In the final analysis, great service teams are a direct result of projecting the right attitudes toward the customer. Every management team who understands this will consistently provide an exceptional service experience to their customers. This is because when everything is said and done, the only real memory that customers will take with them is how they were treated by the people who had served them. Let's briefly look at the six essential attitudes and how they affect the perception that others will have of our service:

1. The Attitude of Friendliness

Customers first and foremost measure our service by the friendliness shown.

As a customer service representative, we have the perfect occasion to show goodwill to those who make contact with us. It gives us a great opportunity to be friendly. I believe this attitude alone can change an entire organization if people simply understood the powerful attraction that kindness brings. I am convinced that if more customer service representatives projected a little more kindness to each customer, the customer would walk away feeling that the service was outstanding. Why do I say this? Because customers as a whole do not expect it!

I am always puzzled when doing business with a company that lacks in this area. The first thought that comes to mind is why any organization would put employees out in front who project an unfriendly attitude toward others. This not only makes customers feel uncomfortable, but also gives them a legitimate reason not to return in the future.

It is important to remember that the first guiding principle in providing great service is to understand that our job is to simply meet the requests of the customer in the friendliest manner. We are given the job of taking care of whatever need the customer may have at the moment. Since this is the first commandment of customer service, it seems only logical that we would want the service to be as pleasant as possible.

2. The Attitude of Enthusiasm

Serving with enthusiasm adds to the customer's overall experience.

When we are excited to serve, we will not only excel as customer service representatives but will have people talking about our great service. I am convinced that without enthusiasm customer service becomes more of a duty to perform. No other attitude can make us more passionate about serving. When we are not excited about serving others, we somehow begin to lose our balance in providing our customers with excellent service.

Being enthused makes others take notice and will consistently deliver better service to our customers. They walk away and feel that the service was outstanding simply because of our eagerness to serve them.

When customers decide to make a purchase on a product or service, they are usually excited about the prospects of acquiring it. We as customer service representatives need to realize that our enthusiasm will increase their enthusiasm as well. When we are excited for them, they in turn become more excited about the purchase.

3. The Attitude of Caring

Loyalty occurs when customers sense that we genuinely care.

Of all attitudes in existence, none is more powerful than the attitude of caring about others. This attitude alone will determine the outcome of every relationship in life. It far outweighs any other attitude simply because it is the cornerstone by which every other attitude will manifest itself. No other attitude will determine our fate quite like how much we care for others.

Customers will also quickly take notice of our sincere desire to serve them when we care about their needs. Loyalty also begins to happen when our customers sense that meeting their needs is more important than simply making a sale. They will also be more attracted to us because they will sense that we truly care about their service experience. Without having to say anything, they will quickly sense by our actions that we can be trusted and will do whatever it takes to meet their immediate needs.

On the other hand, customers will sense when we do not care about meeting their needs. Whether we care or not will be projected in various ways to them. This attitude is difficult to hide because of the many signs that eventually come out.

4. The Attitude of Respect

Giving respect shows our willingness to serve others.

There is no attitude quite as appealing as when we genuinely communicate our respect. It not only validates others, but also gives them a sense of dignity. When we encounter a person who is respectful toward us, we tend to straighten up and present our best selves to them. This is the beauty and benefit of showing respect. It allows us to bring out the best in people.

As service representatives, when we show our customers respect, we are conveying a willingness to serve them. This attitude also gives our customers a sense of honor because of the high regard that is communicated through respect. It gives our customers a feeling that we admire and appreciate that they have decided to do business with us.

The mentality that every service representative should have is one where he or she views the customer as essential to the overall success of the business. When we look at customers as the ones who will help to make our business successful, our attitude toward them will begin to change in a more positive manner. The key in winning loyalty starts with respect.

5. The Attitude of Encouragement

Encouragement creates a positive environment for both the customer and the company.

When we truly begin to appreciate what encouragement can do for people, we will want to do it more often. A positive word can lift people up and help them to become their best. When we are serving customers, our words (along with the tone of our voice) can make all the difference in how they perceive our service.

The service superstars have a way of communicating in a pleasant tone of voice. Their encouraging attitude and kind words instantly give customers the confidence that they are looking out for their best interest.

But what about those experiences where the service was marked with a customer service representative who showed no signs of encouragement? I can recall experiences where there would be no friendly greeting or welcoming smile offered. If anything, it felt as if I was intruding on their time. There would be no positive sign of encouragement on their part. As a customer I wanted to leave as soon as possible. Looking back, I can see that these not so pleasant customer service experiences were caused by a person who simply lacked a supportive attitude.

6. The Attitude of Thankfulness

Customers who feel appreciated will rate our service higher.

I remember coming across a story about a young man who had been fired from an ice cream parlor. One of his duties was to say thank you whenever he handed an ice cream cone to a customer. The owner of the parlor understood the power of appreciation and made it a part of the job description for each employee who served ice cream. The owner finally had to let the young man go because of his forgetfulness to say thank you.

I relate this story because I am convinced that customers will always rate our service higher if we show them our appreciation in having done business with us. I am also convinced that the organization that consistently shows appreciation will have an advantage over other similar businesses.

We must remember that in today's economy one company can practically match another company's product. What can separate us from the pack is the service and the appreciation that we show. The power of appreciation can never be underestimated. We need to understand that everyone enjoys being appreciated. This is why having an attitude of thankfulness is so beneficial if we want to become customer service superstars and project a strong service team.

By learning to implement these six attitudes into our customer service training, we will soon find our customers telling others about the great service that we provide!