Serving Others

The last several weeks I have been working with a client to write a class about service. The research has forced me to evaluate some of my own feelings about service and has made me want to do more in my own life to serve others well. One thing I can say definitively is that we all want to be provided with good service. Good service meaning, we all want to be treated with some respect for the product or service that we are purchasing whether it is something as simple as a cup of coffee or as major as a new car.

We often think about customer service in a store as the only service interaction we have and while it is the most frequent interaction, we have an opportunity to serve others in many other areas. At work, I have an opportunity to serve the people that I work with by:

· Always having time for a conversation
· Creating availability to help on a project when needed
· Consistently providing a quality product so that everyone knows they can count on me
· Doing what I say I will do

These are simple things but when I put them in the context of service they seem really powerful. My next question has become, if the above bullets are about serving the members of the team, is this average service or is it exceptional service? My answer is; this is average service. So what does it mean to go above and beyond, to serve people exceptionally? How do I elevate my contribution to the team and everyone I come in contact with to the level that does more than satisfy but creates loyalty? This is an interesting question that I have posed to myself and one I may have to get back to you on.

How will you serve exceptionally?