In a nutshell, professionalism in a service industry is to clearly describe the service to be performed and how much it will cost, promising only what can be delivered, and then competently delivering what has been promised without changing the price, unless changes in the service were requested by the customer.
However simple that goal appears, there are a number of factors that must be present to achieve it.
- Competency" A professional must have the knowledge, training, and experience in his/her field that is necessary to perform the service that has been promised.
- Tools of the trade" Appropriate equipment and supplies are an important element in delivering good service.
- Friendly, but Focused - A true professional will be friendly, but stay focused on the job at hand.
- Integrity - Above all, the Golden Rule must be incorporated into any truly successful professional business. Customers will soon sense if a company is more interested in profit-making than in providing good service. In the long term, honesty pays the best dividends.
These are just a few of the requisites for professionalism that come to mind. What others would you add?
