Service

This value is about customer service and delighting those who interact with you and your company. It looks like putting a smile on your client’s face, “wowing them” with what you provide and ensuring that they receive the best experience possible. Ultimately, service is putting others first, and going above and beyond to attain excellence. Problem Solving, Empathy and Flexibility are key to fostering this value. According to Hubspot, customer obsession describes “organizations that continuously add value to the customer experience. These companies collect feedback regularly and prioritize customer needs in every business goal” (Fontanella, 2019). 

Problem Solving

Is the “ability to find solutions to problems in situations where emotions are involved. Problem solving includes the ability to understand how emotions impact decision making” (MHS, 2011). Valuing service means you do whatever it takes to solve the problems that your clients face. You are personally invested in your clients’ experience and don’t hold back in showing them that no obstacle is too big to overcome. 

Empathy 

Is “recognising, understanding, and appreciating how other people feel. Empathy involves being able to articulate your understanding of another’s perspective and behaving in a way that respects others’ feelings” (MHS, 2011). Listening to your customers and understanding who they are, where they are coming from, and what they need, is crucial to success. These are all signs of empathy. Something as simple as increasing interactions with your client base will build empathy. Or running surveys with your customers to hear what is really going on for them, and what makes them tick. 

Flexibility

Is “adapting emotions, thoughts, and behaviours to unfamiliar, unpredictable, and dynamic circumstances or ideas” (MHS, 2011). It comes as no surprise that some of the individuals we encounter are “tricky customers”. Flexibility is a crucial skill in dealing with challenging individuals. Being able to adapt to the unknown, particularly when the “unknown” is impolite, is a key way of fostering good customer service. Flexibility involves “changing behaviour when change is needed and persisting when persistence is needed, to accomplish desired ends.” (Hayes & Strosahl, 2004).  A company that values service needs individuals who can engage effectively with a variety of characters and customers – and the complex set of differing opinions and perspectives this entails.