Bad Customer Service Can Become a Habit

One day my assistant came in late. Not a big deal. That was until she
came in late two more times that week. The following week the same
thing happened again. This was becoming a habit – and not a good one.

So, we had a short talk about it. I asked her what our mantra was at
Shepard Presentations. She said, “To be amazing.” She was right.

So, I asked her, “Is showing up late three or four times a week amazing behavior?”

She gave me the obvious answer, “No.”

I replied, “I agree. This is a habit that must stop. So, you have a choice. Be amazing or go home.”

She smiled and said, “That’s a great title for a book! You better write that down.”

I did, and guess what? It became a book, officially titled, Be Amazing or Go Home: Seven Customer Service Habits that Create Confidence with Everyone.

You see, if showing up late is a bad habit, then showing up early is a good habit.
Delivering good customer service is a habit. You know what’s right. You
practice it day after day on real customers. You get better at it. You
may even get special customer service training. And, when it becomes
natural, it’s like many other good things you do over and over. It
becomes a habit.

When I was just twelve years old I started my own business; doing
magic shows for children’s birthday parties. There were several
important habits I picked up from my parents. I wrote thank you notes to
the parents that hired me to perform for their child’s party. I always
showed up on time. I always did the best job I could, never giving less
than 100%. I always stayed a little longer than expected, and the
parents really appreciated that. I had to consciously think about doing
all of that and more until I did it enough times that it became natural.
It became my version of common sense. That’s what makes it a habit.

Those habits as a twelve-year-old magician stayed with me. Today,
these habits drive my business. I’ve shared with you a story about my
assistant. That’s the first lesson in the book. It’s simply this:

Amazing people show up ready to amaze!

What that means is if the office opens at 8:00. Showing up at 8:00
isn’t really showing up on time. It’s getting there on time. Showing up
on time, ready to amaze, is arriving early enough to be ready to go at
8:00. There’s a difference.















By the way, my assistant broke the bad habit and started showing up to work on time. She chose not to go home. She chose to be amazing!