When Common Sense Should Prevail

I recently spent a couple of days in the hospital. Nothing serious…just needed a small tune-up. One of the things I’ve really focused on in recent years is the simple act of observation. Not so much on observing things and beautiful scenery, although I do try to do that, but on observing people.

So as I tuned and turned the volume up on my listening rod those couple of days, I observed that many patients had not figured out one simple hospital fact: Be VERY nice to the nurses and techs! Don’t worry so much about the doctors who come around sporadically. They are important, but the nurses and techs are the ones who do the heavy lifting with patient care and service 24/7. They are often the unrecognized heroines and heros  of our society!!! Show and tell them you genuinely appreciate everything they do, and the great care they give. Three interesting things happen when you do: THEY feel better, you get even BETTER service from them, and YOU feel better when you’ve made THEM feel better! It’s definitely WIN, WIN, WIN.

How does this apply to banking? Well, even more than your board and senior management group, your staff, from the newest to the most veteran contact and non-contact staffers all across your bank, is the group that is really your nurses and tech group. They take care of easy customer situations, difficult customer situations, winey customer situations, appreciative and unappreciative customer situations, happy and unhappy customers, and on and on. They provide your customers with the service they want and need to remain customers, and as a result of doing that, they put food on your table, and a roof over your head. What a group! Are they special? Absolutely! Should you show and tell them you appreciate them? At every opportunity, and minus an opportunity, create one! They’ll be happier, your customers will get the service they want to be happy, and you’ll be happier too! It’s WIN, WIN, WIN for sure!

Loosen up and PRAISE. Your staffer will feel better, and so will you!

Since I work with banks every day, I’m sensitive to regs, current issues, opportunities. I have a business bank account in my home community, and I recently sent this letter to the area supervisor of one of the bank tellers. I’m changing the town name and the names of the people involved, but everything else is exactly as I wrote it. My letter will be in quotes. 

 “ Dear Judy, 

I’m sending you this note to commend Susan Johnson, a Branch Service Leader at one of your Brownsville offices. Susan has never asked me, or in any way implied to me, that I should send you a commendation letter. I just strongly believe that if we feel we have the right to complain when poor service is given, we should also step up and acknowledge excellent service when it is given! 

In these times of economic challenge, too few employees understand the importance of providing customer service that goes beyond customer expectations. Susan does. Every time I come into the bank, Susan greets me with a smile and calls me by name. And it’s not just me. She does the same with just about every other customer too! Over the years, I’ve heard many customers comment on it positively. When I deal with Susan at the teller window, everything is always handled professionally and efficiently too. The bottom line is, I feel good when I leave the bank! 

One reason I am especially sensitive to the area of outstanding customer service is that I own a business where one of our services is providing customer service training to banks. On more than one occasion while training, I have used Susan as an example of how bank customers would like to be treated. Susan is great! 

Sincerely, 

C. Nelson Early” 

Did the letter help Susan? Yes. Did it help me at least as much? Absolutely!!! My application lesson for you as a banker: Don’t spare the praise for your staffers who’ve earned your praise. Everyone benefits, especially the bank!