Customer Service, Compassion, and Computers

@doncrawley #custserv
• The Foundations of Service
• Practical Emotional Intelligence
• What to Do When the Customer Isn’t Right
• The Art of Listening Well
• Making Sure They Know You Care
• Communicating Through Email, Texting, and
Instant Messaging
• How to Say “No”
• Stress Management
The Agenda

People will forget what you
said,
people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget
how you made them feel.
Dr. Maya Angelou
Page 9

@doncrawley #custserv Page 9
WIIFM?The WIIFM Factor (What’s In It For Me?)
• IT Help Desks with good customer service tend to resolve tickets
faster, thus saving budget dollars
• Having a reputation for great customer service can help protect
jobs
• Customers don’t try to solve their own problems, creating entirely
new problems.
• Customers don’t give up, thus neglecting new technologies that
could help them work better.
• They don’t bad-mouth us behind our backs. (We can help avoid
death-by-water-cooler.)
• Customers are open to learning new ways of doing things from us.
• Customers and management are more likely to be loyal to us.
• A common reason why people lose their job is because they don’t
get along well with others in the workplace.

Think of your personal experiences
when you were receiving
customer service. On a piece of
paper, draw two columns. Label
one column Heroes and the other
column Villains. In the Heroes
column, write down your good
experiences receiving customer
service and, in the Villains column,
write down your bad experiences
receiving customer service.

How to Develop Deep Technical Skills
• Certifications (Take the preparation process seriously.)
• Experiment
• Buy used Cisco routers, for example, on eBay and set up a test network.
• Install VMWare, VirtualBox, or Hyper-V and experiment, explore
• Read
• Read anything and read much
• Attend training
• Commercial seminars and workshops
• Product demonstrations
• Attend conferences
• Take classes at the community college
• If you don’t want to pay the tuition or can’t afford it, see if you can
audit classes. Sometimes, you can audit a class for a greatly
reduced fee.
• Watch YouTube videos
• Meet with like-minded individuals
• Join users groups
• Find a Meetup

How to become more compassionate:
• Develop empathy for your fellow human beings.
• Focus on the alleviation of suffering.
• Instead of recognizing the differences between yourself and
others, focus on the similarities.
• Slow down.
• Hidden acts of kindness.
• Practice caring about those who mistreat you.
• Make all of this a daily practice.
• Do the Just Like Me exercise from Ode Magazine:
– Just like me, this person is seeking happiness in his/her life.
– Just like me, this person is trying to avoid suffering in his/her life.
– Just like me, this person has known sadness, loneliness and
despair.
– Just like me, this person is seeking to fill his/her needs.
– Just like me, this person is learning about life.`

How to be More Empathetic
• Sometimes, it’s impossible to really feel what the other person is feeling.
In those situations, try to relate to how you would feel in a similar
situation or how you felt the last time you were sad, angry, jealous,
excited, or whatever emotion the other person is feeling.
How to Develop a Sense of Empathy
• Empathy is the ability to feel what another person is feeling, to see the
world through his or her eyes.
• Realize that the person you’re dealing with brings their own set of
experiences, some happy, some sad. For example:
1. Grieving the loss of a friend
2. Just got papers served
3. Needs someone to care
4. Got a call from the principal at his kid’s school with bad news
5. Just lost a job
6. Works two jobs to support her family
7. Just got a bad diagnosis from a doctor
8. Living in an abusive relationship
9. Just got out of the hospital
10. Lend a hand (be like Mitch Albom: Notice people who are hurting and try to
help.)

Empathy statements that can help
diffuse emotionally charged
confrontations:
1. I understand.
2. I don’t blame you.
3. I’m sure I’d feel the same way if I were
you.
4. That’s terrible.
5. I’m going to do everything in my power
to solve this for you.

Lose Distractions
Page 18

Don’t Finish Thoughts
or Sentences for the
Other Person
Page 18

Don’t Get Defensive
Page 18

Paraphrase What You
Just Heard
Page 18

Listen to Understand,
Not Just to Respond
Page 18

Make Good
Eye Contact
Page 18

Allow Natural Pauses
in the Conversation
Page 18

Be Honestly
Empathetic
Page 18

Keep an Open Mind
Page 18

Stop talking!
Page 18

“We teach our children that everyone is entitled to respect
and dignity. How pathetic it is when adults cannot abide
such as basic lesson in humanity. How unconscionable.”
--David E. Kelley (Alan Shore’s closing argument.)
To respect someone:
• We know of his/her accomplishments and/or beliefs,
therefore we make a decision to respect him/her.
To treat someone with respect:
• Treating someone with respect is not about that person, it’s
about us. It’s a reflection of how we feel about ourselves.
• Protect the relationship
• Don’t whine or complain
• Be punctual

Three Roadblocks
• The Yeah-Buts
• The Theys
• Belief that people skills are intrinsic
and cannot be learned
Page 12

The Competency/Charisma Four Quadrant
Model
Definitions
Competency: Your technical skills and job-related
knowledge
Charisma: Your ability to understand, get along
with, and influence people
What are the roadblocks you create that prevent
you from reaching the upper-right quadrant?
What can you do today, right now, to move
toward the upper-right quadrant? Anything, no
matter how small, helps!

Who are your customers?
• End-users
• Paying customers
• Colleagues at work
• Your boss
• People who work for you
• Customers are anyone with whom we
interact
Page 19

• Our customers
• Our organization
• Our colleagues at work
• Ourselves
Who are the stakeholders?

Three important points…
• Primum non no care
• Our goal is to achieve a positive
outcome for the four stakeholders
• Always be authentic
Page 21

The Paradoxical Commandments by
Dr. Kent M. Keith
Page 22

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered.
Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable.
Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot
down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds.
Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs.
Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight.
Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them.
Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the
teeth.
Give the world the best you have anyway.
The Paradoxical Commandments
The Paradoxical Commandments are reprinted with the permission
of the author. (c) Copyright Kent M. Keith 1968, renewed 2001.

For Reflection and Discussion
• When was the last time you actually worked
with the products you support?
• How have you shown compassion toward
others in the past week?
• When are you most compassionate? Least
compassionate?
• Can you be compassionate toward someone
you don’t like or respect?
• What can you do to be a better listener?
Page 23

• Practice Compassion and Respect
• Practice Listening
• Forgive
• Seek to Understand
• What is Your Level of Competency and
Charisma?
• Take Action
• Be Early
To-Dos
Pages 24 & 25

Module Two
“Never make major decisions while you’re experiencing emotional
extremes, either high or low.”
--Michael J. Costello
Practical Emotional Intelligence
Page 27

• Ability to recognize emotions in
yourself and others
• Ability to respond appropriately to
emotions
• Ability to control your own emotions
• Ability to influence a desired
emotional response in others
The four characteristics
Page 27

Start the process of
recognizing emotions
in others by being
aware. A good place to
start is facial
expressions.

Recognizing Your Own Emotions
• Recognize emotions as soon as they
materialize. Express them assertively,
but not aggressively.
• Ask yourself throughout the day, “How
am I feeling right now?” Keep a
journal.
• Take ownership of your emotions.
Page 28

How to Manage Your Own Emotions
Page 29
• Be aware of your emotions
• Be aware of your body
• Notice connection between emotions and behavior
• Don’t judge your emotions
• Watch for repeating patterns
• Be intentional
• Be intentional about influences
• Take ownership of your emotions

• Work on mastering your own
emotions
• Show sincere empathy
• Take time with responses
• Think about long-term best interest
• Learn to maintain your calm
How to Influence the Emotions of
Others
Page 30

Think of past times when your responses to emotions in others
have been ineffective
Student Exercise, Part 1
Page 31

Think of ways you can make your responses to emotions in others
more effective in the future
Student Exercise, Part 2
Page 32

An Amygdala Hijack
Page 33
Characteristics of an
amygdala hijack (a term
coined by Daniel Goleman):
• Strong emotional reaction
• Rapid onset
• Later, you ask “What was I
thinking?” (or others ask
that of you!)

Management of feeling to create a publicly
observable facial and bodily display
--Sociologist Arlie Hochshield
(Putting on your game face.)
Emotional Labor
Page 34

Emotional Labor
Page 34

soundthinking point
Always keep things positive and upbeat.
Your colleagues and customers will appreciate it!
Page 34

Emotional Intelligence Personal Reflection Exercise
Student Exercise
Page 35

The Social Brain
Page 37
Our brains are wired to connect.

In the early 1990s, Italian neuroscientist Giacomo Rizzolatti, MD, along with colleagues
at the University of Parma in Italy, noticed that individual neurons in the brains of
Macaque monkeys fired both when a monkey grabbed an object as well as when a
monkey observed that action by another monkey. They conducted a research study,
which was published in 1992, in which they found that individual neurons would only
fire in response to very specific actions. For example, if a researcher were to pick up a
peanut, a specific mirror neuron in the monkey’s brain would fire. If the researcher,
however, put the peanut in his mouth, a different mirror neuron would fire in the
monkey’s brain.
How does this relate to humans? fMRI studies of human brains show similar responses
to the experiences with the monkeys. In a study at the University of Groningen in the
Netherlands, researchers observed that similar areas of the brain became active when
participants were touched on the leg or when they observed someone being touched
on the leg.
Experimental Brain Research (Vol. 91, No. 1, pages 176-180)
Neuron (Vol. 42, No. 2, pages 335-346)
The science behind social intelligence

When you encounter an emotionally-
charged situation
• Red means stop
• Yellow means think
about possible
responses
• Green means choose
the best one

A regular practice of
mindfulness meditation
can help you develop an
abiding sense of calm.
When you meditate,
close your eyes and focus
on nothing but your
breathing.
Even doing it for a few
minutes a day will help.

When we’re calm, we make better
decisions. Not only that, our calm
demeanor has a calming effect on those
around us.

5 Steps to Managing Your Emotions
1. Wait to react
2. Believe in something bigger than
yourself
3. Put things in perspective: See a bigger
picture
4. Breathe
5. Forgive
Page 40

• When have you let your emotions control
your actions to your detriment?
• When have you felt proud of your ability to
maintain your composure?
• Are there times when it’s appropriate to let
your emotions dictate actions?
• Ever misjudged another’s emotional
state?
Page 41

To-Dos
• Reflect on when you’ve reacted poorly to
others emotions. Write down better ways
to react in the future.
• The next time you feel yourself getting
emotional (anger or sadness, for example)
try to remember to pause before you react
• Try meditation for 8 days.
• Try yoga for 6 days.
Page 41

Module Three:
“Clever men are impressed in their differences from their fellows. Wise
men are conscious of their resemblance to them.”
R.H. Tawney
What to do When the Customer Isn’t Right
Page 41

Is the customer always right?
Page 43
What are some examples of customers who are wrong?

• Are you building
advocates or
detractors?
Avoiding Death-by-Watercooler
Page 44

soundthinking point
Personal Experience Reflection
Return to the Heroes and Villains Exercise
Were you building advocates or detractors?
Page 10

• Maxim of Quality
• Maxim of Quantity
• Maxim of Relation
• Maxim of Manner
Gricean Maxims
Page 45
Created by Professor Paul Grice

Maxim of Quality
• Do not say what you believe to be false.
• Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence.
Maxim of Quantity
• Make your contribution as informative as is required (for the current purposes of the exchange).
• Do not make your contribution more informative than is required.
Maxim of Relation
• Be relevant.
• With respect to this maxim, Grice writes, "Though the maxim itself is terse, its formulation conceals a number of problems that exercise me a good
deal: questions about what different kinds and focuses of relevance there may be, how these shift in the course of a talk exchange, how to allow for
the fact that subjects of conversations are legitimately changed, and so on. I find the treatment of such questions exceedingly difficult, and I hope
to revert to them in later work."[1]
Maxim of Manner
• Avoid obscurity of expression.
• Avoid ambiguity.
• Be brief (avoid unnecessary prolixity (verbosity).
• Be orderly.
Gricean Maxims
Created by Professor Paul Grice

What is the customer angry about?

Dealing with Anger
Page 47

First Steps When Someone is Angry
• Listen with empathy
• Apologize when necessary
• Headline (Tell what you’re going to
do.)
Page 47

• Pause and keep calm
• Don’t try to reason while they’re
angry
• Express empathy
Three Tips for Dealing with an Angry
Person
Page 47

When You Get Angry
• Pause
• Be assertive, but not aggressive
• Breathe
Page 47

• Respond quickly
• Adopt a can-do
attitude and
willingness to go
the extra mile for
the customer
• Positive attitude
How Responsive Are You?
Page 48

• Dependable and
reliable service
• Responsiveness
• Competence
• Empathy
• Professionalism
What customers Really Want
Page 48

The problem with “Not my
problem”.
Page 49

If it’s a problem for the company (or even potentially
a problem), you need to be concerned about it.
Page 49

• Dude
• Bud
• Honey
• Sweetie
• Buddy
• Pal
• Son
• Young man
• Young lady
• Hoss
• Bro
Terms of non-endearment…
Page 50
Don’t get hung up on this rule. It’s a good rule.
It’s more important to be passionate and
enthusiastic about the products and services
you offer and possess a powerful desire to care
for your customer.

Flow for Handling customer Calls
Page 51
Always get a callback number, just in case.
Sometimes, it helps to explain the process.
Watch the video:
https://youtu.be/OiC4gUa3xak

soundthinking point
Order Matters!
Problem solving is the next to last step.
Page 51

Role play with an upset customer
Student Exercise
Page 51

Dealing with Difficult Customers
• Most people are fundamentally
reasonable
• People get angry because some part
of our core service has failed (or is
perceived to have failed)
Page 52

Why Situations Go Wrong
• We seem like we don’t care
• We don’t listen (or we didn’t listen)
• We let the customer upset us
• We use the wrong words
• We focus on ourselves instead of
seeing it from the customer’s point of
view
Page 52

When You Make a Mistake
Page 53
Admit it as soon as possible.
Be prepared to put in extra
time to fix it.
Do NOT try to hide it!

Be careful about the use of jargon
Page 54
Watch the Retro Encabulator video: https://youtu.be/RXJKdh1KZ0w

• Have you ever gotten disconnected?
• Did you ever receive support for the
wrong version?
• Did a support person ever end a
session without confirming
resolution?
Page 55

To-Dos
• Set up a test lab with the software or
hardware you support
• Work on self-monitoring your conversations
to ensure you’re practicing the Gricean
maxims for cooperative conversations.
• Work on self-monitoring your customer
calls and visits to ensure you’re including all
six steps.
Page 55

Module Four:
“Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen
with the intent to reply.”
--Stephen R. Covey
The Art of Listening Well
Page 57

FIVE LEVELS OF LISTENING
How do you listen?
Page 57

The
Levels of
Listening
Page 57

soundthinking point
Where is your focus?
Page 57

How to Achieve Empathic Listening
• Be patient
• Talk less and listen more
• Listen with the intent to
understand, not just respond
Page 58

Courageous enough to listen
“Courage is what it takes to stand up
and speak; courage is also what it
takes to sit down and listen.”
--Winston Churchill
Page 58

Your Listening Skills, Part 1
What do others think?
Student Exercise
Page 59

Your Listening Skills, Part II
Self-Evaluation
Student Exercise
Page 60

• Have you ever been talking with
someone who was texting or
Facebooking?
• How would you listen differently to
someone if you wanted to truly
understand that person?
• Has anyone ever finished sentences for
you?

To-Dos
• Truly listen to a friend who feels differently
from you on an important issue
• Ask someone close to you how their day
was and really listen to their response
• The next time someone wants to talk with
you, stop what you’re doing and really
listen

Module Five:
“People don’t care how much you know until
they know how much you care.”
Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Making Sure They Know You Care
Page 61

• Deep technical mastery
• Compassion
• Empathy
• Treating our customers with dignity
and respect
• Being a good listener
How to show we care
Page 61

1. Be on time
2. Be polite
3. Dress professionally
4. Carry yourself with confidence
5. Be a good listener
6. Follow through
7. Clean up after yourself
8. Do good
8 Ways to Show You Care
Page 62

Three Components of Communication
Page 62

The 7-38-55 Rule
Page 63
7%
38%
55%
Words
Tone of
Voice
Body
Language
(Non-
Verbals)
When conveying
feelings or attitudes…
Mehrabian, Albert (1971). Silent Messages (1st ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth

The 7%-38%-55% Rule
In communication in general…
Ensure that your body language and
tone-of-voice are consistent with the
words you say
Page 63

Golden Rules for IT Customer Service
Page 64

Use Humor Carefully
Page 64

Never Fake Competence
Page 64

Keep Things Positive
Page 64

Work on Workarounds
Page 64

Partner
Page 64

Be a Valuable Resource
Page 64

Teamwork
Page 64

Do One More Thing
Page 64

soundthinking point
Do you provide a “Baker’s Dozen”?
Page 64

Student Exercise
Compare these calls
Page 65 and 66

Do people think you’re rude, even when you’re trying
to be helpful? Maybe you’re too “strictly business”.
Page 67

• Include a courtesy greeting and
closing in your emails.
• Add a signature.
• When you’re on the phone or in
face-to-face situations, smile!
Ways to lighten up
Page 67

• Review your past emails
• Review your phone calls
• Conduct a survey
• Ask a trusted friend or colleague
• Ask your boss
How to Learn How Others Perceive You
Page 68

soundthinking point
Too formal or too casual? Try mirroring the actions of
the person with whom you’re dealing.
Page 68

• Have you ever dealt with someone
who was strictly business?
• How might negative thoughts affect
other aspects of your life?
• Has anyone ever tried to be funny with
you and failed?
Page 69

Module Six:
“Diamonds are forever. Email comes close.”
--June Kronholz
Communicating Through Email,
Texting, and Instant Messaging
Page 71

1. Descriptive subject lines
2. Personalize
3. Re-read the customer’s original email
4. Never assume a level of knowledge
5. Anticipate related issues
6. Bullet-point your response
7. Number your instructions
8. Use proper grammar and spelling
9. Proofread
10. Use emoticons (but don’t go overboard)
11. Include your contact info
12. When emailing to a group, use BCC unless it’s necessary for all
group members to communicate with one another
12 Rules for Email Communication
Page 71

Bad Email
Page 72

Good Email, Part 1
Page 72

Good Email, Part 2
Page 72

SOME COMMONLY MISUSED AND
ABUSED WORDS AND PHRASES
Page 73

Which is wrong?
1. Your very good at grammar.
2. Your parents are coming for a
visit.
3. You’re expected to be on time.
4. Your car needs an oil change.
Page 73

Which is right?
1. Me and Ellie are going out tonight?
2. Justin is cooking dinner tonight for
you and I.
3. Sara and I went to the art gallery
today.
4. Dane and me are two of a kind.
Page 73

Which is wrong?
1. Their car broke down on the
highway.
2. Their going to buy a new car.
3. That’s their car over there.
4. They’re not very happy with that
car.
Page 73

• Your and You’re
• There, Their, and They’re
• Accept and Except
• Affect and Effect
• All right or Alright?
• Assure, Ensure, or Insure?
• I or Me?
• Its or It’s?
Commonly Misused and Abused Words and Phrases
Page 74

soundthinking point
When grammar and spelling matter, they really
matter!
Page 74

Communic8ing via Texting
Page 75
• Know who is on the other end
• Text transmissions are not 100% reliable
• Texting can be expensive
• Texting is great for short messages
• To let someone know you’re on the way or delayed
• To set up a meeting time
• To check on availability for a phone call or meeting
• To ask quick questions requiring short answers
• To send a quick update

Communicating via Chat
Page 76
1. Introduce yourself and include your contact info at the beginning of
the session
2. As with texting, think short.
3. Be careful what you write. Anything you say can be saved and
circulated.
4. Give the other person time to respond.
5. Keep it light and professional. Avoid criticizing in IM/chat.
6. Be careful about using common chat and texting abbreviations.
7. Use emoticons to convey emotion, but don’t go overboard.
8. Write your chat messages in a professional manner.
9. Use an away message when you have stepped away from your desk.

soundthinking point
Exclamation Marks and Upper-Case
Use exclamation marks sparingly and never more than
one at a time.
DON’T TYPE IN ALL UPPER-CASE. YIKES!!!!!!
Page 76

• Is your method of communication appropriate for
everyone?
• Recall the last time you tried to find contact information
for a business or a person, but couldn’t find it anywhere
• Ever dealt with a support rep who assumed you had a
particular level of knowledge?
• Ever dealt with a support rep who was too casual for a
business setting?
• Think about your own pet peeves that may not
bother other people and vice versa
Page 77

To-Dos
• Create a customized email signature
for yourself
• Review past communication looking for
grammar and spelling errors
• Ask a colleague to review your past
communication
• Review the section on common errors
Page 77

Module Seven:
“Good judgment comes from experience, and experience—well, that
comes from poor judgment.”
--Aesop
How to Say “No” Without Alienating
Your Customer
Page 79

How to Say “No” Without Alienating Your Customer
• Realize that the word “no” is, by its nature
negative
• Offer an alternative, never leave the customer
feeling neglected
• Explain why you have to say no
• Offer to escalate
• Try to understand the business reason(s)
behind the request
• Offer an empathetic word or phrase
Page 79

soundthinking point
When communicating with customers,
speak like a normal human.
Page 79

When to Say “No”
• Do you have time to complete the request?
• Does your schedule allow for a custom solution?
• Do you have the resources?
• Are you qualified?
• Do you have the authority?
• Are you authorized to abandon policies?
• Is the request within your scope of
responsibility?
Page 80

Considerations Before Saying “No”
• Who is making the request?
• Do you fully understand the request?
• Evaluate the request
• Craft your answer
• Offer your explanation
• Be proactive
Page 80

• Has anyone ever told you “no”
without offering an explanation or
alternative?
• What about when you were offered
an explanation or alternative. How
did you feel then?
Page 81

• Think about when you’ve had to say no.
What were some possible alternatives or
workarounds?
• What are some of the language choices you
could make to soften your response?
• What might you do in the future to prevent
a customer from feeling like you left him or
her hanging?
To-Dos
Page 81

Module Eight:
“Write your injuries in dust, your benefits in marble.”
--Benjamin Franklin
Stress Management
Page 83

Intensity vs. Duration
• Distress (Usually Bad)
– Low intensity, high
duration
– Relationship problems
– Financial problems
– Family problems
– Job problems
• Eustress (Usually good)
– High intensity, low duration
– Preparing for a test or
athletic event
– Preparing to give a speech
– Narrowly averting an
accident
Page 83

The Senness Stress
Management Equation
Page 84
A: Stress Activators
B: Personal Beliefs and/or Behaviors
C: Personal Consequences

You don’t control
this
You are in complete
control of this
This is what
happens
Page 85

Stress Activators
• Conflict
• Impossible deadlines
• Regulatory environment
• Ambiguity
• Disorganization
• Water cooler politics
• Change
• Lack of resources
Page 86

Personal Belief Set A
• It’s a black and white world
• You’re either with me or
you’re against me
• You’ve got to stand your
ground, no matter what
• Other people need to
understand where I’m
coming from
Personal Belief Set B
• The world is comprised of
varying shades of gray
• You and I may not agree on
everything. We both understand
that there are often several
correct paths to a destination
• As we receive new information,
sometimes a course correction is
necessary
• Seek first to understand, then to
be understood
Personal Beliefs
Page 87

Personal Behavior Set A
• Get in your face and tell you
what I think
• Work long hours and be a
martyr
• Gossip
• Agree to everything, but do
nothing
• Make arbitrary decisions
Personal Behavior Set B
• Respectfully say you disagree
• Document and discuss
• Inform yourself and stop gossip
and innuendo
• Respectfully discuss
issues
• Ask for help in deciding
what to cut
Personal Behaviors
Page 88

Stress Warning Signals
• Tiredness
• Feeling on edge
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Long-term health condition
• Boredom
• Insomnia
Page 89

Grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
The Serenity Prayer
Page 90

Dealing with Stress
• Identify what’s within your control and what’s not. Deal with what is and let go of what’s not.
• Go into another room or even the bathroom or closet if you just need to get away for a few minutes.
• Rinse your face with cool water.
• Walk around the building or the block.
• Push back from your desk. Do shoulder rolls, head rolls, and ankle rolls.
• Close your eyes and breathe deeply.
• Unload on your spouse or a close friend (but avoid unloading about work
problems at work)
• Laugh
• Find a distraction (join a group, play music, take a class)
• Are you too focused on your own problems?
Page 91

Check Your Posture
Page 92
Sitting up straight gives you
more energy and stamina.
Notice the organist’s back is as
straight as an arrow. This
allows her to play in rehearsals
and performances for 12-14
hours per day.

Freedom and Liberty
• You have the freedom to choose your
response to any situation
– (Freedom is a condition of the mind; liberty
is a condition of the environment.)
• Focus on things within your control
• Change your vocabulary from “If I only
had…” to “I can be…”
Page 93

The Importance of Breathing
• We normally breathe in short, shallow
breaths
• When you feel stress creeping up on you,
stop and take some deep breaths
• Try controlled breathing.
– Breathe in to a count of five
– Breathe out to a count of five
– Repeat
Page 93

Get Out of Stress Free Card
• On a blank 3 x 5 card or sheet of paper,
list:
– Things that make you happy
– Things that make you peaceful
– Pictures of people, places, and things that
bring you joy
• Keep it in your desk and when things
get stressful, take it out and look at it

Watch Your Diet
Focus on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fish.
Avoid soft drinks, sugar, caffeine, fat, and processed foods.
Page 93

• What causes you stress? What can you do
about it?
• Read and study about people who are
worse off than you.
• Look for models and mentors who don’t
seem to be affected by stress.
• Find ways to accept the things you
can’t control.
Page 94

To-Dos
• Create a Get Out of Stress Free card
• Journal your diet
• Enroll in a yoga class, a meditation class, or
an exercise class
• Go for a walk in a park
• Volunteer at a homeless shelter
• Mentor a high school kid
• Listen to calming music
Page 94

People will forget what you said,
people will forget what you did,
but people will never forget how
you made them feel.
Dr. Maya Angelou

For more info…
• www.doncrawley.com
• www.doncrawley.com/facebook
• www.doncrawley.com/videos
• www.doncrawley.com/books
Page 97

Customer Service, Compassion, and Computers

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