Is having a bad day an excuse for poor customer service?
I have had a number of people these past few weeks describe terrible customer experiences, team members that were rude and finishing their story with “Maybe they were just having a bad day.” And while I love and appreciate the empathy displayed for our customer service community, it has left me pondering the question, is having a bad day an excuse for poor customer service?
We all have lives outside of work, and sometimes our lives can be complex and challenging. We may be supporting an elderly or unwell parent. We could be drowning in grief. Having to deal with uncooperative children trying to get ready for work. Stuck in traffic, awake all night, or not feeling 100 percent, the list goes on. There are so many things that can affect our mood, but is it acceptable to then turn up to work and then use the excuse of having a bad day for poor customer service delivery?
For my entire life, from working on the frontline to my role now, I am acutely aware I can never, ever, turn up to work and have a bad day.
Imagine sitting there in a training program or keynote and in walks grumpy me, having a bad day. If I allowed it to, it would negatively impact my customers’ experience. Throughout my career, I have had to learn to park what is going on in my life to show up for my customers. Through immense grief, lack of sleep with small children, to illness and injury, it is a mindset that I have to continue to work on to this day.
My favourite book which changed my life is ‘Man’s Search For Meaning’ by Viktor E. Frankl. Dr Frankl was in a concentration camp and lost everything. His wife, his entire family. His quote, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms; to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way” had a profound influence on my thinking and helped me to recognise that while I couldn’t always control what happened to me, it was up to me how I chose to respond.
But it is not always easy.
When I first started in hospitality, in our training they shared with us that when we arrived at work, we had to ‘hang our problems on the problem tree’ and pick them up when we left.
If only were that simple.
We are human. We have feelings and emotions, and sometimes there are things going on in our lives that are bigger than work.
I remember many years ago, I was dumped by my boyfriend of two years in a crowded restaurant (and what made it worse, is that he did it after entrée and I didn’t even get my main meal, let alone desert!) I remember turning up to work the next day. My eyes were hurting from crying so hard, so swollen I could barely see the screen. I could hardly speak without bursting into tears, let alone handle our average 110 calls a day. What made the difference in that moment, was my gruff, yet deeply caring team leader “Macca”. He saw the state that I was in, noted that I had at least tried to show up to work and then took me off the phones for a few days.
A compassionate leader takes the time to check in on team members experiencing a rough day, offering a listening ear and empathy. They recognise that this occasional vulnerability isn't the norm and acknowledge the immense commitment, attitude, and mindset required to serve customers consistently. It may also be an opportunity for service coaching, offering feedback, or re-directing behaviours if a team member has negatively impacted others. There are days when showing up to work is without a doubt challenging, but never an excuse to be rude to a customer or co-worker.
In the service industry, finding a way to remain present and positive is crucial, as it directly impacts our customers' and team members' experience. However, what truly matters is having a leader who understands that life's challenges can sometimes overshadow work and, in those moments, takes us under their wing and guides us through the day with care and support.
