Desserts are ALWAYS good.

Which would you prefer: A cupcake that’s plain or one with frosting? A plain doughnut or one with frosting? A dinner with no dessert or one with a dessert?

Which would you prefer: A customer service rep who is plain-faced, emits no emotion, and just says ‘Yes’ when you approach him/her, or a pro who smiles, is engaging and friendly, is polite and respectful, and appreciates your business?

The beauty of Charm Schools.

Years ago, parents used to send their children to a ‘Charm School’ to learn the finishing touches on societal behaviors. Charm school was most popular in the well-to-do and wealthy families in the deep-south and the east coast. Young people learned to use the correct silverware at meals, how to address adults, how to have good posture, physical presence, and many other ‘soft’ etiquette skills.

These days, it’d be harder to find a Charm School than it would to find a 50% increase in your monthly office supply budget.

But that being said, the ‘soft skills’ once learned at those Charm Schools are desperately needed today, perhaps, than ever before.

What makes a Charm School graduate a good customer service rep?

Customers today, just like customers years ago, want the same thing: to be treated fairly, to be treated with respect and to have their requests/needs/concerns to be handled promptly. They want this done by someone who looks like they have respect for themselves (dress, mannerisms, and outlook) and the customer (attentive, respectful, friendly, patient, polite, well-mannered, etc.).

Even ‘fancy’ boys have a Charm School.

Think a Charm School is for sissies, or for snobs? Even the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has a Charm School as part of its curriculum, showing the need for much needed enhanced social and communication skills for their graduates.

Manager’s Recommendation: ‘Focus on being polite.’

Take a week and practice etiquette techniques during each customer service interaction. Be polite to the customers. Be polite to your co-workers.

Action Steps:

• Go to a children’s toy store, and buy a set of plastic tea cups and saucers. Hand a set out to each customer service rep at the beginning of the week.
• Each day, take 5 minutes in a ‘huddle’ with your customer service team, while holding the tea cups and saucers, practicing drinking something from each (water?).
• Talk about the many different ways of doing their daily customer service tasks, while treating customers with respect, during each customer service transaction. All while sipping from the tea cups.
• To REALLY have fun, have everyone, including any guys, hold their ‘pinky’ finger out while drinking. It will help reinforce the ideas of being polite, while doing business.

Time Required:           

• 5 minutes preparation (by Manager)
• 5 minute ‘Huddle’

Results

Demonstrates how learning to be polite, employing good etiquette and showing respect in each customer interaction is like licking the frosting off the cupcake first!