Turn negative situations into positive ones to enhance customer satisfaction

Jim L. McIntosh, operations manager, Blarney Stone Funding Inc.

As published in Scotsman Guide's Residential Edition, October 2005.

Mortgage brokers are in the  business of customer service. Essentially, if you sell anything to the public, you are in a customer-service position. Whether your title is president, sales manager or clerk, you are a customer-service provider. If there were no customers, we would have no jobs, no money, no houses — nothing.

The word service comes from the word serve. If you look it up, you will find that serve means to render assistance, be of use, to help. These definitions are profound —  somebody should post a sign that lists these insightful definitions on every customer-service counter and in every office.

Customer service is a lost art. Bad customer service is so prevalent in the United States that we as a society have come to accept it as the norm. In fact, we are so jaded that when we receive excellent service, we accuse the person of trying too hard or brownnosing.

Food for thought
Consider your own customer-service experiences and techniques and ask yourself the following questions:

• How often do I go somewhere and experience horrible service?
• How often do I go back (for whatever reason)?
• How often do I actually complain or bring bad customer service to the attention of management?
• How often have I provided bad customer service myself?
• How often do I fail to smile, shake hands or even acknowledge someone who has purchased or is about to purchase my product?
• How often do I bring my personal problems to work and take them out on customers?

Do you recognize yourself in any of these questions? As industry professionals, consumers and customer-service providers, we must take a stand and say, “I’m not going to take or give bad service anymore!”

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