A Positive Attitude

A Positive Attitude

I've worked in retail and the customer service industries most of my life. There are plusses and minuses to being an introvert in those industries.

The biggest plus? It's easy to listen to others talk. (Not gripe, moan or cuss, of course.)

The biggest minus? You're expected to be knowledgeable and solve their problems immediately, whether or not it's their fault.

Regardless, of the attitude of a customer, I've always tried to listen first and ask questions to understand the situation. Customers bring problems to me with emotions from one extreme to another.

"I have a problem, can you please help me?" Response: "Yes, tell me what's going on."

Or, "#$+&$//(-_$#! What are you going to do about it?" Response: "I understand you're upset, let's start with your name and account number and let me see what's going on. I need a thorough understanding of the situation, before I can help solve your problem."

The first person is easy to help, because they asked nicely. The second person is more difficult to want to help since they cussed me, the company I work for, and my mother. I'd love to punch them in the face, and tell them Negative Nellies don't get ice cream where they're going. But no one wins a cussing match.

It's not my problem until they give it to me to handle. Sometimes, they need to vent their frustrations before they can let go of that problem. My job is to listen and understand why they are upset about their situation. It wouldn't matter who was standing in my shoes, the customer would still be angry and yell and cuss. Once they vent and I can get them to tell me what the problem is, then I can begin to resolve it.

How do you stay positive during these tantrums? Start your week and every day in a positive mood. Read daily devotionals, the comics, or listen to upbeat music. Avoid the negatives and embrace the positives. Go the extra mile to resolve a situation, follow up, and express empathy. Stay positive.

Monday Motivationals are a quick one to two-minute read, designed to be a quick pick me up. I hope you will join me on my Facebook page, or my website http://www.tonycfranklin.com every Monday for a quick read to start your week off right.

Thanks for reading,

Tony C. Franklin, Author

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