Is Great Customer Service The Definition of Insanity?

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result." - Albert Einstein.

I have always been a fan of Shep Hyken's book The Amazement Revolution. If you haven't yet read it, please put it at the top of your summer reading list.

A New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, Hyken, asks, "What if your customers thought of you as their partner rather than just another vendor." Just reading this sentence gives me the chills because it speaks directly to how I view my client relationships. I see those I serve as my partner – and I hope they see me in the same light.

Partnerships Versus Transactions

There are many definitions of the word partnership. The definition that stands out to me is "two people being in a relationship that is more than just transactional – one person cares about, supports, and provides value to the other and vice versa."

When you look at your business relationships, you must ask yourself: how many are partners, and how many are customers?

Now I want to stop here and set some boundaries.

If I go into the corner store to pick up milk, I am not in a relationship with the person behind the counter. It doesn't mean that you don't exchange pleasantries and are polite in your dealings. However, the very nature and length of time of this transient exchange mean you are dealing on a transactional level. Once you pay for the milk, your "collaboration" is over.

Conversely, when you provide a series of ongoing transactions beyond the cash register, including personal resources, insights, a listening ear, and an investment of hard-earned experience and expertise, it is no longer a mere transaction. It is a relationship.

Unfortunately, there is a natural tendency to use these definitions interchangeably. And that is where a breakdown can and often does occur.

Value Is A Two-Way Street

When someone seeks your advice and expertise, is it a transactional or a partnership relationship? Where do YOU draw the line?

Your answer to that question is the difference between your feeling valued versus used – and no one likes to feel the latter.

The advent of Google and AI has created a "FREE" mindset that makes everyone expect versus appreciate what others bring to the dance. By the way, we are all guilty of this to varying degrees. For example, how would you respond if Google suddenly started charging you for searches? What about ChatGPT? Would you continue to use those services if they cost you money?

Once a no-pay model is "embedded" in your mind, it becomes an expectation, not a benefit – even if you benefit from using it.

So, what is the takeaway message?

Know Your Value Up-Front

I have been in business a long time, and there is a timeless saying that is as true today as it ever was - "No Cost – No Value"!

The key to avoiding the feeling of being used or underappreciated is that "YOU" have to know "YOUR value" for others to recognize it. I am not talking about having a self-inflated view of one's worth or arrogantly proclaiming unearned respect. I am talking about knowing your true worth based on tangible evidence, e.g., a proven track record.

Then and only then can you confidently say to someone – I can deliver significant value to you, but there is a cost – a fair cost for my services.

If they don't see it, fine. Walk away because someone else will see your value, and that person will become a partner versus a transaction.