Rebecca Coetzee is a young South African woman whom I met while staying on a yacht in Monaco where I was photographing the Grand Prix. She was charged with looking after the 10 guests and did an exceptional job.
Her customer service skills were exemplary, but there was one moment in which she truly shone. I had made numerous trips up and down the stairs to our cabin and was just about to depart the boat when I realised I needed to return my glasses to my cabin. Laden with photo gear, I decided to ask Bec if she would take them down. Instead of saying no and disappointing me, or saying yes and satisfying me, she said “Certainly and would you like me to clean them for you?”, thereby delighting me.
Any customer service person worth their salt, should always aspire to the “delight” option but very few do. Why is that? Sometimes it’s because they’re just not interested in their work. Other times it might be that they’re too lazy, have never been trained or perhaps have not experienced the sight of a delighted customer.
People like Rebecca clearly get something out of seeing the smile and delight on a customer’s face. Sure they get paid a wage, but the bonus for them is being able to positively affect another human in the course of their work. This is the sort of person you want working in your organisation, and yes, they are hard to find which is precisely why they stand out.
Next time you’re in the position Rebecca was in, will you a) disappoint, b) satisfy, or c) delight the customer. If it’s C, you’ll always be in demand.
