Summary
Highlights
The host introduces the episode, focusing on the second book, "Consejos de oro para generar experiencias en tus clientes," which explores the psychology behind good and bad customer service. The episode's special guest, clinical psychologist Arnoldo Almaguer, with 28 years of experience, will discuss the crucial role of "attitude" in customer service, a topic following a previous discussion on empathy.
Arnoldo Almaguer defines attitude as a predisposition or conduct. He elaborates on the historical view in human resources that attitude is innate, while aptitude can be learned. He distinguishes between temperament (biological and genetic predisposition) and character (learned and shaped by experience and context), explaining that attitude is a part of temperament but can be refined through training. Difficult customers are often those with an explosive temperament, which can be exacerbated by frustrating situations.
The discussion shifts to how companies can identify and improve employee attitudes, especially in customer service. Almaguer explains that while psychological tests exist, they can be manipulated. He advocates for more organic assessment methods, like 'assessment centers' or team-based activities, where natural reactions are observed. He shares an anecdote about hiring candidates who showed genuine interest by attending an interview during a major soccer game, demonstrating their attitude even without formal testing. The conversation highlights the difficulty of changing attitude when it's not inherent but emphasizes that support and addressing internal struggles can help.
The episode explores how successful companies, like OXXO gas stations, cultivate positive customer service attitudes through training and incentives. Almaguer notes that even people in clinical therapy, whether self-referred or mandated, bring their inherent temperaments, and their attitudes can evolve—sometimes for better, sometimes for worse—during the process. The importance of empathetic leadership is stressed, where managers approach employees struggling with attitude by asking how they can support them, rather than simply issuing reprimands. An example of a former employee whose attitude drastically changed due to workplace toxicity is provided, illustrating the profound impact of environment on individual demeanor.
The host and Almaguer discuss how employees, initially enthusiastic, can experience burnout or apathy due to systemic issues or routine. They touch upon the concept of mobility strategies within an organization to keep employees engaged. A case study is presented where employees resigned rather than adapt to new customer service protocols that required a more proactive and friendly approach. Almaguer likens this to trying to add air conditioning to a car that wasn't built with it, suggesting that some individuals are not predisposed to adapt to certain changes. He concludes by emphasizing that work, by nature, involves effort and tasks one might not enjoy, and that a positive attitude involves embracing these responsibilities. The conversation closes with the analogy of a workplace as a 'stage,' where employees play a role, putting on a 'costume' to deliver service, and the customer is the 'audience'.