“This job is not for me”, I heard it over and over again. I even heard it from my co-workers, clients and friends. Did they admire what I did? I don’t think so! We often don’t put too much thought into someone else’s life, but we like to sound supportive.
Customer service was not my personal choice. I was told I had a skill and the job was at that time available. Over years I got accustomed to what I did, I learned to love it. At least I used to say so. I dealt with ‘difficult’ clients and solved issues as they appeared. Sounds simple, but in reality it cost me a lot of time to learn, understand the real issue and find a way to make people happy.
I worked at a luxury resort. One day a man came to my office and asked for directions. It was the time when the previous client just stepped out of my office, screaming and shouting, claiming I was the reason his holiday was not going as expected. Right after that the phone rang, and my boss requested the reports for the past several months, claiming it was urgent. I felt exhausted and noticeably had to force a smile on my face to respond to a stranger who had no connection to my inner troubles.
The client who asked me for directions was polite and cheerful; he thanked me for my help. Then he suddenly stopped and asked for permission to ask another question. Unconsciously I must have caught his positive energy and was open to continue the conversation forgetting to rush to deliver the reports. He asked me “What is your secret to stay calm when people around you are losing their cool?” Unexpected question did not make me think much further. I assumed he must have heard the conversation with the previous client. He was on vacation and had a luxury to get philosophical with strangers. “I think about flowers”, I responded.
He smiled and shook his head in agreement. “I am glad you’ve discovered the secret, I do the same when speaking to people who are trying to argue with me, but I prefer to think about dogs, I simply like them”. His answer was unexpected and we switched the roles of who was initiating the conversation. Now I wanted to know more about it. The generic answer I gave had nothing to do with what I was really thinking, but he caught the philosophy behind it.
Our own reaction to events and people determines the outcome, our emotional state and the future results. Taking everything and everyone personally can cause actions that we might regret sooner or later. In my opinion, it is possible to develop the skill, which is to identify what is important to us right at that moment, and choose what to do next. We should base our actions on our clear decisions and priorities, not on our initial emotions. Start with thinking about flowers, dogs, family, or loved ones. Do not think with your mind, it can lead you to miss out on the actual conversation which can cause more distraction as the opponent can get offended by your poor listening skills. Think with your heart. Absorb the information but emotionally stay in your happy place, a beautiful field with colorful flowers. Do not invite them in. It is your choice to agree to take what someone is offering you, including negativity and anger. Giving is an action, and can only be complete if someone has accepted what is presented. The same happens when you offend or love somebody. Once the person chooses to accept and feel it, you’ve succeeded in your intention. Before that it is just an attempt, not a complete action.
Courtesy: Tatsiana Chykhayeva
No comments:
Post a Comment