You arrive at your hotel.  You walk up to the check-in desk and get a blank stare from the employee behind the desk.  You tell them that you want to check-in.  Your may or may not get a verbal response as the employee busily starts working on the computer.  Is this a great way to start an interaction with a customer?

As much as I’d like to say that this doesn’t happen a lot, the truth is that this is a pretty common situation.  And these are the folks who shape your first impression of the hotel and they are where you tend to go first when you have a problem.  I am often disappointed by the responses I get from these crucial customer service representatives.  That’s right, if you’re interacting with customers, you are part of customer service.  You have an impact on the customer each and every time you work with them.

Look at your responsibilities and take note of the impact that you have on customers?  What can you do to enhance their experience?  As you look around your organization look for areas where you can improve the service that you and your team provide to your customers.  They’ll thank you for it!