Article: Creating A Mythology Of Customer Service
I’ve just added another article to my oldies but goodies section - Creating A Mythology Of Customer Service. It was originally published by Industry Week Magazine. Here is a teaser…
We might better understand customer service by examining the ancient myths about people serving other people. But, guess what? There don’t seem to be many such myths.
In the absence of a rich body of mythology about service to others, a leader can practice the art of leadership by creating one.
And another thing…my introduction here of the The Coordinating Conjunction Preference Life Orientation Indicator has surprisingly (to me at least) generated some interest, so I plan to summarize what commenters have said in the next week or two. Stay tuned. If you don’t know about this little excursion that began as a lark (well, maybe half-a-lark), find out more by looking at the original post and comments, and the a follow-up post.
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August 6th, 2006 at 4:02 am
You raise an interesting idea here Dick. One which needs further discussion and analysis.
Myth is Story that lasts the distance. Stories are told to entertain, enlighten and educate. They teach, warn, extol and indicate. Story engages us and helps us to make sense of our world. We all have a Story to tell.
Customers are very good at telling the ‘Warning Story’ of bad service. We do it all the time to friends and family over morning tea! We are also happy to tell stories to our friends of excellent service if and when we happen across it.
In the dry, dusty echelons of business - the need for Story has been delegated to the “Marketing Dept.” These kinds of “stories” have left a slightly bitter taste in the mouths of many a customer. The “Story” we see in advertising hype often isn’t the same “Story” we get from our experience. This leads to deathly mistrust and bad relationships between businesses and customers.
It would figure then that our corporate and small business leaders need to be given tools and the courage to “Tell Stories” about their businesses (not lies incidently) … creatively, to their staff, AND to their customers.
They need to tell the stories that build trust. They need to tell the stories that build enthusiasm. They need to tell stories that have impact.
We all love a good story and the very best ones become Myth.
Mitch
August 6th, 2006 at 7:57 pm
I agree- I think stories play an integral part in our lives. When in despair we look for stories of hope; when in doubt we look for stories of guidance. In fact Gestalt psychologists will tell you of the immense need in the human mind for closure- we see three dots as triangle, blotches on the wall as meaningful shapes. This need for meaning, for interconnectedness, for continuity- manifests in our reliance on stories to sustain the fabric of our lives.
The thing is- with our changing lifestyles we’re loosing out on ’story telling’ occasions. In an environment where gathering without purpose is looked down upon and we need reasons to call even people we know- where do we find the ’story telling’ moments? Plus, just like a good blog (that’s why I like this medium)- the story teller needs to be authentic, and the story needs to be grounded in experience.
Not only do the leaders (& managers) need to build a repertoire of stories- they also need to think actively about the means and occasions which can be used to share these.
August 7th, 2006 at 8:14 am
Mitch and Astha - I agree with all of what both of you have said. Thanks for extending the idea in the article.
I was struck in particular by Astha’s notion of loosing out on storytelling occasions. I would add that the need for such occasions is grossly undervalued. It very well may be a deep human need to tell our own story and to listen to the stories of others.
I do know that in times of loss a good story to explain the loss goes a long way toward healing. In those cases, the story need not even be “objectively true.” It need only be true to the person who needs the story. I have found it to be a good idea to allow people in those circumstances to have their story even if it seems untrue to me.