THE MIDDAY NUGGET: Pay Attention To The Details

Pay Attention To The Details

You have heard people say it. It is nothing new but why do people have to keep reminding us of it?

We are reminded of it because the truth is excellence, professionalism, dedication and commitment find their roots in paying attention to the details. 
Ask yourself the following question: Is someone a true professional he does not pay attention to the details?
Now, replace the word "professional" with excellent, dedicated, or committed.  Does the answer to the question change?  Nope.  It does not!

None of it changes, those words represent going above and beyond the expectations of another and along the way to surpassing the expectations you are paying attention to the details.

Why is paying attention to the details important?

Everyone wants to be perceived as an excellent and dedicated professional.  Lacking the attention to the details, one would be hard pressed to be identified as a real professional.

How can you pay attention to the details?

You have heard of crossing the T's and dotting the I's.  That's it! 
That is what paying attention to the details is all about.  You cross the T's and dot the I's, every time no matter the situation.  For instance, a customer comes into your place of business and has to fill out a form before anything can be done.  Everyone in your organization must ensure that that form is properly filled the job out (crossing the T's and dotting the I's).  By doing that, you ensure that the customer has provided you with all the information you need in order to properly and professionally address the customer's issue or request and you do it right the first time.  The customer is happy, you are happy, and that's a very good thing.

What can you do to make paying attention to the details an everyday occurrence?

Training! You train yourself, you train your staff. You can even train your customers. You must train all your stakeholders. It is that simple and it is that difficult.

Train and Train until it becomes a habit. Then once it's a habit keep training. I have found out, the hard way, that while it may be a habit, paying attention to the details is so very easy to neglect. Once neglected you must start all over to re-create and sustain that habit. Hopefully, you can do it before any real damage is done.

Remember, You can do it!

Thank you,
Dave Guerra

P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you are thinking.

As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com

I invite you to
follow me on Twitter: @daveguerra
visit my website: www.daveguerra.com

To order your copy of The Walking Leader:  Amazon Paperback / Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble

Here are some Technorati Tags: • The Walking Leader • Pay attention to the details • Dave Guerra • Leadership • Leading • Leadership Development • Professional Development • Lead, Follow, or Get out of the way • Ready, Fire, Aim! • If it ain't broke, break it. • Hire Crazies • Ask dumb questions • Pursue failure • Spread Confusion • Ditch Your Office • Read Odd Stuff • Avoid Moderation • Higher, Admire, Desire, Require, Satire, Inquire, On Fire, All Possible Scenarios • Give to the American Red Cross • Hire A Hero

The MIDDAY NUGGET: A word or two about Customer Service (again)

Hello and Welcome to the MIDDAY NUGGET.

This morning, I had the pleasure of a client giving my organization and I a compliment. He complimented me on the level of customer service my organization offers the customer.

After thanking him, I told him that it really is nothing; it is just what we do. He went on to add that since moving to the area, he has been frustrated with the lack of customer service and organizational follow through from the majority of the companies he has dealt with since arriving. He went on to explain that he has dealt with roofing contractors that are eager for the contract but take too long to complete the project. He added that they would show up one day and then disappear for several days with no notification (not even a text).

I could only imagine just how much of a half-assed job they do when they do show up.  Seriously, that is as far as I will go badmouthing the no-name roofing contractor. However, I feel confident that many of the homeowners reading this blog post know of or heard of a not-so scrupulous roofing contractor.

Enough about roofing contractors and back to the issue at hand: customer service.

During our conversation, we both came to the agreement that it is EXTREMELY easy and simple to offer all the organization's stakeholders.

It really is.

I know that I have instructed my staff they are NOT to behave in a manner that is less that courteous.  When they are face-to-face with a stakeholder, they are to give 100% attention and follow through. They are to own the interaction from beginning to end.  If they hand off the transaction to a co-worker they are still expected to do the follow-up (i.e., did everything get resolved?)

It is that simple.

However, it is when organizations and their managers refuse to acknowledge and expect from their employees nothing less than EXCELLENCE that problems start to come to the surface. The next thing anyone knows, that manager or business owner is reacting to something that a smile, a thank you, or a simple phone call would have prevented.

Yes, It Is That Simple.



Thank you,
Dave Guerra

P.S. I do invite you to join the conversation and tell me what you are thinking.

As always you can read this blog post in its original location at http://daveguerra.blogspot.com

I invite you to
follow me on Twitter: @daveguerra
visit my website: www.daveguerra.com

To order your copy of The Walking Leader:  Amazon Paperback / Amazon Kindle | Barnes & Noble

Here are some Technorati Tags: • The Walking Leader • Pay Attention • Follow Through • Customer Service • Customer Excellence Now • Be Courteous • Dave Guerra • Leadership • Leading • Leadership Development • Professional Development • Lead, Follow, or Get out of the way • Ready, Fire, Aim! • If it ain't broke, break it. • Hire Crazies • Ask dumb questions • Pursue failure • Spread Confusion • Ditch Your Office • Read Odd Stuff • Avoid Moderation • Higher, Admire, Desire, Require, Satire, Inquire, On Fire, All Possible Scenarios • Give to the American Red Cross • Hire A Hero