Jumping to Conclusions

Do you jump to conclusions without knowing all of the facts? Are your assumptions making you do and say things that they really shouldn't? Does your own lack of self-confidence skew your way of thinking? Are you screwing up a good thing because your answer is yes to all of the above?

I have just had a healthy dose of my own reality on this front. I am not perfect nor have I ever claimed to be. I get a lot of credit for helping a lot of people through difficult times in their lives and careers and always having the right answers and the spot on advice when the chips are down. You would think that I would be able to apply some of that skill to my own life but again, I am not perfect and boy don't I know it!

The situation is not important nor are the circumstances that lead up to and beyond what made me do what I did. All I can say is it happened and that my moment(s) of weakness lead me to jump to conclusions and make assumptions that I never should have had, nor made. It was through this callious process that my conclusions led me to hurt a person that is very dear to me. Because I was engaging my overactive imagination and not my heart, I said and did some things that could have had the potential to cause permanent damage to this person's trust in me.

When we are faced with situations like these there are only two paths we can follow. The first path is to protect our ego and pride and somehow within our own mind justify the actions we take and the words we use. The damage that is done when choosing this path can often be unrepairable. The second path is to use three of the most powerful words and mean them....I am sorry. Though the words themselves mean very little, it's the actions we take to support them and to insure that the other party understands and appreciates the fact that they are sincerely and heartfully meant that makes all the difference in the world.

It was my wife that showed me the error of my ways and my thinking. As with most things in my life, I owe her an incalculable debt of gratitude for reminding me that being incongruent with the man I am wanting to become does not work for me. She also reminds me that no matter how bad the situation may appear the only way to get to the bottom of it is to talk to the other person about it and not let conclusions or assumptions get the better of me.

Kathy (AKA Mrs. Ripple) thank you for helping me through this and helping me to see how petty and ridiculous I was being. Thanks to you it's time I get to work on rebuilding the foundation of trust that I have cracked but hopefully not completely broken.

So my fine Ripple friends - don't let conclusions and assumptions control you. I know it's easier said than done but it is so important. Like with me, my assumptions and conclusions left unchecked would have cost me the most important relationship I have ever had. That would have been just such a waste!

Ripple On!!!

You Think But Do You Know

I just finished delivering my 3 day customer service training to the State of Texas tax assessors and collectors and boy was it a fun class! I had an amazing group of students who were willing to engage and share, learn and challenge and most of all have fun. It was a good three days and I can honestly say I felt a bit sad yesterday afternoon when everyone said goodbye.

One my students came up to me near the end and told me that she appreciated me challenging her to think about how her staff looks at serving the customer. It made her aware not to assume that her staff understands or appreciates the importance of certain approaches to handling customer situations just because she does.

That's a really big point when it comes to customer service. I think we all assume a lot when it comes to our employees' understanding the hidden rules and unspoken expectations but do they really? You think they do but do you know for sure?

I mean just because you would (without fail) return an important client's voice mail at 5:15 on a Friday afternoon and not wait until Monday doesn't necessarily guarantee your staff will, right? Or perhaps understanding you let the next customer in line know you are ready to check them out by saying "may I help the next person in line" rather than shouting "NEXT!" (Hey Fry's Electronics...are your customers cattle?) Or what about letting a customer walk right out the door without saying a simple "thank you and please come back and see us."

Hmmm can someone say the kiss of death to the customer impression and experience?

These are the little things we all assume our staff understands but I submit they do not. Sure some people are smart enough to catch on and do what they see others doing and you as the manager, business leader or owner hope the powers of observation take in more good rather than bad right? But what happens when you are not around? What happens when the new employee only sees bad examples?

One of the first steps in creating a customer service culture is to focus on the entire experience. Never assume that the person whom you just hired understands or knows what is appropriate language, demeanor or attitude. You have to teach that to them. You have to say, without fail, what your expectations are in no uncertain terms. Then and only then will they begin to understand what you expect of them and how you want them to create an outstanding customer impression and experience.

The little things matter. In today's society we can not take anything for granted. People need to have their level of expectations clearly defined and understand that anything less is unacceptable. Great customer service begins with a good understanding of what it takes to train our people to deliver it. It is worth the time to do it and to keep doing it over and over again so that your staff lives and breaths the little things that your customers need and expect.

Ripple On!!!


Steve Harper