Five signs you were made to serve customers.
Either you have it or you don’t.
I’m convinced that some persons serve because they have to (it’s their job) and others were made to serve (it’s in their DNA). You know them when you see them. The first person to volunteer for a task. The person who will stop to help someone cross the street. The person who will give their seat up for someone in a heartbeat. That guy who helps everyone on online forums. Either you have it or you don’t.
It’s a relentless need to serve and help others through their trials that fuelled the greats; Martin Luther King Jr., Gandhi, Mother Theresa, Nelson Mandela. Their love for serving others was so much that they often did it at the expense of themselves. There are those with similar traits out there today. You may even know some of them. They are the persons who goes the extra mile — and some — to serve you at restaurants, pick up your trash or resolve some of your pressing issues. Are you made to serve? Can you identify some of the traits in others? In my opinion, these are some of the signs that you, or someone you know, are made to serve.
You put yourself in others’ shoes.
“If you can learn a simple trick, Scout, you’ll get along a lot better with all kinds of folks. You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” — Atticus Finch in To Kill a Mockingbird
A great sign that you were made to serve is your ability to naturally display Empathy. Your innate ability to put yourself in others shoes puts you head and shoulders above the rest. You know you’re this type of person when you’re watching a movie. When someone is wronged you feel so connected to it, you can’t help but cry. Your need to help others sometimes exceed your own needs. We all have a friend or family member that we will call for help with a sensitive issue. We call that person not only because they will help, but they are the closest who will understand. And won’t judge. Much. If you’re the person who is called, it’s in your DNA to serve others.
People constantly come to you for help
You may feel that it’s overwhelming that you are constantly approached at work, at home or in social circles for help. That’s not by mistake. And it’s not that Chris at work is a lazy, unapproachable asshole. Chris is a lazy, unapproachable asshole but you have a way of guiding people through problems. You take time to genuinely listen to what someone is telling you. You provide options to help them as best as you would want for yourself. If you have customers or clients that call specifically to speak with you — sometimes years later — it’s because you have that IT factor. Things to note if you’re this type of person:
- Monetise it.
- Help persons who deserve your energy.
- Don’t do it if you can’t devote 100% into it.
- People will respect you if you say No.
- Don’t send them to Chris.
“Give, but give until it hurts.”
― Mother Teresa
You’re Passionate about the problems of others.
Are you a passionate problem solver? A great sign is your need to vent to others about the problems of your customers or friends to others. It saddens or angers you when you can’t fix it, or a process or policy prevents action. Someone who is great at customer service is a great advocate. They champion the customer’s issue to completion. Some of the great servants ever known was so passionate about the problems of others and was so relentless in resolving them that they are in our history books.
You are Resilient
It’s your reaction to adversity, not adversity itself that determines how your life’s story will develop. — Dieter F. Uchtdorf
You may deal with upset customers or clients and despite that, you still find a way to serve the next person with passion. You may have a difficult situation at work or at home, but you can still find a way to be positive. I’ve often seen how one bad interaction can set the tone for the rest of the day working with customers. Being able to compartmentalise issues is what make the best customer service representative. A quote from Angela Duckworth’s book Grit, sums up resilience on the job: “I won’t just have a job; I’ll have a calling. I’ll challenge myself every day. When I get knocked down, I’ll get back up. I may not be the smartest person in the room, but I’ll strive to be the grittiest.”
You deal well with pressure
Your Character is revealed when pressure is applied.
Finally, your ability to deal with pressure is a great indicator of someone made to serve. If you’re able to regroup when the situation is critical and handle it thoughtfully is valuable to the majority who panic. The greater the stakes, the more you can rely on why you do what you do and that takes you through tough situations. When you look at a job application, almost always, the employer is looking for someone who can deal in a high stress, high pressure environment. That’s because the quality is a rare one. We all say we can but when we get thrown into the deep end, we drown. When I think of pressure, I think of athletes. Those who rise above when it’s all on the line. Tom Brady, LeBron James, Mo Farah. Don’t ever discount your ability to be cool.
Conclusion
If you have a few of these traits, you are part of a small group. If you know someone like this, keep them close. Recommend them to employers. Hire them. Help them grow their strengths. There are a lot of persons out there who serve because they have to, but there are a chosen few who need no incentive; they just do it.
