You Can't Take Care of Your Customers if You Don't Take Care of
Yourself!
By Catherine DeVrye
"I'm too busy to exercise. I never have enough time for family and
friends. Who can spare an hour to go to the gym? How can I read a book or
listen to music when I've got so much to do?"
Does this sound familiar? No doubt you've either spoken or heard one of
these distressed comments. After all, we've gone to seminars and been told
that the customer is number one. Rubbish!
Even as the author of a #1 best-selling book on customer service, I
know that customer well-being is not nearly as important as my personal
well-being. Now, this may sound selfish and contrary to popular business
thinking but I can't possibly serve others to the best of my ability
unless I have ample physical and mental reserves myself. We need to be at
our personal best to give our personal best.
If we're at work and feeling guilty about yelling at the kids or not
calling our aged parents; or resentful that we had to forgo a golf game to
work on a quality certification all weekend, what frame of mind will we be
in to greet our customers?
Try as we might, the best customer service providers are only human
(apart from the automatic teller machines!), and all humans need to have
their batteries recharged. Some daily exercise helps restore the balance.
A simple walk will suffice for a marathon. And daily means every day!
As far back as the times of Aristotle, a correlation between a healthy
mind and a healthy body was recognized. Often the only treadmill people
are on is the one of constantly working. We're so busy being busy; so
tired of being tired that like the treadmill, it feels like we're
frantically moving but getting nowhere.
As a reformed workaholic, I know that physical and mental relaxation is
easier to talk about than do. It's easier still to get into a vicious
cycle of working harder in the hope that you will have more leisure time;
to get more customers so you can afford that long overdue holiday.
But if you take better care of yourself you'll be able to take better
care of your customers. In return, they will take better care of your
financial needs through repeat business. So remember that:
'You can't take care of your customers if you don't take care of
yourself.'
About the author: Catherine DeVrye is the author
of the #1 best seller 'Good Service is Good Business' and the newly
released inspirational gift book 'Hope Happens!…words of encouragement
for tough times'. Winner of the Australian Executive Woman of the Year
Award, she speaks internationally on managing change, customer service and
turning obstacles to opportunities. www.hopehappensnow.com
Phone: 61-2-9977-3177. Email: office@greatmotivation.com
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