As I sit here slowly drinking my chai tea, I ponder the past year and my successes and failures as a manager. Many times I have heard business owners and managers make difficult decisions followed by the response: it's not personal, it's just business. And although they are probably telling the truth, in all honesty, that statement is likened to a child breaking a toy while trying to figure out what makes it work and saying, "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it". Maybe the child was attempting to fulfill an insatiable desire but nonetheless, he still broke the toy. As a manager, I have to look back over the past year and ask myself if I have allowed business decisions I have had to make affect anyone in an adverse way. If I decided to not waive a late fee, did I do it in a manner that was demeaning to my client or did I offer explanation as to why it would not benefit either of us? If I was forced to auction a unit, did I do everything possible to ensure that person would not lose their items? Did I represent our company well while also making the customer still feel they are very important to us? I wish I could say "yes" in every instance. Let's take a look at some bad customer service:
Ok, so that was truly bad customer service. Perhaps I have done a lot more right than I realized. In any event, It has been a year of learning for me. I can look at our numbers and pat myself on the back and say, well, we went from 56% occupancy to 80% occupancy in record time, so that makes up for all of my mistakes. But, I can't do that. I remember every single instance I wish I would have handled differently. I see 80% and think, if I would have handled that differently, we might be at 90%. Our customer service at Star is top of the line. We truly love our customers and love serving our customers. However, there are always those instances when a change in words or inflection would have been more suitable. However, a handstand or cartwheel was probably out of the question, spending time in traction doesn't suit me well. In any case, knowing this helps me to always strive to do better with each person.
With that being said, is it always easy being so nice to everyone? Not really. We all have days when we aren't feeling up to par and would rather hide under our desk than deal with another cranky customer. But, the rewards by far always outweigh those moments. With that, I can look back at 2011 as a year of learning and growth and look forward to 2012 as a new beginning. Goodbye, 2011. Hello, 2012.
Michelle Armstrong
Manager
Star Storage
816-765-7300
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