When I think of customer service, the first thing that comes to mind is walking into a restaurant or a store and having one of the employees greet me, understand my needs, and ensure that I have a positive experience throughout the transaction.  When the experience is positive, we hardly even notice the great customer service.  But, when it is poor we sure do.

So this begs the question – are we all involved in customer service?  I would argue that whether as the leader of a team or organization, manager of a section, or salesperson at a store, we all are involved in customer service.  In fact, I would even go a step further and say that if we interact in any way with another person we should be concerned with customer service.

In the Marine Corps we place a large emphasis on who is supported in an operation, and who is supporting the operation.  For example, when I am flying a close air support mission in support of Marines on the ground, the Marines on the ground are the supported unit, and I am doing the supporting.  In this case, the Marines on the ground are the customer, and my job is to provide customer service.  Accordingly, as I provide support for the Marines on the ground, I work very hard to ensure that I communicate clearly with them, relay the realistic constraints such as weather or weapons available, and provide them the “service” they need – in this case the right ordnance at the right time.

So what is important when it comes to serving our “customers?”

• First, we must listen to our customers. In order to serve a person or meet a need, we need to actively listen to their problem.  Albert Einstein said that if given a hard problem, he would spend “55 minutes defining the problem, and five minutes solving it.”  Accordingly, the majority of our time should be spent on listening and understanding the problem before we attempt to meet the need.
• Second, we must be realistic with regards to what we can offer the customer. This is where we kindly, but firmly explain what we can offer as well as both the benefits and limitations of the offer.  For example, from my experience working in human resources (HR), I was unable to place every person into the job they desire.  Therefore, I listen to their needs, show them I understand their desires and empathize with their situation, but also present them with the current reality.  With this, I must be quick to explain the “why” of the situation, as well as both the limitations and the opportunities presented by the current reality.
• Third, we must follow through. After listening to the needs of the customer and explaining how we can meet those needs with respect to the current reality, we must immediately follow through and ensure we actively meet those needs.

The simple act of listening, explaining how needs can be met within the realistic constraints, and then following through on the mutual agreement goes a long way toward providing excellent customer service.

Every interaction we have is in some small way a type of customer service – it is important to remember that, even though we are not always trying to sell something, we are responsible for meeting certain needs.  And these interactions, no matter how small, are all acts of service to others.