Perhaps the best customer service in the world comes from the Fire Department (and all other emergency responders). If there is a fire, we know that when we call 911 to report the situation, in a matter of minutes, fire trucks and fire fighters will be on the scene.
This efficiency and reliability comes down to the number one lesson from the Fire Department:
- When the phone rings, you answer it immediately.
In emergency situations, you don’t have the luxury of waiting to answer the phone when it is convenient. You do it because people’s lives may be in danger and you must respond as quickly as possible. In business, your customer should come first, and answering the phone goes a long way in assuring him or her that you care.
- Treat every call with respect
Not every call may be life-or-death urgent, but you just don’t know, and must treat each and every call the same. Firefighters will answer the call and then try to determine how to prioritize it. In business, some calls may be about easily resolved issues and some may have to do with larger organizational problems. You don’t know, and until you have determined what the call means, you need to treat each and every caller with respect.
- Have a response ready
When you call the Fire Department, the firefighters will determine if you have a fire, and if so, how many fire trucks may be needed, or if you have a medical emergency, and if so, what type of ambulance to send. They have systems in place to send the right equipment to respond to whatever the situation is. The business lesson here is that there must be an appropriate response to every situation.
A couple more things: In order for emergency response to work it must be reliable and available, and that is exactly what we need from customer service too.
