I was in London, England several years ago on a guided tour and I always remember seeing pictures, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted to be there and experience it myself. I arrived in London and purchased a city tour that would give me a view of the city scape.
Excitement grew as I stood with my fellow tourists while the tour guide introduced himself and gave instructions. “My name is John and I’ll be taking you for a two-hour tour. You’ll be able to talk to me on your headset, so if you have questions, just ask.” As we drove through the city, we held our breath. As the first sights of the majestic city came into view and we all gasped in amazement. “John, do you ever get tired of this magnificent city. It must be a thrill every day!’ I asked enviously. “Actually”, John sighed, “I’ve done this over 1600 times and I’m sick to death of it. I’m looking for a better job.”
In the theater, the "fourth wall" is the wall between the actors and the audience. Behind this wall - the world of the actors is exactly as the audience imagines it. The Fourth Wall of Customer Service is similar. On the frontlines of the business, you are the problem solver to your customers - you are their "hero." If you are a customer service pro, clients look to you as their rescuer. The pressure is to maintain the "fourth wall." Customer service providers break the ‘fourth wall when they put internal personal or company issues in front of the customer. When customers see you complaining, shifting blame, or citing internal company problems the spell is broken. Customers don’t need to, or certainly don’t want to, peek behind the curtain. Keep the Fourth Wall intact and never let them hear a negative word.