The words in the title of this piece are part of key training skills Delta Airlines is using to send 11,000 agents back to school, according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal. Another training skill stressed is "be there." This is another way of saying, pay attention to your customer! Why are these skills being taught? Because among major airlines this past year, Delta had the highest rate of customer complaints.
One of the points I stress in each listening seminar and in my keynote, “Be Present When You Are Present,” is the importance of listening and paying attention to the bottom line in any situation. Many companies have similar products and cost. The competitive edge, as Delta knows, is that customer service is based on these people skills of listening and attention. On my website, I even offer wallet cards with reminders of “How to Keep Listening Instead of Talking.”
If these skills are at the crux of profit and loss in a company, think how important listening and attention are in day-to-day living! As Henry David Thoreau said, "The greatest compliment that was ever paid me was when one asked me what I thought and attended to my answer."
