012- Uber Good Experience – 7 Reasons Gossip is Bad for Customer Service

Summary: 7 Reasons Gossip is Bad for Customer Service Our Customer Service Story of the Week is called, Here’s Your Package! And it comes to us from Darice in Holliday, Texas! Click on Play Above to hear her story! "Gossip is the Devil's radio." ---George Harrison--- 7 Reasons Gossip is Bad for Customer Service 1.  Its Gossip!  That simple.  Anything said in less than a constructive manner can be viewed as gossip.  Now if the setting is appropriate, for example, breaking down the scenario with your supervisor or boss, then it’s not gossip.  This is called taking it up or moving it up. 2.  Affects others.  When you decide to vent or gossip about a customer, to a co-worker, you pull them into the situation.  They might be having a marvelously productive day, but your pulling them in takes them away from their productivity or task. 3. Hardens hearts! – Gossip hardens hearts.  The free dictionary defines a hardened heart as to make unfeeling, unsympathetic, or callous.  What happens when you complain once or about one customer is that It becomes easier to complain a second time or about a second customer.  And even easier to complain a third time and so on and so on.  If you complain enough times it can become habitual. 4.  Other foot.  The shoe might be or have been on the other foot.  You might have been there once yourself.  Question!  Do you buy products or consume services?   You’re not just a provider, you’re a service and services consumer.   Just because we provide service doesn’t mean we are always the best at receiving it.  Keeping in mind that the shoe might just be or might have been on the other foot will help you keep things in perspective and ultimately allow you to serve your customers better. 5.  Lingering affect.  Speaking negatively about a customer or situation can have a lingering effect on you and others.  After you’ve completed the transaction, with the difficult customer, there is still another just around the corner.  You might be frustrated but to gossip or speaking negatively of the situation will cause it to linger and ultimately effect the next person you’re dealing with.  You have to decide it’s not personal and move on to the next customer.  You are a professional and every new person is a chance to serve and serve well. You never know, the next person served might just make your day! 6.  It’s contagious.  It’s like a bacteria man!  Something you don’t want to catch!  When you start to gossip it’s like a disease, it’s contagious.  It spreads, it pulls people in.  Be contagious in a positive manner not a negative one like Gossip! 7. Your Company.  When you vent or gossip about a customer your are tearing down your company.  It’s poisoning your workplace. Negative speak and Office gossip can create tension and disruption in a workplace, can undermine productivity and can cause irreparable damage. It hurts morale and as I mentioned earlier it can take the focus of employees away from their more important responsibilities.  Also if you take the gossip outside of the workplace, what are people to think about your company?  They go around and discuss their clients behind their back?  Well I’m a client, so what do they say about me?  Remember your company is your bread and butter, it’s what pays the bills, sends your kids to college.  Is it worth poisoning the workplace or spreading negative talk outside the walls? 7 Reasons Gossip is Bad for Customer Service Does Your Business Have a NO Gossip Policy?  I'd like to hear about it! May all your experiences be Uber Good Experiences, now go and serve wisely!