VILLAGE JOURNAL Editorial
EditorialI’ve been thinking a lot this month about the concept of service. Service is one of those words that means a myriad of things depending on who uses it and the application of the term. There’s the service department, community service, customer service, food service, service agreements and the big issue for many is lack of service. Service is something we all like to get and service is something that we all like to think we give. The act of service is not only a transaction, it is an encounter between human beings. Service, either when we are receiving or giving it is really about connectedness. The human connections that are in place during the act of service, despite how big or small the service is, is what can make the encounter either wholly satisfying, disheartening or downright awful. I was returning from Sydney recently and I was sitting opposite the boarding counter of the airline, waiting for the time to come around to board the plane. I had paused in my reading and looked up to see a harried looking gentleman approach the staff at the counter and ask if this was the place to go to board the plane for Melbourne. One staff member gave the man a pleasant smile and stated that this was where the plane to Lismore was boarding and enquired about what number gate his boarding pass stated. He replied and she pointed out he was not at that gate and gave him instructions about how to get there. He grunted, and I do mean grunted, at her and turned on his heel and walked away. She had a wistful smile when she addressed her fellow staff member and asked if a thank you might have been too much to ask for. It was not her fault he was at the wrong gate, he was actually travelling with another airline, and all she had done was offer a simple service and a moment of human connectedness, to assist a fellow human who was by all accounts at least a little lost. She was rebuffed, and certainly received no positive return for her efforts. As customers and consumers, purchasers and users, clients and constituents, we all feel we deserve appropriate levels of service. We need to think about how we receive that connection and what energy we put into acknowledging, receiving, and affirming the act. A service providers, it is not just the information, tasks or goods that make or break the encounter. The intrinsic part of all service encounters is the human exchange, the moment of connectedness that occurs in our busy lives. It also doesn’t matter if the exchange is between friends, family, colleagues or strangers. The impact of the connection can be massive in all of these encounters. Given and received with willingness and joy, service can change the aspect of our day and in some cases our whole lives. So whether we are giving or receiving, let’s make this connectedness matter. In the end it is more important than anything else… Other articles in this series:
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