That Is Not My Job!

This is an attitude that will destroy any chance a person has of being highly successful in their profession.  It isn’t always expressed verbally, but you know it when you see it.  I’m pretty sure that I have uttered this poisonous phrase before and I know I’ve thought it.  I wish I could say I hadn’t, but I have.  It is a terrible attitude.  It limits us and keeps us from serving our customer to the full extent of our ability. 

Limited thinking equals limited pay.

Yesterday, I provided a list of 50+ resources to legitimately raise your income, but none of these will help unless we approach our situation with the right attitude.  Whoever we serve in our occupation is our customer.  It doesn’t matter who we are or what we do.  We all have customers.  I work in IT.  My customers include those that I support to ensure their computer and the network is doing what they need to do their job.  My customers also include my boss and the executive leadership of the company.  I serve them by introducing innovative ideas, properly managing the resources provided to keep everyone productive, and by controlling expenses.  It is important to identify all your customers and to understand their expectations.

Our customers expect us to solve their problems.  They don’t care if the issue they need help with falls within our job description or our notion of what we do or not.  It is their perception that counts.  I want my customers to know that if they have an issue and don’t know who to call, I am a great place to start.  I want them to know that I will do whatever I can to meet their need and desire.  This will keep them coming back and speaking well of me.  I will become a resource that they can depend upon.  The attitude of “that’s not my job” is evidence that I don’t always get this, but I’m always striving to improve.

Extreme service is what will help you to make more money. 

We are compensated exactly equal to the service that we provide.  That statement always causes me to pause and ponder it for a moment.  It is powerful and incredibly wise.  I think I first read it in “The Strangest Secret” by Earl Nightingale.  He suggests that we can drive down any street in America and estimate the level of service being provided by the residents.  I think this was probably true back when people mostly paid cash for purchases.  In our society, where debt is so prevalent, people often live well above their means.  I wonder what some of our neighborhoods would look like today if we didn’t use credit to falsely inflate our lifestyles?  What would your house look like?

If we go the extra mile for our customers, they will do more business with us.  Successful entrepreneurs know that this translates directly into more profits.  For those of us working for someone else, we often feel that it will just result in more work.  So many people are scared to death that they are going to get taken advantage of.  However, this is a very short-term attitude.  When we increase our value to our customers, it will result in more money for us.  It may take awhile, but eventually people are going to notice.  The increase may come as a raise, promotion, or new job opportunity, but it will come.

How to WOW your customers.

The goal is to make your customers say, “Wow!”.  I want to impress my customers with my helpfulness when they least expect it.  This will stick in their minds which is what will result in better performance reviews, more referrals, and ultimately higher income.  Here are a few ways that I have found that help me to exceed my customers expectations and to beat the “that is not my job” attitude:

1. When you cannot help them, find someone that can.  If a customer asks you if you do something that you do not do, then find someone that does.  I used this when I was in business for myself on several occasions.  It was a win-win solution.  I looked good with my client and I also received goodwill from the person receiving the referral.  Here’s a tip.  If you plan to do this, do not tell your customer in advance that you are going to look for someone.  If you do, then you set an expectation which if you fail to meet leads to disappointment which is the opposite impact you want.
2. Give of your time and resources freely.  Do not be afraid to give your time and/or products away for free from time to time.  I struggle with this one.  However, I have found that people don’t expect you to help them without charging, so when you do, it leaves an impression.  This comes in many forms.  You have to evaluate where and when this makes sense for your business.  However, the key is to do it unexpectedly.  If a restaurant manager gives me my meal for free because it took way too long to prepare, it doesn’t impress me because I expect him to compensate me for my wait.  The same applies in other situations.  It has to be unexpected.
3. Help your customer with a personal matter.  Go the extra mile by helping your boss  or client with a matter that is outside of the business.  We often spend a great deal of time with our customers so we hear things that they are trying to do in their personal lives.  This is an excellent opportunity to exceed their expectations.  You might ask to buy their daughter’s Girl Scout Cookies, volunteer to help them with a project at home, or simply make a connection that helps them get tickets for the sold-out show their wife wants to see.  You have to judge what is appropriate.  Some might consider this kissing up, but I think it is just good relationship building.
4. Refuse their business when there is a better way.  I have turned down or talked customers out of doing business with me when I knew it wasn’t right for them.  Some people will think I’m nuts for suggesting this, but I have found that forming long-term relationships with those that I serve is the best strategy for business.  Capitalizing on something that isn’t in the customer’s best interest is short-sighted.  By doing this, my customers started thinking of me as a trusted advisor instead of someone trying to sell them something regardless of whether it was right for them.  This created loyalty that is priceless.

Ditch the “that is not my job” attitude.

I have found that increasing my level of service is the path to higher compensation.  It goes back to the principle of you reap what you sow.  If you sow more seed, you will reap a bigger harvest.  It is common sense really.  Your recognition and reward is going to be exactly equal to the effort you invest.  For me, I will definitely think twice before I tell people, “that is not my job”.

Photos by Tidewater Muse and Kurt Magoon