7 Habits for Effective

Customer Service
Joan Conger, MLIS, MA.OD
Introductions

 Name, department, role

 A key customer service issue
Main Job Today – New Story
 Story we tell determines our action, reaction
 Change my inner story, change outer reality

 Not changing behavior = quick fix

 Changing fundamental principles = mastery

 Creating new habits takes time and attention

 Spiral of incremental, continuous growth
Developing Mastery
 Dependence – You do/change for me
 Independence – I choose for myself
 Interdependence – We create together
Interdependence – We (Habits 4-6)

Independence – I (Habits 1-3)

Dependence - You
Developing Mastery
 Dependence – you do/change for me
 Independence – I choose for myself
 Interdependence – We create together

 Never impose as a rule before right time

 Allow to emerge from inner shifts in story

 Volunteers treated as committing from inside

Mastery = Balance
 Self-mastery = self-reliance = Habits 1-3
 Relational mastery = respect = Habits 4-6

Relation
Self
Mastery = Balance
 Self-mastery = self-reliance = Habits 1-3
 Relational mastery = respect = Habits 4-6

 Mastery balances results with capacity

 Results are “things,” envisioned reality
 Capacity is relationship, emergent process
 Capacity
&
Process
Results Results

Relation
Habits 4-6 Self
Habits 1-3
Exercise

Your Own Key Customer Service Issue

Out of entire flow of customer service activities,

describe a key issue whose resolution would
make your life easier.
Part 1: Inner Mastery
 Habit 1 – Freedom to Choose
 Become aware of my own needs

 Results: Choose between reacting and

 Accepting response-ability

 Process: Refocus where I put my energy

 Circle of Concern – others’ failings, problems

 Circle of Influence – self-aware, solutions

 What are my
Concerns?

What do I
Influence?
Response-ability Response-ability

Self

Habit 1: Freedom to Choose

Habit 2 Begin with End in Mind
 Be able to clearly state my own need

 Results: All results are created twice

 Envision its Truth first, then act (Habit 3)

 Process: Shift from duty to purpose

 Thing-centered – sources of security

 Principle-centered – sources of Truth

 External duties
External securities

Internal
Truths
Envisioned results Envisioned results

Self

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind

Habit 3 Put First Things First
 Be able to act to meet my needs meaningfully

 Results: Meaningful priorities allow

 Exercise of independent will toward fulfillment

 Process: Shift from efficient to effective

 Urgent – reacting to next emergency

 Important – prepare to not have emergencies

 Checklists
Calendaring
Prioritization

Stewardship
“Do not do” lists
People before things
Meaningful Priorities Meaningful Priorities

Self

Habit 3: Put First Things First

Exercise
Think about to your customer service issue and
imagine a crisis that might occur in the next
few weeks:

 Habit 1: How could you react? How could you

respond proactively?
 Habit 2: What is the thing-center? What is the
principle-center?
 Habit 3: Look back several weeks, what would
head it off with stewardship, relationship,
principle?
Part 2: Relational Mastery
 Emotional Bank Account / Care and Feeding

 Must come from within Personal Mastery:

 Be proactive. Begin with end in mind. First
things first.

 What opportunities does a problem point to?

Results Capacity Results

Relation
Self
Habits 4-6
Habit 4: Think Win/Win
 Constantly seeks mutual benefit

 Results: All parties’ needs are met

 It’s the system not the individual

 Process: Increasing, not reducing, resources

 Scarcity, transaction, law (“ought to”)

 Abundance, transformation, creativity

 Scarcity
Transaction
“oughts”

Abundance
Transformation
Creativity
Trust, clarity
Meaningful Priorities Meaningful Priorities

Relation
Habit 4: Think Win/Win
Habit 5: Seek first to Understand,
then to be Understood
 Empathic listening ensures psych. survival

 Results: Giving space for their Truth

 Be understood, affirmed, validated, appreciated

 Process: Giving them space, opening myself

 10-30% Transaction, logic, rephrase content

 90-70% Transform, emotion, rephrase feeling

 Transaction
Logic
Explanation

Transformation
Trust, clarity
Affirmation
Emotion
Giving Space Giving Space

Relation
Habit 5: Seek first to understand
Exercise
Think about to your customer service issue and
imagine a crisis that might occur in the next
few weeks:

 Habit 4: (a) Describe the situation from the

opinion that someone has to “lose” or give up
something. (b) From the opinion that everyone
can “win,” all needs can be met.
 Habit 5: What conversational content is
transactional? What content emotional?
Habit 6: Synergize
 Authenticity combines to create powerful novelty

 Results: Difference creates unseen third option

 Requires safety, courage, respect, creativity

 Process: Value the potential inside difference

 Do not start from preconception, existing “rules”

 Seek the power in the driving/restraining forces

 Preconceived
solutions
Existing “rules”

Safety, courage
Respect, creativity
Difference
Possibility
Third Option Third Option

Relation
Habit 6: Synergize
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
 Creates continuous growth in other habits

 Results: Balanced renewal in synergy of

 Physical, mental, spiritual, social/emotional

 Process: Spiral of self awareness and action

 Move away from “being lived” by others

 Move toward personal freedom, security, power

Interdependence – We (Habits 4-6)

Independence – I (Habits 1-3)

Dependence - You
 Current Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
Habits

Gradual
Development
of New
Habits
Effective Customer Service Effective Customer Service

Relation

Self
Exercise
Consider the (1) circle of influence, (2)
principle/Truth, (3) meaningful priorities, (4)
abundance, (5) empathic understanding, (6)
potential inside difference that you
encountered in your service issue today –

List 5 concrete ways you can incorporate

examples of these into your next six weeks.
 7 Habits for Effective
Customer Service
With principled creativity
We create powerful, peaceful lives.