Before I became a minister I worked in the field of information technology providing computer support for fellow employees of a large oil company. In my 24 years there I had several occasions to take classes on customer service. Now this may be obvious to some, but others might wonder why I would need to be trained in customer service if I didn’t interact with anyone outside the company. The answer, as I learned, is that everyone who performs a job has customers.
Here’s something to think about: As a Christian, YOU have “customers” and should give them good service. One kind of customer you have is the guest who visits our services at Northside.
Below are three customer service rules that we all should apply as we interact with Northside’s customers.
#1 – Commit to quality service. One time I got my oil changed at a local establishment which shall remain nameless. When I paid and walked to my car, there were no keys in the ignition. I went back inside to get them, but no one could find them. To make a long story short, they had given my keys to a different customer who, for some reason, had taken them home! I had to wait an hour while the shop figured out where my keys were and drove to get them. To put icing on the cake, they offered no compensation for my inconvenience! In my book, that’s not quality service. Needless to say, I took my business elsewhere the next time. Northside Translation – When guests visit Northside, what kind of experience do they have? Do you provide quality customer service? Do you make a point of meeting people you don’t know to help them feel welcome? Teachers, do you deliver quality lessons? Valet parking workers, do you park those cars with a smile on your face?
#2 – Always be helpful, even if there doesn’t seem to be an immediate benefit. Sometimes my auto mechanic fixes a simple problem for free. When he does that, guess who I’m going back to next time? And guess how many people I’ll tell that story to? Northside Translation – How can you be helpful to guests at Northside so they’ll want to visit again, and so they’ll encourage their friends to visit?
#3 – Go the extra mile. (This one’s related to #2.) If you’re at the grocery store looking for the seaweed chips, would you rather be told which aisle they’re on or have the store employee take you to them? Northside Translation – If you see a guest at Northside who can’t find their class, don’t just tell them how to find it—take them there and introduce them to the teacher or class leader.
At Northside, our guests, in a way, are our customers. How good is your customer service?