A Customer Service Fable: The Napkin, the Melon, and the Monkey
By Barbara Burke
A lot of reading to catch up with... it looks like it's book reading time! But where to find the time? Luckily, today's book is not too big, an easy read. Don't let the size deceive you though, this little book has a powerful story to tell.
To be honest with you, At first I didn't think too much of it. You know, I'm quite a typical left-brained type of guy, which means that I'm more into reading hefty study type like books, instead of novels filled with touchy-feely kind of stuff.
That initial feeling soon subsided... I was grabbed by the compelling story of Olivia, a customer service rep so stressed out that everyone in her direct surroundings was suffering the fall-out. Husband and kids, co-workers, and yes... the customers. Everyone could be blasted instantly by Olivia, when she was ready to blow up.
A familiar story, right? Depressing too. Yes, but luckily it doesn't end there. Olivia meets Isabel, who lovingly teaches her basic skills to customer service survival.
Without wanting to reveal too much, this story contains very good techniques on coping with stress, building team spirit and adopting an overall positive attitude in your every day life. That last bit I want to tell you a bit more about.
Before she meets Isabel, Olivia is living on the edge... blowing up on the tiniest of sparks to her children, her husband, and her customers. But then Isabel tells Olivia to take a SODA. A SODA? Yes. And it makes all the difference.
Stop.- Observe.
- Decide.
- Act.
This simple acronym turns Olivia from a Pavlov stimulus-response machine into a listening human being, just because she now takes the time to actually listen to others, and thinking through why they may act like they do.
Who thought that a SODA could be good for you?
Anyway, I read this book in one sitting. Couldn't put it down. I really wanted to know what new Aha! moments Olivia would have. The ladies will no doubt love this story, and when your a left-hemisphere kind of guy like me, well, just pack that part of your brain away for a while, and let yourself be surprised with napkins, melons and monkeys (the monkey, by the way, is the only animal in this fable... ;-D).
I think this book would make a great book to discuss during customer service week. Let's face it, customer service can be both rewarding and extremely stressful. Why not take this opportunity to up the first and down the second? In fact, why wait until customer service week?
While this review contains a few spoilers, there are many more important lessons to learn from Olivia's story. And the story will stick those lessons in your mind much better than I can. Or that hefty study type like book. :-)
Visit www.napkinmelonmonkey.com to read more about this book.
Ooh, and a nice picture of me!
