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CUSTOMER
SERVICE
--
The Key to Your Reputation --
 You
may have caught all the negative publicity surrounding Air Canada
lately. However, let me relate a positive experience I recently
had at the hands of Air Canada staff.
It
was Sunday, August 17, just after the big Eastern Sea board blackout.
I was returning to Saskatchewan from Toronto on Flight 1153. Now,
remember...there had been many flight cancellations, long waits
and a lot of disgruntled travellers, as well as overworked attendants
and service providers. Perhaps it was understandable that I was
greeted at security with a non-smiling agent who barked, "Put
your bag up here!" Or perhaps not.
Once
on the plane, though, things changed. Jasz, a Flight Attendant,
made all the concerns about service disappear.Jasz greeted me
as I looked for my seat, stowed my briefcase for me and exchanged
pleasantries...all this with a smile on her face and a happy lilt
in her voice. She treated all the passengers this way, for the
entire flight! Jasz was a sharp, and very pleasant, contrast with
the security agent.
So
it's Jasz I'll remember with appreciation. People like her are
the ones who give Air Canada a good reputation.
What
kind of service do your clients receive? What kind of a reputation
is your business creating?
Conversation
Phobia
 Do
you have trouble talking to people? Does the thought of meeting
someone new and having a conversation with that one make you break
out in a sweat? Do you agonize over what to say to someone? If
you feel like this, you're not alone. Many of us have conversation
phobias, fearing something ridiculous (in our minds) or boring
is going to come out of our mouths!
The
main thing to remember is you are generally much harder on yourself
than other people are. If you forget someone's name, or mispronounce
a word, or drop the conversational "ball", most people
don't mind or even notice. Often, if they do notice, they think
of the times when the same thing has happened to them and feel
empathy rather than judgment.
Try
to relax. Realize that you have as much to contribute as the next
person. Don't focus so much on yourself. If you have a hard time
thinking of what to say, ask questions. It will demonstrate your
interest in them and help you to discover common interests. Once
you do that, you will naturally respond with observations and
experiences of your own.
If
you know ahead of time that you will be conversing with someone,
prepare a few things to talk about. Keeping abreast of the latest
news stories and of developments in your field of business will
ensure you always have some current and interesting items to discuss.
You don't have to say a lot. Conversation is a interchange of
words, with people taking turns talking and listening. There's
nothing worse than someone monopolizing the conversation so that
no one else can get a word in.
So
do your homework...think of questions to ask, topics to discuss,
items of interest to others. Then, just get out there and talk!
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UPCOMING
WORKSHOPS 
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this newsletter in your inbox every month...
Quote
"If
it takes a lot of
words to say what
you have in mind,
give it more thought."
~
Dennis Roth~
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read back issues of Knight Views, go to the archives.
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