The Lessons of the Turtle

Behold the turtle. It only makes progress when it sticks its neck out.
—James Bryant Conant

I love using the analogy of the turtle in my presentations and workshops. I even wear a turtle hat to reinforce my point! What does a turtle have to do with providing over-the-top customer service? Well first, I like the analogy of “sticking our necks out”—in other words, truly extending ourselves to help others.

When sticking our necks out, we’re sometimes led beyond our comfort zones. For instance, when customers are angry or upset, they might well take it out on the first person they encounter—often the service provider. In these cases, we can be tempted to lash out right back. But again, we take a tip from the turtle. We are slow to react and take the time to thoughtfully respond. And how do we manage to do this? Well, there’s one thing for sure: We maintain a hard shell, so we’re not inclined to take things so personally!

In these ways, the turtle presents a great lesson for working with unhappy customers and performing the trick of transforming a difficult situation into a delightful one. While the turtle does what turtles do instinctively, it requires effort, patience and practice to provide excellent service in the midst of difficulty. There will be times when becoming angry and defensive feels like the next right thing to do. But the next time you’re tempted to react in kind to a volatile situation, remember the wisdom of the turtle. Don’t take it personally, respond thoughtfully and be willing to stick your neck out to make the situation right!