How To Be FIRST With Your Customers and Peers

In the Telecommunications industry, as with many different industries, speaking in initials and acronyms are almost a language unto themselves. Frustrating as it sometimes can be, there is always a deeper meaning behind it.

A good example of this is The Home Depot’s use of FIRST for engaging its customers. Beth Ray, a successful Lead Generator for The Home Depot’s home services group explains what FIRST is and how this acronym helps keep her focused on what’s important to her customers and work peers.

F = Find; as in find the customer. While this might seem obvious, knowing who or where your customer might be is not. Beth applies Find to her work peers as much as she does to external customers. She doesn't have the luxury of waiting for customers to find her. This attitude serves as a means of making connections that would otherwise go unconnected. In Beth’s case, the lack of connection could result in either a loss of a potential sale or an unresolved problem that could cost the organization needlessly. 

I = Inquire; as in ask questions to better understand the needs of the customer or peer, and then listen….with interest. This is a critical step in the process as it provides the foundation for care, trust, and a safe engagement. Many problems are well on the way of being solved with this critical step.

R = Respect; as in showing and giving respect to the customer, the peer, the problem, and the possible solution. Customers engage Beth with the assumption that she is the expert in resolving their problem. While she may not know how to apply a new roof, she does know who within her network does, and she makes the connections on behalf of her customer. Showing the same respect to her peers works both ways, resulting in Beth becoming an antenna within the organization.

S = Solve; as in having a “we have the solution to your problem” attitude. It’s interesting to note that six identical problems will many times require six different solutions. Cost, feasibility, resources, knowledge, and skills may all factor in a specific solution. The same can be said within the organization. Acting on the attitude of “we have the solution to your problem” will always ensure you are needed – even if all you can do is find someone else to address the need. Displaying this attitude when the problem may very well not be a part of your job description demonstrates a sense of “we are one team”, and is often a contributing factor in overall customer satisfaction and loyalty.

T = Thank; as in “duh!” It’s surprising however how many times we forget to thank someone for the simplest of things. We need to thank our customers with trusting us with their problem. We need to thank our direct reports for their efforts and assistance. We need to thank our teammates for their support, and we need to thank our peers in other organizations for their assistance as well.

Question: How can you apply FIRST in your role?

Thank you for taking the time to read this post. I’d like to know what you think. Feel free to let me know in the comments section below.