Smaller Dose #7. It’s good that you came back for more…..
Reading Time: 3 minutes
Length: ~800 words
Dear Friends,
I have a story to share with you, so I’ll get right to the point…..
During the summer of 2018 I had a conversation with a former colleague, Jim DeLash. Jim and I worked together when I was at GlaxoSmithKline. Jim is an outstanding storyteller and has taught and influenced me greatly in this space. And it was during one of our many conversations that Jim coined the phrase “next in line bias.” I told him I was going to use that someday. And that time is now.
So here we go…..
Not long ago, my wife and I were doing some errands and it got to be late in the day. One more store to hit and it was nearing closing time. It was a retail store at our local mall, and the store manager was wrapping up with typical closing activities and handling the last few customers of the day. My wife was that last customer of what must have been a very difficult day for this “leader.”
So, what did Jim and I define as “next in line bias?” It is the idea that each customer should be welcomed and treated as if they are bringing a lifetime of transactions to the establishment and not just a single visit. And customer experience should not be prejudiced / biased based on the transaction with the previous customer. Every customer should be engaged with by allowing for and creating a clean slate. Any customer service representative should do all they can to avoid “next in line bias”, and welcome you with the energy as if you were the first person to walk in the door that day.
As my wife stepped forward to complete her transaction, the associate (a.k.a. the leader) was less than helpful and instead of looking for ways to make the transaction go smoothly, she found a wide variety of things to prevent the successful completion of a simple exchange: merchandise for payment. After several minutes of back and forth banter, my wife paused and said to the associate:
“It sounds like you have had a very challenging day. I’m sorry to hear that”.
Even those empathic words did nothing to bring the transaction to something that most would label as normal, simple and unmemorable.
The transaction completed. My wife left the store. She shared with me what transpired. And I thought of Jim and “next in line bias”, as this is exactly what had just occurred. A multitude of challenging customers, difficult transactions, problems with employees or other stores or managers or perhaps things outside of work impacting this associate’s day. A flat tire on the way to work. A call from school about an incident with a child. A sick parent. All are possibilities, yet we will never know. It simply doesn’t matter in this context.
I agree we could all use a bit more empathy, but that goes both ways. Being a store manager, a leader, means going just a little bit above and beyond for each customer, even in the most challenging of situations or bad days. One customer, especially the last customer of the day, does not deserve to be the recipient, the receptacle of all the negativity that was absorbed by this leader on this day.
So, what does this tell us about life and leadership?
I think many of us can relate to or have experienced exactly what my wife did that evening. We are all human and most of us can’t compartmentalize or separate every aspect and dimension of our lives. We live in a world where we are bothered with anything that interferes with what we must do. Perhaps we must go to the store to get some groceries and a friend needs to talk. And we are challenged in the moment what to do.
Do we deal with our own priorities or do we give of ourselves to others?
My challenge to you is to give of your time, patience and energy when you can. Listen. Don’t judge. Look for solutions instead of reasons why something can’t be done. Don’t conflate a previous conversation or engagement with where you are in the moment. Not easy all the time. It starts with awareness and overcoming your own personal biases.
Why? So what? Why does any of this matter?
I think of The Golden Rule and The Platinum Rule. I think of how we treat others and how each of us want or need to be treated. No matter the time and place, none of us want to be treated by another based on a previous interaction with someone else. All of us are unique and the relationship between two people is unlike the relationship between any two other people. That interaction should be valued and allow for the exchange of information to flow with ease and enjoyment in a way that benefits all. It’s that simple.
A quick note of thanks to Jim DeLash. Perhaps a reader out there knows him, has crossed his path, was one of his students at Temple University or has seen him speak at a variety of marketing conferences. If you see him, tell him you have learned of his idea and perspective and perhaps it has helped you see things a bit differently.
Books make great gifts that can be enjoyed, shared and promote discussion and the exchange of thoughts and ideas which elevate everyone. Consider purchasing my book, Small Doses: Common Sense to Common Practice as a gift for yourself or anyone who could use a little wisdom. Get yours today by using the link below. You’ll thank me later.
If you are interested in learning more about me and my work, check out my website.
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Until next time…..
Jerry