Why The Grinch would make a great customer service representative.

How could Mr. Grinch, who is as cuddly as a cactus and as charming as an eel, be anything short of the world’s worst customer service representative? Well, despite the Grinch’s propensity towards being a three-decker sauerkraut and toadstool sandwich, with arsenic sauce, there are a few valuable customer service lessons we could learn from him.

He is great at problem solving.

The Grinch was determined to stop Christmas but needed to disguise himself as Santy Claus to do it. There was just one problem: he had no Santa suit! But that wasn’t going to get in his way. He used his resources to create a makeshift Santa outfit. And what did he do for reindeer? He strapped a horn to his dog’s head.

Takeaway: You may not always be able to resolve a customer’s problem to their total satisfaction. However, as a telephone answering service CSR, it’s your job to do everything in your power to bring them as close to a resolution as possible before escalating the issue. Customers will appreciate the extra lengths you went to for them, even if their issue requires additional assistance.

He learned to be empathetic.

The Grinch hated Christmas. Perhaps because his shoes were too tight. While shoe shopping for his green furry feet, he didn’t have the benefit of a knowledgeable CSR to help him find comfortable shoes. So, he went home with loafers so constricting that they turned him into a sourpuss. Eventually, though, thanks to the Whos, his heart grew 3 sizes and he learned empathy.

Takeaway: Many of us have had a poor customer care experience or been on the receiving end of a bad product or service. When customers call up angry, their natural inclination is to take it out on you, their first point of contact. Your natural inclination may be to yell back – but resist that urge. Put yourself in their shoes, and imagine how you’d feel if your shoes were so tight that they turned you into a Grinch. Treat callers with the kindness you would want to receive if the tables were turned.

He understands the importance of quality control.

Was the Grinch really taking Cindy Lou Who’s Christmas tree home to his workshop to fix a light that wouldn’t light on one side? No. But being the sharp, savvy monster he was, he quickly recognized this potential quality control issue and used it to his advantage.

Takeaway: The more time you spend identifying and fixing potential product or service snags, the less customers you will upset, the more people will trust your retailer, and the greater the revenue you’ll rake in each year. Before bringing things to market, do test runs in your department or in the field. Ask employees to go through services step by step to see where it can be made better. There is always room for improvement.