Show You Care

When you are in a position of being served by another, have you noticed the different approaches they take? I’ve been particularly attentive recently to those who are serving me: restaurant servers, repair personnel, store clerks, etc. Regardless of the setting, I have found an interesting mix of approaches to their service. Some actually serve like they care.

Most Servers

Just because someone is in a serving profession, doesn’t mean they are fully engaged. For example, some do the minimum: take the order, ask a few questions, answer a few questions. Then they are off to do what they do. In other words, they are doing their job, enough so that no one can claim they aren’t.

Then there are others who do what they do because it’s their profession. They take pride in their work. The clients they serve are the next ones for whom to practice their craft. They put forth effort to learn and grow to be better. Generally, they enjoy what they do because they like their work. Clients of these professionals acknowledge that their “servers” are good at what they do. And for these servers, that’s good enough.

A Few Servers

But there are a few who demonstrate something different. They serve like they care. In addition to the first two approaches, they take it to the next level, such that their customers or clients know they care. It really is different from the other two. So how do they show it?

There are probably numerous practices that set them apart, but a very obvious one is that they are fully present. They are attentive, accessible and responsive; not because it’s their responsibility, but because their customers matter to them. They are empathetic to their customers’ situations. They acknowledge when something isn’t right and really want to help.

You can tell by their tone because it connects them to their client’s emotional state. You’ve heard it said that it’s not what you say, but how you say it. So true. For instance, take a restaurant server who says, “I’m really sorry that your meals are taking longer than expected. I am watching for them and will bring them out as soon as they are up.”

Can you hear the different tones of each of the three approaches? The “just my job” servers say the right words, but with a “whatever” attitude. It is simply a matter-of-fact comment that conveys the message, “just sit tight and it will happen when it happens.”

For the professional, there may have a tinge of blame or defensiveness. “It’s not my fault. I don’t know why it’s taking so long. If you only knew what I’ve been through, you would understand.”

But for the one who cares, the attitude is truly empathetic. Their clients are more than recipients of their work. Their tone expresses an attitude of genuine concern. They are truly sorry for the delay and genuinely communicate it. They are willing to experience the situation from their client’s point of view and do what they can to solve it.

You As A Server

Since we are in the serving profession, we are susceptible to each of these. The approach we choose may depend on who the clients are, our own stress level, and a host of other things at play in our world. But none of these are known by them. All they know is our approach to serving them.

This week, pay particular attention to how you serve your clients, both internally and externally. Stand apart from the other approaches and serve like you care.