My brother-in-law, Bruce, has been enjoying deep-tissue massages by Boris for some time. A native of Russia, Boris is a very experienced, talented and strong masseur, who comes weekly to my brother-in-law’s house to sooth the muscular soreness resulting from Bruce’s flat feet.
Bruce is now going through a challenging health issue—above and beyond the shape of his feet. He is currently spending a lot of time at home, so his daughter, Whitney, visits him regularly, chats with him and rubs his feet. He has been so thrilled with her “treatments” that he suggested she share her powerful technique with Boris.
Whitney felt intimidated at the prospect of approaching a highly trained and seasoned professional with her methods. But most importantly, she intuitively understands that her “secret ingredient” is something she couldn’t pass along to Boris: The added bit of love from a daughter to her dad. No technique in the world can provide or replace this element.
I share this because of its great significance in the realm of service. When serving others, we can cross the T’s, dot the I’s and follow a procedural manual to the letter, but without genuine caring for those we serve and a love for what we do, we’re just going through the motions. The experience doesn’t really touch the customer or client and leaves us untouched as well.
This idea also has relevance for management and human resource departments when it comes to hiring. Techniques and procedures can be taught, while personality traits, such as caring and compassion cannot. While these intangibles are difficult to measure, focused questioning and observation can tease them out. In my book, The Art & Science of the Hotel Concierge, I detail some of the qualities to look for when hiring hotel concierges. In my consulting practice, I’ve found that these same qualities apply to service providers in all industries.
It matters little whether you directly or indirectly serve your customers or clients. The spirit of compassion and caring has a ripple effect. How might you add a little bit of love today?
