The Value of A Customer

I was waiting in the lobby at the doctor's office with my daughter when a lady arrived to check in at the front desk. The woman behind the desk asked for her name and then immediately stated in a stern loud voice, "You're late!". The patient looked astonished that she would be reprimanded by the receptionist, as if she were a little girl getting yelled at by her mother. I felt bad for the patient, even if she was late, she doesn't deserve to be treated in a degrading way. Furthermore, I thought to myself, "This receptionist should be treating her with the utmost respect, especially because if it wasn't for this patient, the employee would be out of a job. Okay, if you're late, you may have to wait longer or you may even have to reschedule your appointment. Either way, no one deserves to be treated this way, especially by an employee. What message does this send to the patients waiting to be seen by their doctors? It sends out messages that say, "you aren't important", "you are a burden to my day", "we don't care about you", "we are doing you a favor by being here". How is that for quality customer service? We must train our employees to see the big picture. They need to realize the patients, clients and customers are the only reason they have a job. If the business loses customers, the employees are out of a job. It sounds simple and frankly, it should be. However, employees tend to think in "us and them" terms and believe they are doing right by supporting the owner or boss (or doctor in this case). Yet, they don't realize they need to respectfully work with the customers as if they were on their side. If they can come from this angle, the clients feel acknowledged and respected and problems are easier to work out. Even if the customer is in the wrong, by listening to them and assisting them through the issue, they can often come to a peaceful solution. Training your staff to deal with challenges objectively instead of subjectively will boost their self confidence in dealing with difficult issues before they become confrontations. Learning how to keep emotions in check will help employees deal with the facts instead of bringing in personal opinions and judgments. For more information on coping with emotions in the workplace, contact us at 239-948-8080. http://www.leadmetosucceed.com/ Renee Kennedy-Edwards, MS / President /COACHING 4 SUCCESS, INC.