Here’s a simple rule for outstanding customer service: If it’s broken . . . fix it!
I was passing through a rural community last week and saw a sign attached to a gas pump that read, “Pump will not shut off!” That’s kind of important! I’m glad that I took the time to read the sign before filling up my tank. This gas station’s version of fixing the problem was simply alerting customers to the fact that the pump was in need of repair — not actually repairing the pump.
How often do we avoid fixing what’s broken in our spheres of influence? Instead of replacing the impersonal staff member or volunteer, we’ll spend our energies apologizing for their attitude. Instead of finding a more efficient method of checking children into your children’s ministry, we’ll focus on creative ways to wrap a line. Avoid treating the symptoms of systems or procedures that are broken and begin treating the root of the problem. Simply notifying people that a problem exists (or even apologizing for it) doesn’t solve the problem.
Look for ways to creatively solve the root issues of problems that you encounter in leadership.
Mark Forrester 