After a great long weekend in New York City with my daughters (Amanda and Katie) and granddaughter (Callie), we got to the airport to learn our flight had been cancelled.

The United Airlines rep (Bryon?) began the process of finding four seats to Orlando. He was empathetic, yet pleasant and professional. After much searching he informed me that he had us on a flight with another airline leaving in six hours. He mentioned there was one leaving within the hour, but there were only two seats. We first said we would take one of the two seats because Katie had a 2 1/2 hour drive once she got to Orlando. Byron ran to another counter and returned for Katie. At that point we asked if we could have both seats so that Callie (who is only 7 years old) wouldn't have to sit in the airport for 6 hours. Byron quickly ran off again in an effort to get the second seat.

If he was aggravated with our indecision he certainly didn't show it. We later apologized for changing our minds and he said it was understandable, after all, we had been caught off guard. He said he was happy to assist us.

Another rep might have been irritated with this situation, but Byron made us feel that he was truly focused on serving us and not on what was most convenient for him. He kept his cool and we were impressed.

In the example mentioned above Byron knew we had been caught off guard with the flight being cancelled. He stayed focused on providing the best solution possible and he did so pleasantly.

By the way, it doesn't matter whether the customer has been caught off guard or not.

• Always focus on the needs of the customer, not your needs or wants.
• You don't know what the customer might be going through, so even if he or she seems impatient or frustrated, be sure to keep your cool.
• Try to provide optional solutions for the customer so he or she can choose what is best for his or her situation.
• When appropriate, keep a sense of humor. It will brighten your day and the experience for your customer.
• Do your best not to get distracted with other activities such as phone calls or chatting with other employees. Staying focused on the customer (especially if there is a problem) communicates that you take their situation seriously.
• If you are trying to find a solution for a group of individuals, recognize that they may not all need the same things. In my case above, Amanda and I were okay with the six hour wait. Katie, on the other hand, would have been greatly inconvenienced with that long of a wait.

This powerful booklet features 52 service affirmations - each with a related quote for inspiration. To learn more about Me, Myself & I or to order this booklet, click here. Note: We can personalize the first page of this booklet with a letter from your company leader.