New week brings new customer service silver linings

This past week produced a number of new-normal positive outcomes and observations feeding our self-administered “customer satisfaction.”

My exercise continues at a more robust and intense pace than it was BC (Before Coronavirus). I’m exploring reading choices previously in the to-be-determined category.

For example, I’m focusing on news outlets that seem more balanced and global in their presentation than the typical fare. I’m going to BBC.com daily and moving away from outlets that seem overly invested in sensationalism.

And, I ordered a trial subscription of The Economist, which my best friend Fran Pool has touted as a solid source of solid facts. (Got a free 28-day Kindle subscription that popped up on Amazon.com.)

Certainly one of the most delightful discoveries has been the paucity of traffic and crowds where I normally encounter them. Pre-COVID-19, traffic congestion and consequent constant exposure to distracted and inconsiderate drivers was my #1 Pet Peeve—followed closely by people parking their shopping carts squarely in the middle of the aisle at Costco or elsewhere. Now, shopping and driving appear to be almost other-worldly experiences—generally punctuated with courtesy and friendly greetings. Wow, what’s not to like!

Oh, wait! Think I have a co-candidate for top Pet Peeve—technology snafus! By adjusting my attitude to be more Zen-like and generally tolerant, I’m also finding my ability to put up with tech snafus to be more robust. Part of this is because I believe there are extraordinary stressors on the systems because of all the virtual communication right now. There will be glitches and gaffes, slowdowns and outages. As best we can, let’s be patient and give some grace to those responsible for making all these systems operate.

I’m also taking some time to “adjust” technology settings to make them more aligned with day-to-day activities. For example, I just changed my cell settings to become more efficient and effective.

Then, there’s travel. Oh, boy! There are many parts of the globe I’ve yet to experience. There likely will be travel deals galore after the current crisis subsides—likely for at least months, to recover losses. Think I will add “travel reading” to my list—to see what’s out there and perhaps lock in a trip or two down the road a bit.

Finally, I’m delighting in seeing ingenuity at its best. This country always has shown its ability to succeed when challenges are most daunting. From JFK’s bold stated goal on May 25, 1961 that we would land humans on the moon by the end of the decade to today’s quest to help prevent and treat COVID-19, it’s heartening to see how our determination and drive goes into overdrive when most needed or motivated.

Go find beauty. Seek out new amusements. Even on days when you hit the wall exhausted and emotionally spent, there’s much to appreciate out there. Get some rest, then go forth and enjoy!

Self-administered customer service is especially important right now. Try finding and appreciating people, places and things that give you joy and “customer satisfaction.” They’re all around and plentiful. This is truly an opportunity to explore and expand horizons. Give it a try.

Mark Lusky

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Do you have customer service snafus or stellar experiences to share? If so, feel free to comment on this post or email your thoughts to mark@marklusky.com.