Good customer service requires more than just saying the appropriate phrases and satisfying the customers requests. The quality of being free from pretense, deceit, or hypocrisy must both be true and perceived as such.
I had an interesting experience today well making some adjustments to my policy with a large ensurer. Although I was assured I was a valued customer and the agents goal was to treat me as such, I perceived this not to be the case.
Make it Real
Today, I quickly felt the agents script to be phony, geared not at truly satisfying me but more as a screen to prove he was doing his job as prescribed (in case the call was monitored) .
I was just one more call to be walked through smoothly using stock phrases and answers. On the surface the interaction was polite but really felt unnatural.
Truely satisfactory service requires a high degree of empathy between the responder and requestor. Key to a positive service experience is understand how you feel and guaging responses on that basis.
Make a Connection
It might be a bit surprising to say, even if the objective of your request is met, without experiencing the human connection, (i.e., the agent or advisor really gets you) your overall satisfaction level will not be great.
When dealing with others remember the best results will always come when you have chemistry with each other (to coin a common acting term.)
Even when encountering a stranger, as a service interaction so often is, focus first on knowing your customer and second on results. The results actually will flow naturally with this approach.
