Well ok, I lied. Every now and then, I do find myself reflecting upon that decision and (till today) count my blessings for choosing a subject I thoroughly enjoyed. Today, I attribute my passion for customer service to that defining moment at the age of 17. My lecturers would be proud.
With a decade in the hospitality industry, I have had my fair share of mostly good and the occasional not-so-good experiences with hotel guests, airline passengers, retail customers and corporate clients. Some interesting, some embarrassing, and a few which I would still cringe at the thought of. If my memory serves me well, it is with full confidence that I dare say the current level of customer service differs from that of the yester years. In a decade, I saw service quality deteriorate before my eyes.
I try to rationalise it in the best possible way. In my consideration of always weighing both sides of the story, I would imagine being in the shoes of service providers as well as on the receiving end of service. Surely, it is not an easy feat to please each and every person who comes your way. The demands and expectations of people today are sky high. Thanks to the affluent, possibly complacent lifestyle which we now live by. For someone like me who appreciates and constantly yearn for good service, there is definitely a cause for concern.
I cannot help but wonder about the problem behind each and every "not-so-good" customer service experience we ever so often face today - over the counter, on the phone, in a store, a salon, a cafe, a hotel, a resort, public transport, 30,000 feet above ground, in a different city, well, you get the idea. There will always be a constant battle of whether or not it is the fault of the individual or the organisation. Some may even say customers - I certainly will not rule out that possibility.
In the context of customer service levels today, I have endeavoured to partake in this journey for the quest of anything and everything relating to service, and evaluate them through my six senses. Yes, I have a sixth sense.
In my opinion on service, every individual has a part, every spoken word has a meaning, every action has a reaction, every decision has a consequence, and every solution makes a difference. So, through my senses, I will interpret and explore the effect of the part of that individual, the spoken word, the reactive action, the consequential decision, the difference a solution will make - the entirety of the service experience.
I hope you will join me in my journey as it unfolds...
haleluuu
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