Sometimes it may not feel like it, but being a driver makes you the true face of customer service. Whether you are an independent owner operator or a large-fleet employee, being the driver makes your face the one most seen by the shipper or receiver on a regular basis. It may not be immediately apparent that being a driver is a service related function by the way you are sometimes treated by some of these places, but without drivers there would be no one there to provide the service of safely moving their product. With all of the options out there to ship these days, the fact that they chose you to haul their product makes it all that much more important to give them outstanding service with a smile...even when the smiling is a "one-way street".
For instance, as I am writing this blog I am at a warehouse that typically takes three hours to load a full trailer. It doesn't make a difference what time of day, how early or late my appointment, or even if I bring sodas in for all the loaders. However inefficient this may seem to a driver like myself, this is just what I have come to expect from a certain few customers. My dispatcher must not realize that I am all about excelling in customer service, or perhaps she gets different negative reactions from other drivers when they go to these places, but I always seem to find her warning me to approach them with a good attitude and a smile no matter how long the wait is. I don't think she takes me seriously when I tell her I
ALWAYS give them excellent customer service!
Sometimes in our industry it just helps to grow a thick shell and shoot for a new level of patience! However, I am not suggesting getting walked all over by customers with bad attitudes by any means. In fact, I think it is important to de-escalate the situation whenever possible, should a negative vibe enter the room. You can oftentimes find that drivers with abrasive attitudes are what the clerks are used to dealing with, so when you appear to be just another argumentative driver it makes them get even more defensive. Being nice is often something they're not used dealing with at these kinds of places, so chances are you can catch them off guard and actually diffuse the situation. A professional attitude goes hand-in-hand with having a professional appearance. I wait to let out my steam until I am in a more appropriate place to do so, usually in a much more private setting. I am not perfect by any means, but I can assure you that 99.9% of the time you will find me keeping my cool and staying levelheaded with my customers about some very frustrating situations. What are some things you do to keep calm when these types of situations present themselves?