One of the most important questions relate to when they focus on improving their quantity and quality of business is: “What is my competitive advantage? What makes me unique, memorable, special? What really separates me from the rest? While there is no definitive right answers to that question, most people come to some conclusion that customer service is a critical component of their competitive advantage. For most companies, the service provided may vary from exceptional to not so hot, depending on the circumstances. Why is this and why the same company, and even the same people within the company to offer a world class service part time, and the marginal (or worse) other times? The answer can be found in another question: “What do you (or your staff) happy when it serves its customers?” While these answers also vary, most people come with some type of variation of “I am happy when my client is happy. “We do not like dealing with agitated or disgruntled people? Usually not. We derive our joy from delivering value, making others feel good about their experience, and to overcome people’s expectations. What is first, then? “The Happy Customer or the person serving the customer happy? This is not the chicken or the egg dilemma. The happy person serving the customer’s needs come first, because very rarely is a day when the customer enters your business looking to cheer you up. All this seems very obvious.

At the same time that people realize this truth, it is rare that people consciously take steps to ensure that their most important assets of customer being served too much – either in person on staff in another department, or if that person is YOU. It is essential to continuously improve the emotional, physical and mental support they are providing people to serve their customers. One of my friends and colleagues Paul Wesselemann, shared a story about his time working in a network of HIV / AIDS support. He explained how it was absolutely unacceptable to come to work when he still felt a little sick, as even the smallest cold could be extremely dangerous for a person with HIV. He was required first to take care of yourself, make sure that was 100% before he was allowed to offer help and support others. How has committed to take the same care as their needs? Their task during the month is to identify and act on a couple of ways to stay properly so you can take care of your customers is always important.