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~Cameron Sinclair

All jobs require us to wear several hats.  No one job is so straight forward that there is no deviation from the one and only responsibility or task.  While there are a few that require minimal juggling of those responsibilities, there are some that require us to consider the reality of wearing  several hats.  For example, you might be the owner of a pizza place, dreaming of making that perfect pizza pie, but there are some days that making pizza is the last thing you’ll get to do.  The computer system is acting up, then the dripping sink in the back, then the soda machine is spitting instead of pouring, etc. In larger businesses all this can be outsourced.  But the pizza place is a small business.  Every time they call a repair man it can have a significant impact on the bottom line.   So, today you may have to be the master chef, plumber, I.T. expert, and soda machine fixer.  I hope you’re getting an idea of how wearing several hats is just a part of most small businesses.  Customer service is no different.  In customer service you are truly wearing 3 hats.  They may not be conscious hats but they are present none the less.

So, what are the 3 Customer Service Hats you must wear?

1.   The Hat of Sales.  You have to wear the hat of sales.  This is about knowing that you’re literally on a stage.  You must keep the customer well informed, engaged, and buying.  A sale made by the salesperson does not end the sales process.  It’s an on-going process.  We are all in sales whether we want to admit it or not.  The truth is I had to “sell” the idea of  liking me to my wife while we were dating, then accepting my offer for marriage, and eventually marrying me.  If you’ve seen her picture you can see that I must be one heck of a salesman!  All joking aside, we are all in sales.  For example, we had to “sell” ourselves to our boss to hire us.  If you’re the boss, you had to “sell” your company’s vision, purpose and yourself to the employees who work for you.  Sales is a natural part of our everyday lives despite the fact that most of us don’t realize it.  As a customer service deliverer or agent you are continually working to ensure that the customer likes the company you own or work for.  This will keep them engaged and preferably buying.

2.  The Hat of Consumer.  The hat of consumer has to do with relating to the consumer, of course.  Exercising sympathy as well as empathy if possible.  You’ve heard the saying: Do not judge until you’ve walked a mile in someone else’s shoes.  That is what wearing the hat of the consumer is about.  Walking that mile in their shoes.  Knowing what it’s like to be on the other side of the counter, phone, or e-mail.  Or in today’s social-savvy world,  the other side of that tweet, Facebook post, or forum post.  You must recognize how being on hold for 10 minutes is really frustrating to people.  Do your best to communicate information.  And be relatable!  If you are disconnected from the realities of being a consumer, it will become evident in your work.  I’ve seen this time and time again where the person that is supposed to be helping you the most, seems disconnected emotionally from the situation.  One word can sum this up – frustrating!

3.  The Hat of Marketing.  The hat of marketing has to do with the promotion of the products or services.  Customer service is a front end, middle, and back end game.  On the front end, your first impressions are essential.  It’s a type of marketing that ensures  your company is represented well from the first point of contact.  The middle is about treating people well and keeping them happy without creating tension.  On the back end, it’s about righting the ship, trying to solve a problem that may have occurred.  At this point, it is imperative that you believe in what your company is providing.  Remember, you are representing the company.  Do a great job and good marketing will happen.  They will leave pleased and go to tell some friends.  Handle the situation poorly and they will tell even more.  Bad marketing!  Regardless of the situation, you are still marketing for your company and providing services to the individual you are dealing with.  Keep them interested and wanting to come back for more, even after the transaction if complete.

So there you have it!  The 3 Hats of Customer Service!  Are you wearing all three?  How can you wear them better?  Have you identified these in your own business?  

I’d love to hear from you!

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