Give Me The Pickle

Last week I had to attend a customer service training entitled: "Give them the pickle." It is based on Bob Farrell's restaurant experience when a customer complained that he had to pay for a pickle. The outcome was that the customer left and declared never to return if he had to pay for a pickle. Farrell's response: "Give 'em the pickle!" Yes, even in higher education this is apparently the new model. The students are our "customers" and we must dedicate ourselves to serving them better. Right.

Needless to say, I was less than enthusiastic about the event. It required a day of missed classes, extra driving, and a longer day for me -- none of which was appealing. However, in spite of the redundancy of the speaker, the heart of the training was useful. It got me to thinking about how can we "raise the bar" in how we serve others. In short, how can we do more than be average?

Some of the things I have thought about since then are:

Saying "thank you."
Looking a person in the eyes when I greet them.
Having a pleasant tone of voice.
Listening rather than plan my response.
Making someone look better than they are by not passing blame.
Taking responsibility for what I do and doing it better than average.
Being positive in my tasks -- even if it is a task that makes my skin crawl.
Enjoying others rather than dreading them.

Just think. This would not only enhance our work life, but wouldn't they enhance our home life as well?