In the service business (and who isn’t in the service business?), emotional intelligence (EQ) is the key factor. At the most basic level, The Collier Companies rents apartments—four walls and a roof, shelter from the elements. In reality it is so much more than that. Four walls and a roof is just table stakes, the easy part. Anyone and everyone can do that.

People are trusting us with providing their homes, a fundamental part of anyone’s emotional being. It is our honor and duty to provide them with a pleasant, supporting, nurturing emotional experience to go with that roof and four walls. Part of it is learning—motivating and disciplining yourself to treat everyone as a unique and special person, not just Version C of Problem 13, the twenty-ninth problem, excuse me—challenge—you’ve had to deal with today.

The EQ genius has the ability to make the 1,000th person feel as if she is the first. The EQ genius works to keep it personal, to handle difficult people and difficult situations, and gain energy from a quiet satisfaction in the excellence of his efforts and the opportunity to hone his ever-growing people skills.

Closing quotes:

“Price and product can easily be duplicated, but a strong customer service culture can’t be copied.”

“Although your customers won’t love you if you give bad service, your competitors will.”

“Deal with the faults of others as gently as with your own.”