Your Inner Customer Service Rep

I’ve had a long love affair with customer service representatives and am not shy to discuss it.

I’m not sure what it is, but the moment they hear my voice they transform into extraterrestrial creatures intent on making my day miserable. Either that or they have caller ID.

So it came as a surprise that I found myself in their ranks during an ER shift recently.

The woman I was dealing with seemed normal enough on the outside. Her kid had tested negative for the flu a few hours before at the doctor’s office. They had gone home, the kid got a headache, and they now found themselves facing me: customer service representative extraordinaire for the whole of Pediatrics.

Only, that mother didn’t think so. She wanted Tamiflu. “Why in the world would I give a kid with a normal exam and a negative flu test tamiflu?” I asked. Well, because all 26 kids in the class were on tamiflu. “Really?” I answered. “All 26 kids? Every single 26 child in your daughter’s class is currently on tamiflu?” I smirked.

That wasn’t a smart question to ask, I later reflected.

But I realized this: we are all customer service representatives of one thing or another. And as Christians, we are customer service representatives of Jesus Christ himself. The apostle Paul preferred the imagery of an ambassador in second Corinthians 5:20, but that’s just because they didn’t have customer service reps in the Bible.

So I thought I’d share with you 5 tips for better customer service in your Christian walk:

1. Don’t blame the customer. This is a variation of “the customer is always right” because that simply isn’t true. The customer is not always right. In fact, the customer is usually wrong, but you must not attack, criticize, ridicule or blame the customer. Try loving the customer instead. It’s not easy, but it works amazingly better.

2. Be convinced about the product. You can’t sell what you don’t believe in, and you certainly cannot sell what you haven’t bought. Are you a satisfied customer yourself? I’m not trying to equate Christianity with a product. If you’ve read this blog you know I believe it’s much much more than that. Jesus Christ is my life. But unless you are satisfied with His presence and ways you cannot begin to invite others to join you!

3. Establish relationship with the customer. Last night I picked up the phone and called Nutrisystem after I saw their ad on TV. I seriously considered buying a month worth of food as I’m running out of time in my life to go to the grocery store. I spent about 30 minutes torturing a guy named John. He was so nice. By the end of the conversation I felt I had gained a new friend. Right before I hung up, and even though I bought nothing, John gave me his direct line at nutrisystem in case I call again. You better believe that if I ever buy a meal prepared by them, I will be buying it from John. You get the point. Develop relationships.

4. Don’t clock out at 5. You can spot them a million miles away. They show up to work a second before the clock and leave a second after their shift is over. They care about one thing – the pay check. They answer your questions, they provide polite and sufficient answers, but they hardly think about the company they work for between shifts, and it shows. Are you that kind of Christian? Do you put on your Jesus jacket for church, then bury it in your closet until the mid week bible study? If that’s you, it shows. Be a 24/7 Christian. You will see your impact increase.

5. You are not a free agent. The customer service rep is the face of the company. It’s true. As a Christian you represent the Lord Jesus Christ. Imagine your boss showing up one day and telling you he’ll be hanging out with you all day long. Would that change the way you work? Would your phone calls take on a different tone? I bet it would. How about this for thought: if you’re a follower of Jesus Christ, He does sit at your desk and listen to every one of your conversations. You may want to throw an extra chair next to you to remind you of this truth.

So. What do you think? Are you ready to embrace your inner customer service representative? Can you think of other tips for excellent customer service? Share them in the comments section below.

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