The Satisfaction Formula – Think Things Through

In this post, authors Dave Sweet and Jayna Sweet explore the importance of THINKING THINGS THROUGH when it comes to the customer service experience.

When was the last time you stepped away from the noise of daily operations and got really quiet? When was the last time you had the chance to think through the complete journey your customers have with you and your business?

Chances are, it’s been a hot second. Silence is a powerful tool. Often we can pause, rest in silence, and tap into silence (think meditation), that’s when true clarity comes. While we aren’t strictly talking about meditation here, a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, found that only 14.2% of American adults said they had meditated within the past year—and that’s actually a huge leap from what it was a few years ago.

In America, we tend to be obsessed with busyness. In fact, a Harvard Business Review study from 2016 found that we associate extreme busyness with status and success—as opposed to Italian participants who seemed to associate leisure with status and success. So, it’s not surprising that we struggle to take the time to get quiet, relax, and clear our minds.

Perhaps there is a misconception that clearing your mind is a waste of time; that in doing so, you may let go of important deadlines, meetings, and relationships—or that the time it takes to get to that “zen” head space could be used more productively. The logic makes sense. The phrase clear your mind could sound a bit like forget. And, with our increasingly connected, busy, multi-tasked lives, it can feel overwhelming to take time away from accomplishing tasks to just sit.

But that logic may be a bit backwards.

How can we expect to solve problems, pay close attention to detail and serve our customers when our minds are full of noise and chatter? Clearing your mind is really a productive use of time. If we can get quiet, stop checking email, minimize screen time, and listen, we’re going to be happier—and, yes, more productive in the long run.

As you probably guessed from the title of this section, we think it’s vital to thoroughly think things through. That means to look at things from every angle with “big-picture” glasses on, and considering every step that needs to happen. In order to do that, you have to get your brain quiet enough to stay out of your own way.

Now, let’s talk about what this “think things through” concept is about.

It seems pretty self-explanatory, right? That as a leader, service worker, or business owner—you should always think things through? However, so many of us don’t really own that. You must look at the two sides of your business. Employees and customers. You must think things through from both of those perspectives. On the employee side, ask yourself, “What’s going to keep them inspired, motivated, and customer-centric?” On the client side, ask yourself, “What’s going to get them in, what’s going to keep them coming back, and what’s going to lead them to send others to you? How can you create a culture to foster and embody these things?”  Some of us only think things through from one of those perspectives (typically the customer side), and many of us don’t think about either of these perspectives.

They thought (and think) things through.