Conversations from The EDGE: Misunderstanding the Term “Service Industry”

 

In the business world, there are a few phrases that are mainly used out of habit, without really considering the root meaning of the words being put together. On this episode of Conversations from The EDGE by Service Logic, Elizabeth Barber, Service Manager for Service Logic, had a thoughtful conversation with host Sean Heath as they discussed exactly that concept.

“Any time there is business being done, there is ‘service’ being given,” said Barber. “You have customer service at your local Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts. And you have customer service all the way up to when you buy a million-dollar home. Those are very different industries and the service is not separate from the industry in which it is in.”

For Barber, ‘serving’ is a synonym for ‘solving.’

“Getting good service is not always ‘the customer is always right’ sort of philosophy. Good service is when you feel like somebody cares about what is going on,” she said. “I often believe that sometimes you make your biggest advocates when you take a situation that was going sideways and you make it right for them.”

In her experience, focusing on the personal relationships facilitates the professional transactions. “I always like to say that my job is not really related to HVAC, my job is communication. If I communicate properly, to the right people, at the end of the day, the HVAC work gets done.”

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