My son is a junior in high school now.  Getting him to this point has not been easy, because he's the type of person who, when given a homework assignment, determines whether or not it's worth his time.  'Why do I need to know that?' Is something I hear frequently.  It's not as if he's not capable.  When he wanted to get his drivers' permit, he studied online for 20 minutes and passed with flying colors.  Studying is simply not a priority for him and no amount of reward or penalty has changed that fact. 

Not making service a priority often can be evident in every industry out there:  restaurants, stores, travel, business, etc.  Similar to my son, it's not as if everyone doesn't agree service is important, but there may be emergencies and other priorities that frequently take precedence. 

When poor service occurs however, we need to recognize that experience impacts more than just that one transaction.  People talk.  These days, people use social media and cyber-talk.       It's also been shown to be much more profitable to keep clients than to get a new one.   Even in a poor economy, great service has been shown to be worthwhile.   And if you can turn your clients into net promoters?   Wow!  Then you have clients selling your business for you!  

Continually making service a priority is a challenge in today's environment, when resources may be tight and priorities may be focused elsewhere.  Recognize service can be done creatively, however, doesn't need to cost a lot or take a lot of time, and the benefits pay dividends.  The links I provided you today will help you make the business case for prioritizing  a great service experience for your clients.  And as for my son?  I finally see signs that he's outgrowing his view on homework; he's realizing he needs to reevaluate his priorities!  It couldn't have happened too soon for me. 

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