Five Things Mom Taught You About Customer Service

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Moms are famous for coming up with those momentmous words of wisdom we call “mommalies.”  They are phrases like, “If you fall out of that tree and break both of your legs, don’t come running to me,” or “There are plenty of hungry children in India who would love your food.”  To which I once replied, “Good, then send it to them.”  Let’s just say I still remember what happened next and it involved a belt, but I digress.

 Our mom’s and dad’s passed on a lot of wisdom that came from their parents.  Much of it was so common sense that it’s become overlooked.  Here are the top five that apply directly to customer service.

 1.  Mind Your Manners — In today’s business world many times common courtesy goes out the window as we strive to make the almighty dollar.

2.  Play Fair–Just because you have a big competitor isn’t permission to tell lies or cheat.  I guess that comes back to another one of mom’s sayings, “Honesty is the best policy.”

3.  Say “Thank You” –We live in a culture that is stuck on entitlement.  Everyone thinks they deserve something, and so many times we forget to show gratitude for the little niceties that are done for us in business or otherwise.  A little attention here can make all the difference.

4.  Keep Your Promises –Here’s the quickest way to destroy your business reputation and get all kinds of negative press –promise something, and then fail to deliver on it.  This is probably one of the biggest mistakes being made in business today.

5.  Say “You’re Sorry”  — We’re all human, and we’re all going to mess up.  Still we’re pretty likely to forgive, as long as someone is willing to admit they made a mistake.

In the next few weeks, we’ll examine specific instances where companies break these basic rules, and the consequences that follow.  We’ll explore how following mom’s advice will make you a winner, not to mention “Mom, would be proud!”

If you have examples of any of the rules being followed or broken, I’d love to hear them, just post a comment here.