Continuing on our journey through Customer Service, we now move from the section on questions to wrestle through, over to the undergirding philosophy. I love this part.
Support will look like someone who is willing to lead, willing to bear the good and bad news, but ultimately who will benefit the customer — the end user. It is someone who can be efficient with the customer’s time to not waste that precious gem that we’ve reduced to a commodity. It is also someone to pique the curiosity and a desire to learn in the customer to help them travel through this journey. Lastly, it is humility.
It’s someone who teaches others how to teach. Think about it…our customers are rarely the end-user. So often they are subscribing to our services in order to serve others, their customers or clients. That puts an audacious goal and tremendous responsibility on us to model amazing support AND to train how to train others.
Teaching curiosity is difficult. This can be grueling, yet exciting. It requires clear boundaries to allow growth to be nurtured. One must attend to what is relevant, inhibit what is irrelevant, and remember it until it is done (read Boundaries for Leaders by Henry Cloud). Curiosity cannot be created in a stressful or pressured environment; it can only flourish in a healthy, open, and virtuous environment.
Humility allows us to be good at what we’re good at and not pretend about things which we are not. It is ridiculous for someone to try to act like they know when they don’t…that exposes their own fragile ego and fear of others. Instead, let’s help where we can, admit where we cannot, and take ownership to help the customer no matter our knowledge.
Bottom line: can I honestly answer the question: can I model terrific support leadership to other leaders?
Jeff Beaumont 