Customer Service Training | BE CURIOUS
Be curious about all the little things you can do to make a big difference in the service you provide.
The founder of Dell Computers, Michael Dell, was asked what motivated him, given his success and wealth. “What motivates me is curiosity,” he replied, “there is always a better way to do things. I choose to find them.” He then explained: “With my savings I bought an Apple Computer when I was 15. I took it apart to find out how it worked and realized I could make the computer better myself by buying my own components.”
Nanz Chong-Komo, founder of ONE.99 shop in Singapore and winner of the International Management Action Award in 2001, says something similar: “I get insights into people’s lives. Fifty percent of motivation is asking people how they are. Be interested in people first. Be curious.”
Joe Howie, a partner working in the audio, television, and cameras department of the John Lewis department store in Newcastle, UK, regularly takes home new models of cameras and laptops in order to find out about their features. He effectively plays with them until he knows inside out how they work. His curiosity about new products enables him to give his customers the very best advice available.
Chris Hughes, one of the top independent financial advisers with the UK’s Bradford & Bingley bank in 2003, is forever curious about new financial products coming onto the marketplace. He spends a lot of time finding out about the latest offerings so that he is able to give the very best advice to his customers.
Curiosity is akin to an open mind. People with closed minds are not curious. They think they know enough to get them by. Conversely, people who are curious want to know more so that they can improve themselves and the service they provide to customers. They realize that if they do not find a better way then someone else will and they will be out of a job.
The range of possibilities for being curious is vast. Be curious by discovering:
What induced this customer to call your company.
Why this customer is looking so angry.
How this new product works.
What motivates this customer.
What are this customer’s circumstances.
Where this customer comes from.
What type of product this customer normally uses.
Why you have not seen this customer for a long while.
How other companies provide such excellent customer service.
Any national or international news that has an impact on your company’s business.
Curiosity is a state of mind and a precursor to learning. People who are curious do little things like asking lots of questions. They therefore tend to get more answers than other people. In this way, they enhance their knowledge and race ahead in the competition stakes compared with those who rarely ask questions.
If something goes wrong, be curious and ask why. If another person is consistently successful, be curious and discover the reason.
Be curious about how to provide world-class service. If you persist in asking the questions you will obtain the answers and with suitable application you will become the best.
EXCELLENCE CUSTOMER SERVICE PRACTICE
Be curious about things you don’t know and don’t understand. Ask ten new questions every day and put the answers to good use.
EXCELLENCE CUSTOMER SERVICE QUOTE
Curiosity is the essence of success. It is all about discovering a better way to do things.
