{"id":3095,"date":"2009-09-10T08:53:49","date_gmt":"2009-09-10T13:53:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/michaelhyatt.com\/2009\/09\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service.html"},"modified":"2009-09-10T08:53:49","modified_gmt":"2009-09-10T13:53:49","slug":"four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service\/","title":{"rendered":"Four Strategies for Responding to Poor Customer Service"},"content":{"rendered":"

Perhaps you\u2019ve noticed: customer service has deteriorated noticeably since the recession began. Fewer waiters in restaurants. Slower room service in hotels. Longer wait times for support.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

This is hardly surprising. With significant layoffs in almost every industry, fewer people are available to provide the level of service you have come to expect. Everyone is scrambling. Many are stumbling.<\/p>\n

What can you do about it? More than you think. But it begins by adjusting your attitude.<\/em> This is what distinguishes leaders from non-leaders. They have the ability to lead themselves.<\/p>\n

Therefore, here four strategies for responding to poor customer service:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Be more understanding.<\/strong> The people who are trying to serve me are no doubt overworked and underpaid. They are doing the best they can. They didn\u2019t wake up this morning plotting how to disappoint me. They are not stupid or incompetent. Indeed, most of them are frustrated that they don\u2019t have more resources to meet their customers\u2019 needs.<\/li>\n
  2. Express gratitude.<\/strong> It\u2019s easy to focus on all the stuff I am not getting that I think I am entitled to. Instead, I am going to work hard to thank people for all the little stuff they do for me. If I can set aside my expectations, it\u2019s amazing how much more I will notice and acknowledge. A simple, heart-felt \u201cthank you\u201d can re-energize a person who is discouraged and ready to quit.<\/li>\n
  3. Demonstrate patience.<\/strong> Is my need really so urgent or am I really that important that I need it now<\/em>? Probably not. I can use these delays and annoyances to polish my own character and better learn the virtue of patience. This comes down to a simple matter of treating others the way I would want to be treated in a similar situation.<\/li>\n
  4. Extend grace.<\/strong> Someone has said that mercy is not giving people what they deserve while grace is giving people what they don\u2019t deserve. For example, that over-worked waiter didn\u2019t give me the service that I might have received two years ago. But now he\u2019s covering 50% more tables. And people are tipping less. I\u2019m going to give him the full 20%. Why? Because I want to be a gracious and bless him.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    None of this means you have to rollover or accept poor service as the new norm. But you are more likely to get good service if you have a good attitude rather than a bad one. And even if you don\u2019t get better service, you can at least feel better about yourself and what you are becoming.<\/p>\n

    Question: How are you handling poor customer service?<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Perhaps you\u2019ve noticed: customer service has deteriorated noticeably since the recession began. Fewer waiters in restaurants. Slower room service in hotels. Longer wait times for support. This is hardly surprising. With significant layoffs in almost every industry, fewer people are available to provide the level of service you have come to expect. Here are four strategies for responding to poor customer service.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[831,597,238,66,33,430],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFour Strategies for Responding to Poor Customer Service | Full Focus<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fullfocusplanner.com\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Four Strategies for Responding to Poor Customer Service | Full Focus\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Perhaps you\u2019ve noticed: customer service has deteriorated noticeably since the recession began. Fewer waiters in restaurants. Slower room service in hotels. Longer wait times for support. This is hardly surprising. With significant layoffs in almost every industry, fewer people are available to provide the level of service you have come to expect. Here are four strategies for responding to poor customer service.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/fullfocusplanner.com\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Full Focus\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/michaelhyatt\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/michaelhyatt\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2009-09-10T13:53:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Michael Hyatt\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@michaelhyatt\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fullfocusplanner.com\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fullfocusplanner.com\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Michael Hyatt\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/#\/schema\/person\/e326267e17b1b742f4062fcbd4fdfff7\"},\"headline\":\"Four Strategies for Responding to Poor Customer Service\",\"datePublished\":\"2009-09-10T13:53:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2009-09-10T13:53:49+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fullfocusplanner.com\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service\/\"},\"wordCount\":445,\"commentCount\":42,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/#organization\"},\"keywords\":[\"attitude\",\"customer service\",\"grace\",\"gratitude\",\"Leadership\",\"Patience\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Leadership\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fullfocusplanner.com\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/fullfocusplanner.com\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service\/\",\"name\":\"Four Strategies for Responding to Poor Customer Service | Full Focus\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2009-09-10T13:53:49+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2009-09-10T13:53:49+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fullfocusplanner.com\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/fullfocusplanner.com\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fullfocusplanner.com\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Four Strategies for Responding to Poor Customer Service\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/\",\"name\":\"Full Focus\",\"description\":\"Win at Work and Succeed at Life\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Full Focus\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Full-Focus-Logo-Tan.svg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Full-Focus-Logo-Tan.svg\",\"width\":805,\"height\":178,\"caption\":\"Full Focus\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/facebook.com\/michaelhyatt\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/fullfocusplanner\/\"]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/#\/schema\/person\/e326267e17b1b742f4062fcbd4fdfff7\",\"name\":\"Michael Hyatt\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/96062f5af6c86933efd0adddcb29204f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/96062f5af6c86933efd0adddcb29204f?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Michael Hyatt\"},\"description\":\"Michael Hyatt is the founder and chairman of Full Focus. He has scaled multiple companies over the years, including a $250M publishing company with 700+ employees and his own leadership development company that has grown over 60% year over year for the past 4 years. Under his leadership, Full Focus has been featured in the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing companies in America for three years in a row and in 2020 the company was named to Inc.\u2019s Best Work Places list. He is also the author of several New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling books, including Platform, Living Forward, Your Best Year Ever, Free to Focus and his newest book The Vision Driven Leader. He enjoys The Double Win with his wife of 40+ years, five daughters, and nine grandchildren.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\",\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/michaelhyatt\/\",\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/michaelhyatt\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/author\/michaelhyatt\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Four Strategies for Responding to Poor Customer Service | Full Focus","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/fullfocusplanner.com\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Four Strategies for Responding to Poor Customer Service | Full Focus","og_description":"Perhaps you\u2019ve noticed: customer service has deteriorated noticeably since the recession began. Fewer waiters in restaurants. Slower room service in hotels. Longer wait times for support. This is hardly surprising. With significant layoffs in almost every industry, fewer people are available to provide the level of service you have come to expect. Here are four strategies for responding to poor customer service.","og_url":"https:\/\/fullfocusplanner.com\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service\/","og_site_name":"Full Focus","article_publisher":"https:\/\/facebook.com\/michaelhyatt","article_author":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/michaelhyatt\/","article_published_time":"2009-09-10T13:53:49+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/09\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service.jpg"}],"author":"Michael Hyatt","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@michaelhyatt","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/fullfocusplanner.com\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/fullfocusplanner.com\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service\/"},"author":{"name":"Michael Hyatt","@id":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/#\/schema\/person\/e326267e17b1b742f4062fcbd4fdfff7"},"headline":"Four Strategies for Responding to Poor Customer Service","datePublished":"2009-09-10T13:53:49+00:00","dateModified":"2009-09-10T13:53:49+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/fullfocusplanner.com\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service\/"},"wordCount":445,"commentCount":42,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/#organization"},"keywords":["attitude","customer service","grace","gratitude","Leadership","Patience"],"articleSection":["Leadership"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/fullfocusplanner.com\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service\/","url":"https:\/\/fullfocusplanner.com\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service\/","name":"Four Strategies for Responding to Poor Customer Service | Full Focus","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/#website"},"datePublished":"2009-09-10T13:53:49+00:00","dateModified":"2009-09-10T13:53:49+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/fullfocusplanner.com\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/fullfocusplanner.com\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/fullfocusplanner.com\/four-strategies-for-responding-to-poor-customer-service\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Four Strategies for Responding to Poor Customer Service"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/#website","url":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/","name":"Full Focus","description":"Win at Work and Succeed at Life","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/#organization","name":"Full Focus","url":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Full-Focus-Logo-Tan.svg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Full-Focus-Logo-Tan.svg","width":805,"height":178,"caption":"Full Focus"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/facebook.com\/michaelhyatt","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/fullfocusplanner\/"]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/#\/schema\/person\/e326267e17b1b742f4062fcbd4fdfff7","name":"Michael Hyatt","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/96062f5af6c86933efd0adddcb29204f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/96062f5af6c86933efd0adddcb29204f?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Michael Hyatt"},"description":"Michael Hyatt is the founder and chairman of Full Focus. He has scaled multiple companies over the years, including a $250M publishing company with 700+ employees and his own leadership development company that has grown over 60% year over year for the past 4 years. Under his leadership, Full Focus has been featured in the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing companies in America for three years in a row and in 2020 the company was named to Inc.\u2019s Best Work Places list. He is also the author of several New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling books, including Platform, Living Forward, Your Best Year Ever, Free to Focus and his newest book The Vision Driven Leader. He enjoys The Double Win with his wife of 40+ years, five daughters, and nine grandchildren.","sameAs":["https:\/\/fullfocus.co","https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/michaelhyatt\/","https:\/\/twitter.com\/michaelhyatt"],"url":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/author\/michaelhyatt\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3095"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3095"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3095\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/fullfocus.co\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}