Quotes on Customer Service, Leadership and Life

Quotes from Shaun Belding on Customer Service, Leadership and Life

Here are some quotes collected from Shaun Belding’s books and keynote addresses. We’ve separated them into 14 categories:

Attitude
Bosses
Communications
Connecting with People

Customer Service & Loyalty
Dealing with Difficult Situations
Ethics, Honesty & Respect
Happiness & Success

Ideas & Creativity
Leadership & Management
Learning
Motivation

Setting Goals
Teamwork

Quotes on Attitude

“No one ever got fired for having a positive and enthusiastic attitude”
“Don’t look for problems. It takes neither courage, nor imagination nor brains to find problems. Problems have a way of finding us.”
“Attitude is a choice. You only get one dance in this life, and you get to pick the music.”
“Never stop learning. Never lower your standards. Never diminish who you are”
“Attitude is everything. It’s not a coincidence that highly motivated, positive people seem to have fewer challenges with their bosses”
“Nothing positive ever came from a negative attitude”
“Champion it, fix it or leave it. Blame is a game for the uninspired”
“What you see depends on where you stand”
“How is it that so many people can accomplish so much – yet not think of themselves as accomplished people?”
“A pessimist is someone who enjoys putting clouds in silver linings”
“Other people can only make our lives miserable when we choose to let it happen”
“Strong opinions are the shackles that hold a mind closed”

Quotes on Bosses

“Never forget that, while the boss isn’t always right, he’s still always the boss”
“Bosses are almost like people, so be nice to them”
“Some of your best learning experiences will come from your worst bosses.”
“Attitude is everything. It’s not a coincidence that highly motivated, positive people seem to have fewer challenges with their bosses”
“You might surprise yourself at how much impact you can have on your bosses behavior.”
“Be nice to you coworkers. You never know when one might end up being your boss.”
“If there’s one thing you don’t want your Boss from Hell to take from you, it’s your future”
“Better to have a well-intentioned boss who executes badly than a bad-intentioned boss who executes well”

Quotes on Communication

“Don’t let your words dig a hole that your wit can’t get you out of”
“Don’t be too hasty to assume it’s the other person who has the communications problem!”
“If there’s more than one way to say something, why would you not choose the better way?”
“What we say and what other people hear are rarely the same thing”
“Nothing good ever came from saying something hurtful”
“Even when your mouth isn’t talking, your body is”
“Words can often get you out of situations that your actions got you into”
“Never assume that someone sees things the same way you do”

Quotes on Connecting With People

“The one thing we have absolute control over is how we treat the people around us”
“There is no skill I would rather have than the ability to get along with other people. Because with that, everything else is attainable.”
“A few words on the phone beats a few hundred in an email every time.”
“No one cares how much you know, until they know how much you care”
“Looking out for #1 only works when 1 is the number of people around you”
“Saying nothing can often make the greatest statement”
“Don’t let your words dig a hole that your wit can’t get you out of”
“A closed mouth gathers no foot.”
“Some people are zaggers by nature. When everyone is zigging, they feel compelled to zag. They don’t care if they’re right. They care if they’re different.”
“People will remember your actions, for better or worse, long after your words have faded.”
“Don’t hesitate to toot your own horn! Just make sure others want to listen to the tune you’re playing.”
“The most valuable opinions are the ones people have asked for”
“There’s a difference between confronting people and being confrontational. The first is standing up for yourself, the second is trying to push someone else down.”
“Seek first to fit in, then to stand out”
“Every now and then it’s a good idea to just stop talking.”
“A voice is a fantastic instrument. But for most people, it’s like that old piano that sits unused in the corner. We know it’s there, but we never really take the time to master it.”
“If you are skilled, and you are aware, you can have absolute control over how people perceive you.”
“An outward focus isn’t a requirement for success with the people around you, but it sure makes the journey a lot more enjoyable.”

Quotes on Customer Service & Loyalty

“Outstanding customer service means caring more about people than you do their wallets”
“Real customer loyalty is about relationships, not transactions. And it’s about people, not stuff”
“The more you do for your customers, the more your customers will do for you”
“Loyalty from customers comes from loyalty to customers”
“Customers rarely behave badly when they believe you genuinely care about them”
“Don’t fall in the trap of just trying to make a sale, when you have the opportunity to create a customer”
“If you ever find yourself interrupting a customer, find a big stick somewhere and whack yourself upside the head with it”
“I’ve never heard of a customer saying, ‘I hate this place – the employees are just way too happy'”
“No company ever achieved great things by reducing their customer service”
“If you don’t control the controllables, someone else will”
“Don’t let anyone ever tell you that there’s no payoff to being nice!”
“When a customer likes you, trusts you, and feels as though they are important to you – that customer is all yours”
“A customer who is sold something he doesn’t need isn’t a customer. He’s a victim”
“You never want to ignore a customer – because you could find yourself out of business when your customers start to ignore you back.”
“Trying to deliver customer service without actually caring about your customers is like trying to cook a turkey dinner without the turkey”
“The customer service we receive is, without doubt, the most common topic of conversation in the world.”
“I’ve never seen a company fail because its customer service was too good.”

Quotes on Dealing With Difficult Situations

“The greater your skill, the fewer your difficulties”
“Customers rarely behave badly when they believe you genuinely care about them”
“The changes in another person’s attitude can be quite dramatic when the message” ‘She’s heard me, and she understands’ sinks in”
“Don’t let your words dig a hole that your wit can’t get you out of”
“People need you at your best when they are at their worst”
“Other people can only make our lives miserable when we choose to let it happen”
“People who have the skill to deal with difficult customers are extremely valuable to their organization”
“There’s a difference between confronting people and being confrontational. The first is standing up for yourself, the second is trying to push someone else down.”
“Difficult conversations become less difficult when the other person believes that you care.”

Quotes on Ethics, Honesty and Respect

“Respect from others is a natural outcome of respect for others”
“Honesty means never promising what you can’t deliver, never promising that a product or service will deliver what it cannot, and never promising that you’ll stand behind something when you won’t.”
“Don’t just stop and smell the roses; plant a few for other people to enjoy.”
“People who are too trusting get hurt by others occasionally. People who are never trusting hurt themselves a lot.”
“The way someone judges you often speaks more about them than it does of you”
“People remember your actions, not your words”
“Give the people around you the benefit of the doubt. Ascribe to them positive motivations, and hope they do the same for you.”
“Sometimes the customers who are the hardest to respect are the ones who need it the most”
“The old saying ‘familiarity breeds contempt’ is only true if you’re doing something contemptible”

Quotes on Happiness & Success

“When nothing’s going right, the worst thing you can do is nothing”
“There are no losers in the journey to success – only those who don’t pack their bags and get started”
“It’s too late to wait until tomorrow to decide whether or not you should have been happy yesterday.”
“Don’t ever lose sight of how much real control you have over your own destiny”
“Life is like email. Delete the spam; act on the important messages; laugh at the funny stuff, then pass the best parts on to your friends.”
“Close your mouth; open your mind; open your heart.”
“Never compromise your standards. Never stop learning. And never stop having fun!”
“Do what you enjoy, enjoy what you do, and surround yourself with positive people”
“Control the controllables; manage the manageables; seize the opportunities”
“Success is what you achieve after learning from your failures”
“Nowhere is it written that serious work has to be miserable work.”
“Don’t let anyone ever tell you that there’s no payoff to being nice!”
“Everyone has great ideas. Exceptional people use their great ideas”
“If it hasn’t been said, say it. If it hasn’t been built, build it. If it hasn’t been dreamt of, dream it.”
“Too many people do nothing, then lament what could have been”
“The hard part of making a decision isn’t the opportunity ahead of you, it’s the opportunities you might be leaving behind”
“Being nice to people may not always help to get the job done; but it sure makes the process a whole lot more enjoyable”
“Don’t ever compromise your standards. But don’t be afraid to question them either”
“The best job security in the world comes from continually striving for excellence”
“If you are skilled, and you are aware, you can have absolute control over how people perceive you.”
“Change your mindset, change your future”
“We might not be able to influence world events, but we most certainly can exert great influence in our own little parts of the universe. We can impact our families, our friends, our coworkers, our companies, our lives. We have an opportunity, every day, to change the odds in our favour.”

Quotes on Ideas & Creativity

“Contrary to what you’ve been told, there is such a thing as a stupid idea. The thing is though; sometimes they’re the best ones”

Quotes on Leadership & Management

“The fastest way for a manager to do a team evaluation is to look in the mirror.”
“Determine what is truly important to you and the company, identify exactly what the minimum acceptable level of performance is, communicate it to your employees, and then accept nothing less – ever.”
“Never give power to someone who can’t live without it.”
“Leaders are best defined by those who follow them”
“Great leaders have a blend of passion for what they do, and compassion for the people they do it with”
“There are really only three choices: Follow the leader, lead the followers, or walk alone”
“The position of leader is not nearly as important as the disposition of a leader.”
“Great employees are hard to find and easy to lose.”
“If you can’t trust your employee’s’ judgment, then you’re really condemning our own training and coaching abilities.”
“A ‘flexible standard’ is an oxymoron.”
“The tone of a workplace is always set by the boss.”
“The best leaders are at the same time compelling teachers and voracious learners.”
“Someone else might make you a manager, but only you can make you a good manager.”
“When it comes to investing, remember that the interest you get from your bank pales in comparison to the interest you can get from your people.”
“The seed promises nothing to the farmer when it is sown, yet still the farmer waters it, nurtures it and cares for the ground around it with the hope of a crop to come.”
“Don’t underestimate your obligation to your employees.”
“Every employee brings something to the table. It’s up to you to make sure they’re sitting in the right seat.”
“A leader brings out the best in a team when the team is getting the best from the leader
“Great leaders don’t wait for opportunity to be thrust upon them.”
“Great managers aren’t afraid to make the tough calls. They don’t always make the right calls, but they make them for the right reasons.”
“Think of the best manager you’ve ever had. Chances are he (she) was the one who treated you the fairest, and pushed you the hardest.”
“Untapped employee potential is like an unscratched lottery ticket. What are you waiting for?”
“A leader who can change is more valuable than a change in leaders.”
“If you aren’t passionate – visibly and demonstrably passionate – you will never instill passion in those around you.”
“Successful leaders are the ones who set their teams up for success.”
“The success of your team and everyone in it is your legacy”
“A leadership position isn’t nearly as important as a leadership disposition.“
“If people follow you only because they have to, they won’t be following you for long.”
“Great employees are hard to find and easy to lose.”
“Don’t underestimate your obligation to your employees.”
“If you can’t trust your employee’s’ judgment, then you’re really condemning our own training and coaching abilities.”
“The most common reason for employees not performing to your expectations is that they are unaware of your expectations.”
We all have the capacities to be Employees from Hell. And as Bosses, we have the influence to create even more Employees from Hell…”
“Each employee brings something to the table. It’s up to you to make sure they’re sitting in the right seat.”
“Untapped employee potential is like an unscratched lottery ticket. What are you waiting for?”

Quotes on Learning

“Never stop learning. Never lower your standards. Never diminish who you are.”
“Some of your best learning experiences will come from your worst bosses.”
“Never turn down an opportunity to mentor others – you will learn far more than you could ever teach.”
“The greatest teachers are also the greatest students.”
“Don’t let successful people intimidate you. Let them teach you.”
“Success is what you achieve after learning from your failures.”
“The best leaders are at the same time compelling teachers and voracious learners.”
“The seed promises nothing to the farmer when it is sown, yet still the farmer waters it, nurtures it and cares for the ground around it with the hope of a crop to come.”
“Everyone around you can be your teacher, if you allow yourself to always be a student.”
“People will only see what they’re willing to look at.”

Quotes on Motivation

“The secret to motivation is to push the right buttons in the right people at the right time for the right reasons.”
“The greatest teachers are also the greatest students.”
“Nothing happens until something happens.”
“Death is a life-altering experience. Most everything else is just part of the ride – so find a way to enjoy it!”
“The key to motivating people is to push the right buttons in the right people at the right times for the right reasons.”
“You can’t begin to motivate the people around you until you truly understand what motivates you.”
“Too many people do nothing, then lament what could have been.”
“Excellence isn’t a goal. It’s a mindset.”
“Nobody has ever been ever inspired by a person sitting behind a desk.”

Quotes on Setting Goals

“Remember the rule of the sharpshooter: ‘You can’t hit what you don’t aim for’.”
“You’ll never get ahead if you don’t know where you’re going.”
“When you have nowhere to go, you’ll always reach your destination.”
“If it hasn’t been said, say it. If it hasn’t been built, build it. If it hasn’t been dreamt of, dream it.”
“Figure out where you’re going before you start the car.”

Quotes on Teamwork

“If you have a disagreement with a co-worker, focus on resolving it instead of winning it.”
“Forget about the individuals, and you lose the team”
“Being part of a team means other people are depending on you”
“A team is only effective when everyone is playing the same game.”
“Everyone has the right to be in a bad mood. But nobody has the right to bring other people with them”
“Working with people isn’t so hard if you take the time to get to know them a little better”
“Being nice to people may not always help to get the job done; but it sure makes the process a whole lot more enjoyable”
“I have yet to see a persuasive argument for being unkind.”