My Musing On Customer Service

Sometimes nostalgic recollections of our bygone years of our professional life may flash across our mind which may kindle some unusual interesting incidents. One such incident happened during my sojourn as bank manager long ago. It was one of the very important managers' conference of that year of our division when the budget and business strategies and targets were to be fixed. The conference was presided over by our Chairman and Managing Director and the regional heads and senior executives, Senior Managers and Managers were participating in the conference.  Being one of the avowed performing managers and active office- bearer of officers' association, I used to express my views freely and boldly. My friends many times advised to be cautious while expressing my views for the sake of my career progress.

The discussions on the subject of customer service came up and the our CMD gave his sermons on customer service and displaying a quote of Mahatma Gandhi on the projection screen which read as follows.

"A customer is the most important visitor on our premises.

He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him.
He is not an interruption on our work. He is the purpose of it.
He is not an outsider on our business. He is part of it.

We are not doing him a favour by serving him.

He is doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to do so." He asked the participants for the strategy to be adopted in the sphere customer service co-relating with the quote. Every one unanimously in unison agreed jubilantly with the quote except that I did not give full-hearted support on that.

The CMD asked me, "Mr Radhakrishnan it seems that you have a different view on this. Could you not explain your views?"

I replied, "Sir, not that I have a different view on the subject of customer service but I have two different perspectives on the same matter."

The CMD said, "Well. I would like you to enlighten us on the two different perspectives. Please explain.

I said, "I agree totally with what Gandhiji said regarding customer service from my first perspective of business development. But my second perspective is career progress for whichonly the couple of first two words "A CUSTOMER" are to be changed in same quote and the changed quote would be modified as under.

"THE BOSS is the most important visitor on our premises.

He is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him.
He is not an interruption on our work. He is the purpose of it.
He is not an outsider on our business. He is part of it.

We are not doing him a favour by serving him.

He is doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to do so". Fortunately for me, a spontaneous hearty laughter with claps greeted me immediately on my explanation breaking the seriousness of the mood turning into a merrier disposition.