Just Listen
September 25th, 2006 by John Dragoon
Inspiration comes from the strangest places.
Today I’m at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York City at the InfoWorld Executive Forum on virtualization where Novell is the cornerstone sponsor. Virtualization is a hot topic and to be sure there is a lot of cool (and practical) stuff happening in the space. This blog, however, will not discuss any of that.
After the morning keynotes I took a break and went into the hotel bar (with coffee as my companion) to bang out a few emails and think deep thoughts. As I was doing both, an elderly lady approached the bar and was greeted by a bartender with a warm smile and an outstretched hand. Nothing unusual there. He asked her, “How are you?” Standard fare or so I thought. What followed was the lesson I needed to hear (again) for the day and the inspiration for this quick blog.
The lady shared that her brother had died this week. What followed from the bartender was a lesson in listening with empathy and customer service. This guy actually wasn’t going through the motions – he actually meant it when he asked “How are you?” and took the time to listen to the response and respond in the most magnificent way. Wow!
It seems that not everyone just wants their problems solved. For many of us, just listening, really listening and being in the moment is enough. This bartender (I’ve since learned his name is “Eddie”) was smart enough to realize he couldn’t bring the lady’s brother back. What he could do was listen with compassion and demonstrate through his eyes, his actions and his heart that he was there – which of course is exactly what the lady needed.
As Eddie began to take care of this woman with a hot cup of coffee and a warm bowl of soup, he gave her something even more precious. The confidence that he was listening to her in the deepest sense.
It’s common in our industry to solve the problem. That’s what customers pay us for. I get it. They also want to do business with someone who listens. Eddie provided a great reminder of what it’s all about. I’ll take his words to this lady with me as I return to Boston later today, as he told her -
“I’ll take care of you. Don’t worry, as long as I’m here, you’re in good shape”.
Well said indeed.
Thanks Eddie.