distributing pamphlets. It’s concerning anchor lowering. You confirm what someone else is experiencing when they are bewildered, nervous, perhaps even hostile. The waiting area is not only four walls and an ancient fish tank. That serves as a beginning line. The baton is yours.
Ever had someone remember your name at the drugstore while you were just visiting once annually? That kind of recollection helps you to see things. Remembrance counts. People want to feel as though they count, not as though they are number 44 in line.
The skill of listening now is really important. It will try your endurance like trying to put IKEA furniture together without directions. That is a golden key, though. People often express exactly what they mean, although not always You have to read between the lines, pay attention to the sigh, tapping foot, glance aside. It’s “I’m scared,” not “I need help” sometimes. Understanding that will alter someone’s entire experience.
Allow me to compare speed to attention. Rushing through talks will not get you very far quickly. Applying a Band-aid to irritation merely leaves more questions. You did indeed mark a box. Still, did you produce anything better? most likely not.
Ever find yourself employing scripted answers? “Thank you; have a great day!.” It implies zip even if you never look up. Rather, riff off the day and comment on the weather, their cool shoes, something real. Real conversation is not rocket science. Observing is interesting.
Snafus abound. Lost files, multiple bookings, systems down—choose your poison. The quality of actual client or patient service? Claim it. If you mean it, apologies really go a distance. Still little, toss in a solution and find yourself suddenly a hero rather than a villain.
You may have someone as prickly as a cactus some days. Perhaps they have burnt once already. Perhaps their daily grind smells bad. You may be patient; that is not yours to fix. A disgruntled growl does not indicate that you should lash back. Go deep, find your peace, and keep things nice.
Breakfast calls for strategy as well as food. The scene is set by crowded offices full of individuals having each other’s backs. encouraging colleagues on? It shows up in every exchange. Nobody gathers in a quiet, frigid space.
A committed service is not one-and-done. One thousand little deeds piled on top of one another—a smile, a quick call-back, error corrected without permission. If you string enough of these events together, you will have accomplished more than just what a script calls. Even amid trying circumstances, you have become the person someone hopes to see once more.
Ask customers to find out whether your service lives up. Talk to patients. Get ready; you will find the truth and it won’t always tickle. But frank criticism is invaluable and sharpens you.
There is not a magical recipe. Just a collection of basic decisions sometimes disregarded. Every day, every conversation offers still another opportunity to prioritize others. And chances are the good you offer returns, occasionally when you least would have expected it.