I’m still living in the values for doing business expressed by the company 37signals. They are just that good. Here is value #2:
We’re famous for fast and friendly customer service. We work hard to make sure we live up to that reputation every day.
Now, I have never done any business with 37signals to verify whether they are known for fast and friendly service, but let’s say they are actually fast and friendly. The fact that they work hard every day to live up to that reputation, probably means they are nailing it.
Production in the local church is a service of sorts. If you talk to me long enough or read my previous blog posts, you know that I think production can be and should be more than just that, but at its foundation, we are supporting the ideas and needs of others.
And while we are supporting the needs and ideas of others, are we fast and friendly?
I was talking to an old friend the other day about being treated rudely by someone in a customer service role. Unfortunately, the person was responding to my friend after many other potentially frustrating challenges. The challenge of customer services is to be able to treat each new person with respect and helpfulness; they need to be reacting as if yours is the only problem they need to solve. Typically they respond like they have had frustration built up over a day’s worth of idiotic complaints or ridiculously simple solutions.
This reminds me of me, at an earlier age; holding onto each negative interaction, or each last-minute request until I explode on some unsuspecting requestor. Instead of reminding myself each day, that I needed to respond with fast and friendly service, I lived up to the opposite: slow and hostile.
Unfortunately, most tech people are known for this kind of service: never exactly what you need and with an attitude. It’s not that we work hard at this every day, it is just what happens when we aren’t intentional about how to respond. When we can spend all our time putting out fires, it can be easy to lose sight of how we put those fires out; or even which fires are more important than others.
Is your team known for responding positively and with action to each new request?
How can you work hard every day to be the kind of production ministry you want to be known for and your church needs?
