. . . . does not constitute an emergency on my part.”

Have you ever wanted to say this to someone?  Undoubtedly, the thought has crossed your mind, but the professional in you won the battle of wills. As much as these words may be true, you certainly can’t say it to a member or a client. One of the RGI core values is to provide superior service. One of the ways we provide this superior service is to respond to all requests as if they were an emergency. Each person’s request is important to them and therefore important to us.

RGI has a policy to respond to requests within 24 hours of the business day. I often respond to the request as soon as it comes in, simply so I can get it off the list of things that need completed.  While this can disrupt your workflow at times, I am always encouraged when I get a response back from my response that says, “Thank you for being so quick to respond!” While I know I could put it off a few hours, I don’t know if that person is waiting on me before they can complete something. With my quick response, that allows them check things off their own list as well. In addition, providing more information than necessary, so there is no confusion or multiple emails seeking clarification shows you have given it some thought and are willing to go the extra mile to ensure their question was answered.

True there are times in which you can’t always respond immediately.  In that situation, I find that it is helpful to let them know that while their question or request is important, I need to do some research and get back to them.  This will assure them that you have received their request and will provide the most accurate and timely information.

The trick to this is to make all requests seem as if they were the most important thing that you do.  While the question might seem tedious and routine to you, making it seem as if it is your top priority is what superior service is all about.