We’re back with day four of CSOFT’s Customer Service Week series to offer you another fresh perspective on ways to enhance your approach to service. Today part four – the virtue of innovation. Similar to each post this week, today we will discuss how to improve customer service through a Taoist lens. If this sounds wacky and offbeat… well, we admit that it is! But give it a few more minutes’ thought (and reading), and trust us, it’ll all come together in the end.
The philosophy and teachings behind Taoism form more than just a simple belief; Tao is a way of life that requires mindful application in daily living. As it applies to customer service, we have long thought that the traditional customer service model needed a change. Customer service should not just be a reaction to situations gone wrong or focused merely on placating dissatisfied customers; like Taoism, customer service should be a combined set of beliefs, attitudes and practices that build and nurture the relationship between client and service provider.
In our previous posts, we’ve set forth the concept of focus, the importance of understanding your client’s angle of perception, and the art of responsiveness. Today we will discuss how innovation is related to customer service.
The Fourth Virtue: Force yourself to innovate – the virtue of innovation
Innovation tends to be nothing more than a buzzword in business, but it does have its place in the sense that it’s an introduction of and reaction to new things. Often times, when companies speak of innovation, they’re referring to technology, or something strictly within the confines of research and development. However, in a broader sense, personal innovation across your entire organization is what brings your business—and service—to life.
Innovation is a personal responsibility that comes from within. And because innovation is an internal force, it requires self-awareness and humility. You have to take a close look at what you’re doing and ask yourself, “Am I doing this right?” or “Can this be done more efficiently?”
Your reaction to these questions doesn’t have to be a drastic solution or complete about-face; it can be a focus on incremental improvement. A healthy dose of self-doubt mixed with the aspiration to perform better is one of the keys to improving your efficiency and, in the end, providing your business associates with superior customer service.
More often than not, innovation is stunted by each person’s aversion to change. People are creatures of habit, and we relish in maintaining the status quo. But the fact of the matter is that the world is in a constant state of flux, and if we don’t challenge ourselves to fight the current and gain a bit of upstream momentum, sooner or later we’ll find ourselves getting swept away to staler waters.
So be fresh, treat change as an opportunity, and innovate to stay ahead of the competition.
Come on by tomorrow for our final virtue…and bring your sense of humor!
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