Last week I was privileged to be the recipient of some excellent customer service. The person who rendered this service is our account manager for one of our benefits providers. I was very impressed and sent her a "Thank You" e-mail letting her know how much I appreciated her help. She responded with this:"That is what you kindly pay us for."
I had to stop and think about what she wrote. Is that what we kindly pay her for?
Do we pay her to provide excellent customer service or do we pay her because she provides us with excellent customer service? There is a subtle, but important, difference.
If we pay her to provide excellent customer service it implies that only by paying will we get customer service. What if I weren't paying her and what if I was just a Joe on the street that needed directions. Would she help me? I believe she would because that is the kind of person she is. To provide a service only because one is paid to provide it is cheap and degrading to one's own self.
We kindly pay her because she provides us with excellent customer service. It is out of recognition and retention - not out of motivation - that we pay her.
We are not paid to be coerced into doing something. We are paid because we do a good job and employers knows that unless they recognize us fairly - based on market standards - we will need to go somewhere else for that recognition.
So, I answer my Account Manager's comment. I would have to agree - as long as it is understood we don't pay her to render that type of service. We pay her because she does render that type of service and that is the kind of person she is. We are not cheap and we should not be treated as commodities to be bartered or sold - nor should we sell ourselves. We should respect ourselves enough to always act our best and to render service to our fellow man at all times to the best of our ability. This service by act, word and commodity which meets a need and is squared by integrity and measured by the golden rule, is the one that is most desired.
And, in our imperfect world, that is what we should be kindly paid for.
