Customer Service Tip of the Week | Customer Service Solutions, Inc. - Page 12

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Highlight the Hidden Value - 7/1/25


Marketing campaigns often highlight a particular product and ALL the features and extras that the customer will receive… “For 3 low, low payments of only $39.99, you not only get these world-renowned chef knives, but you can also get this free laser-etched spatula!  AND THAT’S NOT ALL!  We will also Read more

Don’t Harp on the Customer’s Mistake - 6/24/25


Seth’s daughter, Sarah, had missed some swim classes, and Seth remembered that the aquatics center had several make-up classes available late in the summer.  So Seth pulled up the class schedule on his phone, found one that worked on his and Sarah’s schedules, and planned to attend a session Read more

Create Customers for Life - 6/17/25


Veronica has gone to the same automotive service shop for at least 20 years.  She bought a new car about a year ago, and this is the third car she’s brought to the shop instead of taking her car to the dealer where she bought it.  She’s had three Read more

Don’t Turn the Customer into the QA Department - 6/10/25


Roberta received a form with information filled in by the company after her conversation with the account rep.  Roberta just needed to review the information, fill in some of the blanks, sign it, and resend it in order to set up a new account. She noticed that the effective date Read more

Imitate to Improve - 6/3/25


Oscar Wilde said that “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”  Now this doesn’t mean that plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery.  Nor does it mean that great impersonators such as Rich Little, Dana Carvey, or Frank Caliendo are always offering flattering portrayals of those that they imitate. Wilde’s Read more

How the Customer Perceives a Truth as a Lie - 5/27/25


You’re the customer, you’re asking about an unused item that you’re returning, and you hear the employee say: “The refund process takes 7-10 days.”  You’re thinking: “Great!  I can get the refund check as early as a week from today!”  The reality is that the company means that they’ll Read more

Tell Customers What’s Next - 5/20/25


In most businesses that have been around for a while, how a process was originally designed is not how it currently operates.  Sometimes this change is referred to as “practical drift,” where the actual process moves further and further away from the documented steps over time.  Maybe the changes Read more

Questions to Guide You to Empathy - 5/13/25


“If I was him, I would do ABC…” If you’ve ever heard somebody say this - whether it’s a friend or acquaintance, whether it’s some TV reporter or podcaster - you may get as frustrated or as annoyed as I do. I get annoyed because we are not that other person. Read more

Negate the Nervousness - 5/6/25


The customer needed a loan, so he walked into the bank, but he was a little nervous.  He knew that launching his business would be easier if he had some working capital, but that’s about all he knew.  He was anxious because he didn’t know what to expect in Read more

Don’t Rush to Resolve Quickly - 4/29/25


The customer is angry, so you use the CSS LEAD technique as designed.  You, listen, empathize, accept responsibility, and deliver on a remedy.  But it doesn’t work.  The customer is still upset, and maybe even a little more frustrated than when you started…why?! If the use of this technique fails, Read more

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Guiding Principles for Great Customer Service – 11/12/24

Posted on November 12, 2024 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

It’s hard to know every procedure, every policy, every technique possible to handle every situation correctly.  After all, maybe our procedures are standard, but our customers are not.  Maybe our policies stay pretty consistent, but our customers’ needs and issues, their attitudes and actions can change from customer to customer…or minute to minute.

So, handling a customer situation well is as much about knowing what to do and WHY, as it is knowing HOW to do it.  Therefore, here are 5 Guiding Principles for delivering consistently solid customer service:

Engage with Interest

We need to show that we’re focused on the other person. That they are important. That they are not a number.  Show them that they are a priority.

Seek to Understand their Uniqueness

We don’t want them to perceive that we’re viewing them as anything other than a unique individual.  We must be inquisitive enough to understand what’s unique about them, what’s unique about their situation.  Our desire to understand helps us to convey empathy.

Figure Out How to Help

In most cases customers want us to help them resolve an issue, get a need met, get a question answered, address a certain goal.  Try to determine how to help them get to that next step, get to that solution.

Take Action

It’s not enough to engage somebody; we need to also take action on their behalf, or help them to take the needed action.

Convey that You Followed Through

If you and the customer discussed the next step, and you took action on their behalf, make sure they know you took that action.  If possible, make sure they know the outcome.  For many customers, there’s doubt in their mind until you confirm that you followed through.

These principles are about interest, information, solution, action, and follow-through.

Focus on the Guiding Principles for Great Customer Service: Engage with interest, Seek to understand their uniqueness, Figure out how to help, Take action, and Convey that you followed through.

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From a Simple Question to an Exceptional Experience – 11/5/24

Posted on November 5, 2024 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Phyllis loves her job.  It’s not just because she loves being a customer service representative, not just because she really likes her co-workers, and not just because she enjoys her company.  It’s because she really appreciates her customers, as well.

A customer had ordered a register book off the company website.  A register book is essentially a small but classy hardcover notebook with blank lines.  When some people rent their homes for short visits, they might have visitors leave a little note about their experiences in a register book.

But this particular customer ordered the register as a sign-in book for a relative’s funeral service.  The customer ordered the book, and the tracking details for the shipment were provided the next day.  The customer noticed that the book would be delivered to his home next week – the day before the service – and the service was going to be at a church out of town.

He Found a Backup

The customer didn’t want to risk not having the register, so he went to a local store and found one that could be a backup.  It turns out the family liked the backup better, and they went with that one instead of the one that was delivered from Phyllis’ company.

After the service, the customer e-mailed Phyllis’ company, and she was the one checking the inbox.  Phyllis read the customer’s request for a description of the return process, so she replied back with an e-mail about the process, and Phyllis professionally asked why the book was being returned.

WOW!

When the customer noted it was going to be used for a funeral, Phyllis replied back and told the customer that she had fully refunded the item.  She said that the customer could keep it for any future need or for a donation to a local charity.  The customer was floored – very grateful for and touched by Phyllis’ actions.

Phyllis was empowered to do what was right for the customer, even if that meant giving an unsolicited refund due to special circumstances.  She showed heart, the customer showed appreciation, and that positive story will be told over and over and over again.

When a customer has an issue or a return or a concern, ask enough questions to understand the story, and there are times that what you learn can lead to a great customer experience.

Your willingness to ask a simple question can enable you to provide exceptional service.

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Fix One Problem without Creating Another – 10/29/24

Posted on October 29, 2024 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

If you’ve ever had an issue with your dishwasher, this will sound familiar.  I’ve dealt with so many dishwashers over the years, and they always seem to have some kind of an issue.  Maybe it’s because of the mix of water and technology, but for whatever reason, these never seem to be perfect devices that are perfectly installed.

There are issues with the dishwasher not draining.  Certain settings aren’t working.  The water is not heating.  Installation was done incorrectly, leaving holes in the wall behind the dishwasher that are big enough for little varmints to squeeze through.  There are dishes that come out and are not clean, utensils with food still on them…ick!

When Monique had one of these issues, the repair tech was able to come out the same day.  Unfortunately, there was no part available.  But the repair tech was able to place the part order while at Monique’s house.  There was going to be a 4 day wait, but every day the tech would send a quick text or e-mail to Monique, either describing an update on the timing of the part delivery, discussing the repair process and timing, or confirming Monique’s availability for the tech to come back and fix the dishwasher.

Monique had no control over the tech, and the tech had no control over the speed of getting the part delivered.  But there was consistent communication, consistent updates, consistent description of next steps.

When the part arrived, the tech was able to get to Monique’s house quickly because he knew of her availability and she was awaiting the scheduling text.  He was able to fix it quickly, in part because she knew how she needed to clear space in the kitchen for him.  And it was done correctly, because he had brushed up on the most expeditious and quality way to install that part.

Even when you don’t have the perfect part or the perfect timing, there are opportunities to still provide near perfect customer service.

Fix the problem without creating another one.

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