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Don’t Begin with the Dead End in Mind - 2/17/26


Habit #2 of Stephen Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Successful People” is “Begin with the End in Mind.”  It speaks to the need to have a clear vision or goal for what you’re trying to ultimately achieve, so you understand the purpose of what you’re doing.  It helps you Read more

Explain without Over Explaining - 2/10/26


The customer has a question, and we have an answer.  They need to learn something, and we’re in the position to be the educator.  There’s a process they have to go through, and we need them to understand. We know so much, and we could impart so much, but sometimes Read more

Look for a Stop Sign - 2/3/26


As a customer service professional, what you say matters.  The information you’re providing is useful.  The direction you’re giving the other person is helpful.  But... As you’re speaking, you also need to be reading.  Reading the other person.  Watching the customer, determining whether and how they’re receiving what you’re sharing.  Read more

When They Want the Supervisor - 1/27/26


Maybe you did your best with the customer, or maybe the customer didn’t even give you a chance.  They want to talk to your supervisor.  They see you, notice your title does not have “supervisor” or “manager” or “director” or “President and CEO” in it, so they want to Read more

Identify Your Point of Empathy - 1/20/26


I was watching a webinar recently on empathy.  The speaker mentioned that empathy - to a large extent - is something that you are born with.  It’s something that’s very difficult to learn.  And while I agree that some people are predisposed to being empathetic and understanding of others Read more

Pressure is a Privilege, but... - 1/13/26


When athletes are asked about the pressure of a playoff match or a late-game situation, many times they will say that “pressure is a privilege.”  In other words, usually pressure exists because you’re in a match that matters most.  It exists because you are a player put in a Read more

While I’ve Got You on the Phone… - 1/6/26


I’m a big planner.  Whether it’s strategic planning or planning out the year or planning my week first thing on a Monday morning, I like to plan.  I do this because it gets all of my action items documented and ensures that I have some understanding of what I Read more

Pass the Quick Impression Test - 12/30/25


Some studies have shown that people create an impression of you in less than a second when they first meet you face-to-face.  Other studies have shown that that initial impression can take up to 7 seconds.  Regardless, first impressions are quick.  First impressions are not always the lasting impression, Read more

2025 Holiday Poem - 12/23/25


We hear the word change And that change can be good, But we like things to stay same, And sometimes they should.   The weather can be wet And then dry as a bone. We know things will change, Even if all left alone.   Our customers change. Our co-workers do, too. It seems like our resources Are often too few.   The technology Read more

Make the Long Wait Feel Shorter - 12/16/25


When Greg entered the Tax Office, he was thinking only about two things: (1) How he was going to get the tax value on his home reduced, and (2) Whether the wait would be 1 hour or 2.  He checked in with the navigator who asked a few questions, Read more

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Don’t Begin with the Dead End in Mind – 2/17/26

Posted on February 17, 2026 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Habit #2 of Stephen Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Successful People” is “Begin with the End in Mind.”  It speaks to the need to have a clear vision or goal for what you’re trying to ultimately achieve, so you understand the purpose of what you’re doing.  It helps you to identify a plan today to get to tomorrow’s end goal.

Having an understanding of that end goal helps you design a pathway that can move you toward that goal.  It helps us to create a litmus test for decisions such as: Will this task or time spent on this activity help me to achieve my goal?  If not, then how can I avoid doing that task or minimize time and resources spent on activities that will not ultimately help me achieve my goal?

But even if you don’t believe in goal setting or you’re not a big planner, you can still succeed with the right attitude and the right outlook.

So, let’s talk about those who don’t have the best outlook, who don’t paint that positive picture of the vision.  What about those folks who begin with the dead end in mind?

Don’t Focus on the Dead Ends

I’m talking about those who – from the start – think about the dead ends.  These are people who react to an idea with why it can’t happen.  These are the ones who react to the plan by identifying why it won’t work.  These are the ones who have the best intentions, but they’re just so jaded by what they’ve personally experienced or seen others experience that the response is based on what if it doesn’t work out?

It’s always beneficial to have people with alternative perspectives or those who can play the devil’s advocate.  That type of feedback is helpful in refining a goal or tweaking a plan.  So, it’s OK for that to be an add on, an additional set of questions or information.  But it’s not OK if that is the starting point.

Start with a Positive Outcome and a Plan

When there’s a new idea on how to deal with certain customer issues, how to grow the season ticket holder base, or how to implement some new customer experience, we have to paint a positive picture as a starting point.  We have to create a plan that – if executed effectively – will stay focused on the end goal and efficiently get us from Point A to Point B.

We have to design with optimism from the start.  And THEN, weave in those questions and concerns to make sure our plan is as strong as it can possibly be, anticipating the roadblocks so we can create a plan that is flexible but yet still ultimately gets us to where we want to be down the road.

If you or a co-worker you thought of as you read this Tip are people who begin with the dead end in mind, initially pause your thoughts.  Pause verbalizing all the questions and concerns.  Allow the vision and the plan to develop.  Then, bring up the questions and potential concerns that are going to make the final plan better.

Don’t Begin with the Dead End in Mind.

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Explain without Over Explaining – 2/10/26

Posted on February 10, 2026 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

The customer has a question, and we have an answer.  They need to learn something, and we’re in the position to be the educator.  There’s a process they have to go through, and we need them to understand.

We know so much, and we could impart so much, but sometimes imparting everything we know causes more harm than good.

Interpreting the Presentation

I have a client who recently asked that I take a look at a draft presentation they were preparing to deliver to their audience.  It was going to describe their department and how it was organized, the different areas represented and their roles and responsibilities.

As we walked through the 21-slide presentation slide by slide, what they were conveying on each slide became clear only after a bit of Q&A between us.  Each slide was either confusing or too detailed or too full of jargon.

When we reached Slide 20, there were 4 bullet points – 1 point representing each of the 4 areas within the department.  Finally, on Slide 20, I understood.  I got the full picture based on 4 simple points, when I hadn’t gotten the full picture based on the prior 19 slides.

“Why don’t we start with this slide,” I said, “and then if the other slides are necessary, they’re just building on the information you conveyed at the beginning.”

Starting Broadly, Getting into Details Only if Necessary

Our conversations with customers can go similarly.  We have so much to share, but what they really need to know are 3 or 4 key points, 3 or 4 key steps.  Explaining something to the customer doesn’t mean explaining everything to the customer.

Describe the core of the process or the steps or the answers.  Then, if needed, get into the “19 slides” of detail.

Explain without over explaining.

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Look for a Stop Sign – 2/3/26

Posted on February 3, 2026 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

As a customer service professional, what you say matters.  The information you’re providing is useful.  The direction you’re giving the other person is helpful.  But…

As you’re speaking, you also need to be reading.  Reading the other person.  Watching the customer, determining whether and how they’re receiving what you’re sharing.  And sometimes if you’re really watching the customer – their behaviors, their expressions – you can read their signs, and sometimes the signs say STOP.  They say PAUSE.  They say LET THEM TALK.

When you’re sharing something with the customer or you’re talking to them, and they are flipping through their paperwork or scrolling the phone for some information, they’re not paying attention.  That’s a Stop Sign.

When they look at the clock or their watch, or their eye contact strays elsewhere, that’s a Stop Sign.

When you can tell they’re trying to talk or convey some information or physically moving in such a way that they’re about to burst unless they get their turn to speak, that’s a Stop Sign.

When the brow gets furrowed, like they’ve just been asked to lay out a blueprint for World Peace or provide the algorithm that Google uses to prioritize web searches, they may be unclear or confused.  That’s a Stop Sign.

At this point, it’s not about what we’re saying, it’s about how we’re listening to their body language.  It’s how we’re focused on how they’re receiving or not receiving our message, how they’re paying or not paying attention.

Sometimes the best thing to do in a conversation with a customer is to know when to stop speaking and ask them about their thoughts, or ask if they have something to share, or ask if anything is unclear.

 Look for a Stop Sign.

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