Dear Friend,
When I say “service,” I mean Customer Service. These days, customer service is not exactly “service with a smile,” as it was for generations.
I taught Customer Service classes years ago for an organization of 2,000 employees, many of whom dealt with the public regularly. What catapulted me into developing a course for the employees on customer service was a phone call I placed to a large department with over 200 people.
The receptionist answered the department’s phone as follows:
“Hello, whatta you want?”
I was flabbergasted! Since I was calling the department head anyway, I broached the subject of this horrific effort at customer service. The department head was equally upset about this terrible customer service, barely there, attempt.
I told her we’d develop a training to which we’d invite all 32 departments to participate, so her receptionist wouldn’t feel singled out.
And we did! The program was so well subscribed to that we ran two sessions.
During the two-hour session, we ran through scenarios and had every attendee roleplay both customer and employee roles. Everyone seemed excited to be given a directive on what to say.
The script went something like:
Receptionist: Hello, this is “Alison” in the health department. How may I help you?
(NOT, “May I help you,” but “HOW may I help you?”)
The callers were delighted to learn the name of the person they were speaking with and a confirmation that they’d reached the correct department. “How” may I help you came closer to getting the caller to the person they really wanted to reach.
When I called to make sure things were going smoothly post-training, she greeted me with:
“Hello, this is Alison in the Health Department. How may I help you?”
Ah, relief! She learned, and the entire department heaved a sigh of relief. This took the burden off the department since no one had the courage to chastise her for her rude greetings. She was a civil servant who aced the exam for her position and would have been difficult to remove.
Now, how does that relate to romance books?
In my very first book in the Louisa’s Vineyard Series, Louisa’s Passion, the shoe was proverbially on the other foot. Will, the male main character/MMC, burst into the manager’s office. No polite knock, followed by an immediate interruption of the manager and another employee, Louisa, who were speaking.
To redeem himself in Louisa’s eyes, Will transformed himself. He had a lot of convincing to do, but he won her heart.
Have I convinced you that Louisa, her family, and friends are worth investing your time and book money in to share their adventures? Give Louisa’s Passion a try, and I’m sure you’ll find you want to keep reading! Steamy, spicy, and fun adventures are waiting for you!
“The time has come, the walrus said to talk of many things, shoes and ships and sealing- wax and—cabbages—and kings—and why the sea is boiling hot—and whether pigs have wings.” Does this absurd and fun quote from Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland, make you feel like laughing?
Please tell me what you find humorous! Write to me, shelley@shelleysommers.com or leave comments in the box below. Tell me, what are your favorite funny things to read?
Another favorite of mine is Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hatches the Egg. I had so much fun with it that I invented voices for the different characters and read it to young school children.
Happy reading! Wishing you laughter and joy –
Shelley Sommers
