On Giving: Be Determined to 'Go The Extra Mile' or ''How I learned my lesson by Ebenezer Scrooge''

Giving & Giving More: Going the Extra Mile: to try harder to please someone or to get the task done correctly; to GIVE more than is required; to do more than one is required to do to reach a goal. ''I like doing business with that company. They always go the extra mile.'' ''My teacher goes the extra mile to help us.''

by Mike Corthell

It is the season of giving they say. But why do we need a season? I know why we call it 'the season'. It because we as a people try to emulate or mirror God's gift of his sacrifice to us—the birth of our Savior—God incarnate, Jesus of Nazareth. But, we are giving things, like jewelry, toys, cars, clothes and while a lot of these things are given and gotten with good intention, the 'season' often degrades into greed. It turns into a teaching moment(a very negative one) —one that says that it's better to Get than to Give.

''Kindness in words creates confidence.
Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates love.

—Lao Tzu''

Learning the lesson early to give of one's self is a milestone on the road to success, for giving wholeheartedly is the basis of going the extra mile in customer service. As I wrote yesterday, this is also the way to show gratitude. AND showing gratitude gets you more to be GRATEFUL for!

It is also the season for watching Dickens', 'A Christmas Carol'. (by the way, the meaning of 'carol' is 'hymn'.) My dear wife Caroline and I watched it last night—the Alastair Sim version.

It is about the emotion of loss and the human condition. Mr. Scrooge appeared to start well, he was motivated and had good intentions but the loss of his good, kind hearted sister turned him into a cruel and bitter old man. The loss of her love and steadying presence—her anchoring love set him adrift. The only way he could secure himself was to grab on to and love money. The volume and quality of his sister's love was bottomless. She reflected God's love. Her death left an empty place in his heart. He chose money instead of God's love to fill that space. Bad choice for him and it's a very bad choice for all of us.

On the lesson of giving, what does God say: ''Give to others, and you will receive. You will be given much. It will be poured into your hands—more than you can hold. You will be given so much that it will spill into your lap. The way you give to others is the way God will give to you.” Pretty clear isn't it?

Let's go back to business concerns and creating wealth...

''Go the extra mile, great customer service''

Know Your Customers. Great service begins with knowing what your customers want and need. Customers love personalization and most like being doted on. Get to know them— memorize their names. Take note of what was discussed earlier so that you can refer to it the next time you meet.

Be Consistent. Your customers want to know exactly what to expect, and what they are getting every time they interact with you. They want the same, positive experience.

Fix Your Mistakes. (a BIG part of a giving spirit) Avoiding responsibility for your mistakes is a sure way of putting your business out of business. Transparency is important in business, customer service is no different. No matter how great you are, there is always room for improvement. Always ask for feedback. There may be blind-spots or issues that irritate your customers that you and yuour employees are unaware of.

Establish Your Customers’ Needs and Wants. All our customers’ needs are different. So, you need to make sure you assess each customer individually. For some customers, it may seem that money isn't an issue, but time is crucial. For other customers, however, it might be the other way around. Be aware.

Promotional Gifts (GIVE!). Building good will. Your customer will know that you aren't just here for the money. Give your customers gifts, especially seasonal promotional gifts. Consider sending them a coffee mug, letter opener, or some other promotional item with your company logo. You can also thank your customers for their business by offering special customer loyalty discounts, promotions and coupons.

'Going the extra mile' makes for a happy customer and happy customers are returning customers. Give more, get more. The best part for you? You GET a good feeling. That FEELING is GOOD.

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Peter Sage speaks about the entrepreneurial mindset and not giving up. This is part of going the extra mile. It is positive thinking and mixing it with...GRATITUDE!

Say thank you to the Universe.

Say thank you to God.