Monday Motivation: Seeing Your Product Again For The First Time

I had the distinct privilege of going to Tijuana on Friday night to see the Xolos (pronounced cho-los) play.  It was my first experience at a soccer match on any level.  My friend and colleague Pablo, who lives in Tijuana, has season passes to the Xolos and has been trying to get me to go to a game with him for a while.  My wife wasn’t super excited about me crossing the border on a Friday night, but I knew Pablo would take good care of me.

We saw a fantastic match where the Xolos won 3-1.  The atmosphere was amazing.  I don’t know if it’s because I didn’t understand the language, hence the swear words, but I felt safer there than at a San Diego Chargers game, which is right in my own back yard.

Following the game, Pablo took me to his favorite taco shop where I was treated to Mexican Coca-Cola and authentic Tijuana tacos.  All I can say is WOW!  What an evening.

As I reflected on this experience, a thought occurred to me.  When Pablo picked me up at the border and drove me through his home town, he didn’t point out all of the flaws.  Not even close.  He showed me some of the new development, took me to see a soccer match with his favorite team, and treated me to his favorite taco shop.  Sure every town has warts and wrinkles, but Pablo gave me the grand tour, highlighting the best it has to offer.

A second thought that struck me was the fact that he drives by many of those places on his way home from work every day.  The commute becomes routine and it’s easy to miss and appreciate the sights and sounds of the city.  It’s only when he has the opportunity to give a visitor a tour that he gets to appreciate the place where he lives by experiencing it again for the first time.

As customer service professionals, the product or service we support so quickly loses its luster when we talk about it all day, every day.  What if we saw every contact with a customer as an opportunity to experience our product for the first time?  What if we lived vicariously through each caller, giving them the grand tour and getting to experience our service and the excitement that goes with it alongside them?

This goal may sound lofty but why not give it a shot?  You may gain new appreciation for the company you work for and the product you support.

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