Awakening Kindness

I just finished reading Awakening Kindness by Nawang Khechog, and while I thought the book was mediocre (it might be good for someone new to Buddhism, but honestly, it's a very 'tired' theme for me) I thought it had a few great nuggets of wisdom, nuggets that can easily be applied to the customer service profession.

(1) All living creatures want happiness - This is a common theme throughout Buddhism. All creatures seek happiness, although happiness to one person is different than happiness to another person. As customer service professionals we have to determine what that is and we cannot assume that your customer wants the same thing you would want. But at its root, people do want to be treated with respect - that's pretty common. No matter how ridiculous a customer's request might be, treat that request - and the customer - with respect. See how it goes. In my own life I've just completed a month-long issue with my Internet Service Provider. A month. I was close to bolting and finding a new provider, but the company did have a few people that treated me, and my problem, with respect. There was one however that didn't, and believe me, I could have easily left because of that one person (it's a small, local company). There was also a tech support person that wasn't very respectful toward me. Neither thought I knew what I was talking about and were both confident that my problem was with one piece of equipment or another. The thing is, they were so stubborn in their belief that they did not listen to what I was saying. But that's a them for another post.

(2) Kindness begets kindness. So simple, so true, but so hard to practice. The nicer - and more respectful - you are toward others, the nicer they are in return. This is almost universally true. Sure, there are some exceptions, but not many. Those of us who have spent time in call centers know that the same people get the bad calls "over and over" again. But guess what? It's not the customer, it's the representative who receives the call! I know this is hard, but the next time a customer is upset with you, try being kind. I've always used an acronym for this: take the HEAT:

Hear them out
Empathize
Apologize
Take Action

This is a good way to express kindness to the customer and let them know you respect them.

Again, I know this isn't easy. Customer service professionals usually get the problem calls and most of the time someone can't pay their bill for some reason or another and as a professional, I'm sure you've heard it all - illness, lost job, car repairs, etc. To you, this is run of the mill. But try to put yourself in the customer's place (and do not assume they are lying - that will only make things worse!). There aren't many people who enjoy not being able to meet their financial obligations. How would you feel if you lost your job - and your income? Sure, the customer could have saved more, or should have been more careful about their job, but coulda, woulda, shoulda doesn't help. Kindness does. Try it next time.

Next time you have a problem call, take a mental pause and ask yourself:
- How is this person feeling right now?
- What do they want and need?
- What can I do to help them?

Remember, the good customer service professional doesn't look at it as them vs. the customer, but instead as them and the customer vs. the problem.

Tashi Delek!
Al