How to address fear, tension, resistance and fatigue
Ready or not, here we go! We are coming out of our burrows and blinking in the light of this new world. Reopening is happening and we are entering our new normal. Businesses are taking great pains to make their spaces safe, but we need to think about how to make our guests feel safe.
What we focus on expands. The way we message the safety that is being provided will either make the guest feel more comfortable or remind them to remain anxious. Anxious and fearful don’t make us safe and it certainly does not make for an enjoyable experience.
It isn’t magical thinking, but it is utilizing the mind’s ability to filter and look for what to focus on. That is how we expand by using our attention. By narrowing your focus, your mind naturally seeks to find it. If your focus is on the fear, one’s mind is thinking through all the ways a problem could happen and is distracted from basic safety practices.
Are you creating or easing tension?
As guests come through the door it is important to train team members to focus on cultivating the feelings of high level of service and to keep the focus on the comfort of a safe environment. Remind customer-facing team members that the framing of their interactions is going to create either ease or tension. There is a big difference in noting all that has been done for the guest’s safety instead of compounding fears by referencing hazard measures. It is all in the framing and tone.
