My first real job was at a resort -- they gave me a two day training, mostly in customer service. One acronym stood out to me, and has stuck with me for the pas

My first real job was at a resort -- they gave me a two day training, mostly in customer service. One acronym stood out to me, and has stuck with me for the past 20 years. I'm not quite sure I have it right, but it was: HEART. Hear, empathize, acknowledge, respond, thank. In general, a message from a customer is a gift. They may be upset, angry, etc -- but they're giving you a chance, by opening a door to communication. The first thing is to listen, and to understand their perspective. (Hear and empathize.) The second is to acknowledge their concerns. People want to know their concerns are understood. The third task is respond to their concerns. Are you able to address them? If so, let them know what steps you're taking. Finally, always thank people for reaching out. In terms of the personal side of things; it feels like a personal attack because you care. That's a good thing. On the flip side, it's important to understand that most customers are not at all thinking about you -- they're thinking about their own (often misguided) perspective. Understanding their perspective can be challenging. You can, and should, make your interactions about them, and not about you. If it feels like a personal attack, then you're likely not seeing things the way they're seeing things. This is a sign that you should focus more on their perspective. In general, my email format, in terms of responding to customers, is as follows: > Thank you for getting in touch > I'm happy to help with [their concern] > I understand the issue is [the problem they're facing] > Here's the first thing you can do to solve the issue [propose solution] > (If there's no solution, give some context, and explain why there is no solution, and let them know you'll take it into consideration for the future) > Thank you for getting in touch. > Let me know if you have any questions, or need further assistance. I'm happy to help.