To Serve is First to LOVE

Not a great picture (pretty cheesy) but definitely a great life-lesson !

My friend, Chami, and I were in Nashville during our convention in 2019 when I spotted this window of a restaurant and asked her to snap this pic.

On the window was painted these words:

“Because, to serve is first to LOVE.” Giuseppe Ciprioni

To SERVE people and do it the right way you must first LOVE people.

If you don’t love people you will not serve them well.

In the case of a restaurant, good food aside, it’s very evident whether or not the owner and employees really love people, love serving people, and want to deliver a great customer experience there.

Think back to great servers you’ve had in restaurants – they can make the meal even better with their service.

I enjoy having a server who is good at their job, is enthusiastic, and loves serving! If they seek to make your meal enjoyable, make you feel that love and appreciation, you will enjoy yourself and want to come back (plus you’ll tip them well) !

I was recently completing a training for Operation Christmas Child where I learned about Transactional vs. Transformative Transactions.

The trainer was saying that sometimes when he’s being waited on in a store or talking to customer service on the phone he feels as if the person whose job it is to take care of him is more concerned with him as a transaction …. hurrying him through the process. Ok, Next! Can you relate ?

The trainer then talked about a man who owned a landscaping service that was working in his neighborhood. The man was building stone retaining walls. He took great care to make each one a work of art. He was working for the people but when the trainer asked him to come and work at his home, he found the landscaper was ultimately working for the Lord. His transactions were transformative.

He was personable and engaged everyone he met. He did his very best to please his customers. They were not just transactions to him.

A few days ago I had a one- on- one tutorial for a styling tool I purchased with Genevieve, a very patient and helpful hair stylist. I thought that I was entitled to one session but she told me they are unlimited to their customers. (I’ll probably be a work in progress)

I LOVE good customer service !

It’s much the same with a store, a school, a church, a team, a salon, a doctor or dentist’s office (well, maybe not the dentist’s office for some people ). If you don’t love people you will not serve them well and they will notice the lack of love.

I read a book called “Raving Fans.” I highly recommend it if you’re in the service area. It’s all about going the extra mile in a business for people- to make them feel special, but it’s also true for people we come in contact with on a daily basis: family, friends, neighbors, etc.

This idea has become more meaningful in my life over the last 17 years. I had a mindset shift that began and it has continued to be a life-goal for me. It’s one that I learned to put into practice in my teaching career. It was definitely challenging at times but a good goal will challenge you!

In my skincare business, it’s much easier to employ this attitude because I absolutely love helping my customers feel more comfortable in their own skin and relish the relationships! I don’t like to speak for our Teammates very often but I do truly believe that they love serving their friends and customers in this way too. I don’t believe that you’ll get any better customer service anywhere else.

Loving people and serving them well is a very good goal, don’t you think ? #toserveistofirstlove