One of the foundational service philosophies I subscribe to is that the true power and value in providing excellent service is in the ability to connect, because it is through making personal connections that businesses create loyal customers. This attitude takes us from a transaction to a connection. Being good at it takes the service provider from doing a job to being a Master in the Art of Hospitality.
I simplify this perspective further by explaining that everyone is wearing a “ME” sign, and it is the job and responsibility of service providers to go beneath the business needs to uncover the human or emotional needs inherent in every interaction. I believe that everyone, no matter who we are, longs to be seen and valued, appreciated, listened to, remembered, respected and acknowledged. It is one thing to state, but to really get it on a deep level is quite another.
After all these years, I thought I understood it, but recently I realized it in yet another, more profound way.
A few months ago, I was leading a class to service providers involved in various aspects of community service—from affordable housing, to day programs for seniors, and homeless outreach services. At one point during the workshop, I asked the group, “What do you think the true human needs underneath the business needs are?” One of the participants that primarily worked with disenfranchised and homeless adults answered immediately, “To be seen.”
A lump began to form in my throat as I realized how deeply touched I was by her answer. It usually takes me time to get to the real answer, but in this case she knew it immediately. It also touched me because so much of my career has been spent in hospitality training, keeping the spirit alive of people who serve the wealthy (waitstaff, hotel team members, concierge-type service providers, real estate agents and bankers). It made me realize that no matter what our situation and status, we all want the same things.
James Cameron really got it right when the two main characters in his film Avatar, Jake and Neytiri, greeted each other with the words “ I SEE YOU.” In service, BECAUSE I see you, I automatically treat you with respect, empty my busy mind to listen to you, and appreciate that you are here.