Monday 30 September 2013

SAS will make you Happy

Its true, SAS will make you a happier individual. 

You may wonder how is this possible when the SAS is an elite special force. Some of you may think it is either Scandinavian Airlines System, SAS Business Analytics or SAS Cargo.

The SAS I talk of is simply :

Smile – Many cultures see the act of a smile as a sign of friendliness, especially when greeting someone. While frowns are viewed up as indicating sadness or disapproval. So, it is recommended to maintain the expression of a smile for 15 to 30 seconds. It is suggested for you to create this positive habit by reminding yourself to do this every hour. This investment of 15 to 30 seconds will only make you reap great benefits in all parts of your life.

Act Happy – Individuals who are happy have a tendency to value themselves. They value themselves in terms of having great positive self-belief (self confidence, self esteem). This self-belief is shown through their communication skills i.e. non-verbal communication, verbal communication (voice and words) and written communication. Their emotional fitness is in good shape. They are happy as they value the importance of their existence. They have the ability to see everything in their life as a learning experience to become better rather then using those experiences as self-sabotage. They have built a very strong positive rapport with themselves.

Sit/Stand Up – Tony Robbins often talks about how your physiology impacts how great you feel about yourself. Some of you may remember your parents, elders or even teachers saying to you stand/sit up straight. In fact, this simply means having a good posture. A bad posture obviously leads to health issues but a good posture sends a signal of confidence and self-presence. When we sit/stand up straight we are allowing our lungs to be used to their full capacity. For the brain to function in a healthy manner it needs to be oxygenated. So, filling those lungs with ample amount of oxygen has great benefit for your creative thinking, happiness and health.


Thank you to the book 59 Seconds by Professor RichardWiseman for revealing this ancient truth through modern scientific evidence.

So, put your trust in the SAS to make you happy, like the say "Who Dares Wins".

Monday 9 September 2013

Soul Based Service Excellence or Customer Service

In my early years when entering the corporate world I was introduced to the idea of customer service. Well, I was shocked and surprised with what I was taught by them. It seemed very different to what my father had instilled in me from a young age.

I recall my father being an individual who truly cared for each person who entered his premises. They may not buy from him or they complained yet he showed and gave them due respect. Yes, he had his bad days when he would get the irate customer or the customer who was extremely rude. In all cases he did his best, showed them respect and served them the best he knew.

So, the corporate world gave me a new definition of customer service. To make my life easier they broke the whole thing down. Bless them, they were doing their best and I was a eager beaver who wanted to learn.

This is what I got from the corporate world:

  • What is a Customer? - An individual who buys a product or service. An individual with whom someone has dealings
  • What is Service? - An act of assistance
  • What is Customer Service? - An act of assistance for an individual who buys or with whom someone has dealings

While what I learnt from my father was:

  • Customer Service is all about the way you take care of the people who support your business. 

Now those people included paying customers, staff and vendors/suppliers. This indeed is a great contrast to the definition from the corporate world.

I was always advised by him giving poor service or average (mediocre) service is never an option. The only option, the only choice is "Service Excellence" thus ensuring the customer is happy with the service provided. This leading to repeat business.

Service Excellence is never about a transaction, it is about feelings, energy and enthusiasm. That is why on the behalf of my father I have named it "Soul Based Service Excellence". It is simply the ability to link up with the customer in a manner that creates a sense of trust and understanding. This can only be achieved from the heart and soul.

You decide would you like to just give customer service or "Soul Based Service Excellence"