Charleston, SC

Friday, December 26, 2008

I am a very demanding customer. I demand your undivided attention. I know that this is a tough challenge. How can you concentrate? There are distractions that never seem to stop – the telephone, E-mail, faxes, text messages, and constant talkers, not to mention endless meetings. How can you give me your undivided attention? Yet, that is what your customers demand.

When I was in fourth grade my teacher constantly chirped, "One thing at a time and that done well is a very good rule as many can tell" Had she never heard of multi-tasking? Did she not know that you could never get through your day concentrating on one thing at a time?

How do you feel when you are at the cashier's station in a department store and she or he interrupts your transaction to answer a phone call or even worse, continues to add up your charges while talking on the phone? You are in your boss's office discussing a very important project and she or he excuses him or herself for an unexpected visitor. Do you like it? What is your reaction when you are at the airline ticket window trying to straighten out a messed up itinerary and the attendant stops to sign for a package? We are not thrilled with multi-tasking when we are the victim. Why should our customers like it any more than we do?

Unfortunately my grade school teacher was right. Whatever we are doing, we need to be into it. We need to be in the moment – not thinking about anything else. When you are with me be with me. Look at me. Keep control of your attention's tendency to wander. Focus! Be 100 percent in the moment. Yes, it is hard. Yes, in the beginning it will take more time. The pay off is that you will make fewer errors. You will have to do fewer things over that eat up more time. You will learn to focus, to handle matters more efficiently and effectively. If you do not think your customer is your most important concern at that moment, think again.

I am amazed when I am in a restaurant and observe a couple obviously out on a date talking to someone other than his or her partner on a cell phone. I was attending a speech by a national figure on a very important issue and the person in front of me was reading the newspaper. The person two rows over was working a crossword puzzle. Why had they come? There were thousands of people there and the nearest major airport was more than an hour away. They had gone to considerable trouble and expense to be there. These are missed opportunities to be fully engaged. I wanted to tell them. Put the newspaper down. Put the crossword puzzle away and focus on the speaker. When you come into my office, silence your cell phone. If that call is more important than your transaction with me, cancel your appointment with me.

How can you remember what I want or what my likes and dislikes are, if you are not fully engaged? Retention is totally out of the question if you paid no attention to begin with. Concentration takes effort. It does not come easy, but the rewards far out weigh the sacrifice. If you are scheduled to be with me then be with me or be somewhere else without me.

Charleston, SC

843-556-2310