Season 2 Trailer: Filling the Glass: Inclusive Customer Service

We’re back! Welcome to Peoplecast Season 2 – Filling the Glass: Inclusive Customer Service. This season will explore what it means to deliver above and beyond service across industries. Tune in to hear more about what we have in store!

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Mike Cole 0:05
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Season 2 of Peoplecast. I'm your host, Mike Cole. And with me today is our co-host and producer extraordinaire, Jerrin Padre.

Jerrin Padre 0:14
Hello, hello! It's good to be back.

Mike Cole 0:17
It is! It feels like we've been gone forever.

Jerrin Padre 0:20
It really doe—well, it's been a month.

Mike Cole 0:22
Yeah, Okay. Well, that's—

Jerrin Padre 0:23
That's a pretty—it's a pretty long time, yeah.

Mike Cole 0:25
It's forever in the corporate world. So yeah.

Jerrin Padre 0:27
Yeah, I missed everybody.

Mike Cole 0:29
Oh, yeah, definitely. I missed them. I miss doing shows. That's fun.

Jerrin Padre 0:33
I know. That's the fun part of our job.

Mike Cole 0:34
Yeah, learning stuff.

Jerrin Padre 0:36
Learning all the stuff.

Mike Cole 0:37
Yeah.

Jerrin Padre 0:38
Any-hoops. We just wanted to pop on and announce what's coming your way. Very exciting news. So a month ago, as we said, we wrapped up season one, which was all about humanizing DEIB through storytelling. So this next season, we are switching things up a little bit. Yeah, we're still gonna be talking about DEIB. But this time in the context of customer service. So why don't you tell us a little bit more about what's to come, Mike?

Mike Cole 1:05
Oh, can do! Definitely. So our theme this season is "Filling the Glass: Inclusive Customer Service." Now we're going to be exploring really what it means to deliver top-tier inclusive service across many different industries. Episode One is going to be released next Tuesday, October 12. So, mark your calendars!

Jerrin Padre 1:24
Yes, please mark them. And even though the season is based on inclusive customer service, we don't want to focus too much on the customer piece, but rather more of the service piece.

Mike Cole 1:35
Well, yeah, I mean, customer service, especially if you're in, you know, any sort of service industry. It's a part of it. But we really want to focus on service as a whole, specifically inclusive service

Jerrin Padre 1:46
Inclusive service. So Mike, what are some of the first things that come to mind when you hear those words "inclusive service?"

Mike Cole 1:53
Oh and it really does depend on how you look at it. I mean, is it service from a retail standpoint?

Jerrin Padre 1:58
Yeah.

Mike Cole 1:59
That's the first thing that came to mind. So I've got a bit of a history in retail, and worked for a company once and we had a—we called it the ethnic haircare aisle. And basically, it was everything from relaxer, to jerry curl, to all the products that would be related with certain ethnic hairstyles. And that was okay at the time. But you had people on both sides of the fence, you had people who were like, "Okay, great. We're catering to the needs of the community." But then you had others who were like, "That's great, but hair is hair. And why couldn't all of these products be with the other haircare products? Why does it need its own separate aisle?" And so it was an interesting—kind of a ping pong match back and forth between, you know, the people who did the layouts in the company and the buyers. And it was just an interesting conversation. So that's—I mean, that's what I think of when I think of inclusive service. And I mean, it does go a bit further. But that's the first thing that popped into my mind.

Jerrin Padre 2:57
Yeah, it like reminds me of the Asian food aisle at the grocery store.

Mike Cole 3:02
Yeah. Which is now just the international foods aisle. So yeah. I mean, that was just a retail example. But I guess there's also service from, like, food and beverage standpoint, or hospitality, religious organizations.

Jerrin Padre 3:15
Totally, totally. Um, you said religious service. So yeah, I actually think service, or the idea of serving others, is something that most religions actually have in common.

Mike Cole 3:27
I agree. I mean, it's part of, I think, the belief in the doctrines across all religions for the most part. Anything else that comes to mind for you?

Jerrin Padre 3:36
Let's see, there's community service. So food banks, shelters, Boys and Girls Clubs.

Mike Cole 3:43
Definitely.

Jerrin Padre 3:43
Yeah. But I think something else that comes to mind is accessibility. So I studied abroad in London, London town. And I promise this is going somewhere.

Mike Cole 3:55
I believe you.

Jerrin Padre 3:55
But, it was a blast. And half of our assignments were just seeing a bunch of plays in the West End, and writing reports on them. And my roommate and best bud on the program was deaf. So I remember whenever we'd go to shows, we'd have to show up at the theaters much earlier than the rest of our classmates, just to ensure that she had the proper accommodations. And it was so interesting to watch how different theaters handled the service, like some would give us a five star treatment and they'd have translators and mobile teleprompters. And like sometimes they'd upgrade our seats. And then others would just, like, stand there and look confused. Like when we asked them if they had any hearing accommodations. So it was like—it was definitely an interesting test in patience, from both us and the service workers. But it does make me believe that quality service is inclusive service.

Mike Cole 4:51
Yeah, absolutely. I think it also in order to get to that point, there are a lot of decisions that have to be made before those customer or client facing interactions even happen

Jerrin Padre 5:01
Oh totally, totally.

Mike Cole 5:03
I mean, to me, service doesn't start and end with the person you're talking to across the register or over the phone. I think inclusive service starts way before the transaction.

Jerrin Padre 5:15
Boom. Mic drop.

Mike Cole 5:18
Oh, that was the mic drop. Oh!

Jerrin Padre 5:19
That was beautiful, Mike.

Mike Cole 5:22
Wow.

Jerrin Padre 5:22
Inclusive service starts way before the transaction. I like that.

Mike Cole 5:26
Yeah, it does. It has to. I mean, or otherwise you run into those deer in headlight moments where you know, you ask the person on the other side, "Hey, do you have any, you know, hearing accommodations?" And they're like, "What? I've never had that before."

Jerrin Padre 5:38
"This is just my summer job. Actually. I have no idea what you're talking about."

Mike Cole 5:43
"I'm new. I just started a day ago."

Jerrin Padre 5:45
They start sobbing. Oh, no.

Mike Cole 5:48
Yeah.

Jerrin Padre 5:48
Anyway, I think we're just about reaching time.

Mike Cole 5:52
Probably a good thing.

Jerrin Padre 5:52
Probably a good thing. But luckily, everything we've touched on today is going to be covered in season two

Mike Cole 5:58
That's right. Customer service, retail service, health care, food and beverage, religious service, community service, hospitality. I mean, that is a great lineup.

Jerrin Padre 6:06
I think you got everything. Yeah, it's a pretty fantastic lineup. I'm so excited.

Mike Cole 6:11
Me too.

Jerrin Padre 6:13
Well, hey, Episode One. Next Tuesday, October 12. We will see you there.

Mike Cole 6:19
Yep. See you there.

Jerrin Padre 6:21
Bye!

Peoplecast

Season 2 Trailer: Filling the Glass: Inclusive Customer Service

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