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Gain Control of the Conversation - 9/16/25


The customer’s angry or upset or they have a complaint.  They’re very chatty or very wordy or they just want to talk to somebody.  You’re on a time crunch, and the customer obviously is not. There are times when you need to gain control of the conversation.  It’s important for Read more

Complement with a Compliment - 9/9/25


We perform many tasks for our customers every day, and when we’re done with a step in the process, oftentimes we will tell the customer what’s been done.  But if we want to create more of a WOW experience, if we want to make the customer feel a little Read more

When Patience Begets Patience - 9/2/25


Jennifer, the server, walked toward the couple in the restaurant.  The customers had been seated for a minute or two, and they noticed the server was walking briskly toward their table.  Jennifer recognized the couple she was about to serve, because they had been in the previous week. Since the Read more

Address the Expectations that Were Set - 8/26/25


Before the caller ever got to Marco – the customer service representative, the customer had been working with the company for months.  They had read the marketing brochures, had a conversation with a sales rep, reviewed the new customer information on the website, and read all the information e-mailed Read more

When Technology Fails the Customer - 8/19/25


Technology is a wonderful thing…until it isn’t.  The website is down, the mobile app won’t work, the system keeps kicking them out of their account, or they received a spoofing phone call supposedly from your department. If you’ve ever been manning the phones or managing the department inbox, you know Read more

The Misunderstood Physician - 8/12/25


I was speaking with one of my personal physicians years ago, and when we were talking about my work – particularly customer satisfaction research - he started talking about online physician ratings.  He lamented that a few low ratings were dinging his overall score.  Then he shared that the Read more

Uncover Silent Concerns - 8/5/25


One of the customer service statistics we have quoted many times over the years is:  For every complaint you do hear, there could be 26 other customer issues that you don’t hear. And when we bring up that statistic, we bring it up because we want to make sure companies Read more

Talk Yourself Up to Take Down Their Anxiety - 7/29/25


I believe that most customer service people are pretty humble, so I’m not asking you to lose your humility.  But I do have one ask of you… When that customer is anxious or nervous, when they fear the future because the future is unknown or it could be laced with Read more

Use Little Acts to Make a Big Impact - 7/22/25


A WOW Experience is not always one instance, one act that blows away the customer.  It’s not always an over-the-top-the-employee-saved-the-day act of brilliance.  Sometimes a WOW is the sum total of a series of little things that others don’t do – those actions that differentiate you from others.  The Read more

Avoid Some Stress by Addressing Issues Quickly - 7/15/25


It’s good customer service to resolve issues quickly.  The customer sees the light at the end of the tunnel.  They more quickly bring their anxiety and stress, their negative emotions down.  And they more quickly get to a solution. But this tip is not about them.  This tip is about Read more

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Gain Control of the Conversation – 9/16/25

Posted on September 16, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

The customer’s angry or upset or they have a complaint.  They’re very chatty or very wordy or they just want to talk to somebody.  You’re on a time crunch, and the customer obviously is not.

There are times when you need to gain control of the conversation.  It’s important for you to do so.  But it’s equally important to understand the difference between controlling the conversation and controlling the customer.

Don’t make it your goal to control the customer.  You have enough to worry about with reading your own emotions and controlling your own reactions and being deliberate in what you say and how to say it.

It’s tough enough to weave in all your knowledge and all the different options and alternatives and all of your experience in order to help the customer without having to figure out how to control the customer.

The Goals

Gaining control of the conversation is something you do to bring the emotional level down, to focus the conversation, to shorten the time you’re engaged with the customer.

With those goals in mind, let’s describe the difference between controlling the conversation and controlling the customer.

How to Gain Control

Controlling the conversation results from asking questions, particularly more closed-ended questions – the yes or no variety, the fact or figure variety.  Controlling occurs when you can intentionally and concisely make a point.  When you can segue from something they say to the decision you need to make.  It’s when you can take their broad ramblings, and get them to focus on a specific piece of information on a worksheet or on your computer.  It’s when you get to the point where you can make the next steps clear and confirm their understanding and agreement.

The next time you’re dealing with that customer who’s upset, or they lack focus, or they want to talk for a long time when you’re more time-constrained, don’t try to control the customer.  Focus on guiding the discussion to an end point.

Gain Control of the Conversation.

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Complement with a Compliment – 9/9/25

Posted on September 9, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

We perform many tasks for our customers every day, and when we’re done with a step in the process, oftentimes we will tell the customer what’s been done.  But if we want to create more of a WOW experience, if we want to make the customer feel a little bit better, it helps to complement the action with a compliment to the customer.

Below are five sets of examples of what we could say to the customer at the end of an activity (OPTION A), and then a more positive and encouraging alternative to consider (OPTION B):

OPTION A: We processed your application.  OPTION B: We were able to process your application quickly since you did an excellent job of completing the paperwork.

OPTION A: We’ve addressed your refund.  OPTION B: Your refund is in the works, and it will be processed quickly since you made the request on such a timely basis.

OPTION A: We’re done trimming the trees.  OPTION B: We were able to get the tree trimming done earlier than expected since you did an excellent job working with us on our plan for the day.

OPTION A: We’re done with the oil change on your car.  OPTION B: We completed the service on your car, and everything checked out great!  It’s really helpful how you’re keeping up with the regular maintenance.

OPTION A: We’ve created a ticket for your issue.  OPTION B: We created a work order in our system, and you did an excellent job of providing the detail we need to resolve it for you.

To be purposeful and add a little positivity to your communication with the customer, go beyond describing what step just occurred in the process, and give the customer a little appreciation for their efforts.

Complement with a Compliment.

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When Patience Begets Patience – 9/2/25

Posted on September 2, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Jennifer, the server, walked toward the couple in the restaurant.  The customers had been seated for a minute or two, and they noticed the server was walking briskly toward their table.  Jennifer recognized the couple she was about to serve, because they had been in the previous week.

Since the restaurant was full and they were down a server, Jennifer had a lot going on.  She was walking quickly table-to-table to make sure she was staying on top of things.

But when she arrived at the table, she paused.  She did a lot of smiling.  She mentioned to the customers that they looked familiar and wondered if she had served them recently.  She never reached for her pad and her pen to take the order.  She just chit-chatted for a minute or so.

It was obvious to the customers that the restaurant was hopping!  So, they made note of it, and Jennifer did mention that, yes, it was quite a busy night!

Jennifer was pleasant, patient, and was making sure the customers were ready to order before she formally started that process going.  And the customers reciprocated Jennifer’s patience with their own patience, with a little bit of empathy, and in providing as pleasant an experience engaging the server as the server provided to the customers.

Not every customer is this patient and understanding with a busy employee.  But not every busy employee can move quickly between tasks, and yet make the customer seem like they are the center of the universe during the conversation.  Not every employee can perform a task quickly, yet put on the brakes and then show the utmost patience with the customer.

When we’re going 100 miles an hour on our tasks, it’s still possible to be patient and pleasant with other people.  And sometimes when we convey that positive approach, the customers will reciprocate with patience of their own.

Be patient to engender patience in others.

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