co-worker | Customer Service Solutions, Inc.

Home  /  Don’t Begin with the Dead End in Mind – 2/17/26  /  co-worker

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

•••••

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.

Signup for FREE Tips!    Contact Us    More Resources for You    Visit Our Home Page


Pressure is a Privilege, but… – 1/13/26

Posted on January 13, 2026 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

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 situation within a given game where how you perform can determine the outcome.

So, yes, in ways, pressure is a privilege, but…pressure is still pressure.

In the world of customer service, you – as a customer service professional – are under pressure a lot.  And oftentimes, you’re under pressure because of nothing that you did.  It was because of some product flaw that took place in a manufacturing plant six months ago.  It’s because of a bad experience that an attendee to an event had with one of your co-workers.  It’s about some misinformation that went out via e-mail or on the website, and now people are upset.  It’s a complaint about the facility that you didn’t build, with a policy that you did not enact, with a process that you did not design, or the price that you did not quote.

Why You’re in a High-Pressure Situation

You’re in this situation where pressure’s involved, but as I said earlier, it’s a privilege to be there.  It’s a privilege because you find yourself in this position for a reason…

Somebody thought you had potential, so they entrusted you with your responsibilities.  Somebody thought this was an opportunity for you to grow, and they wanted to offer you the chance to improve.  You exhibited empathy and understanding, and someone believed your qualities enable you to deal with challenges.

You’re experienced, and you know how to handle difficult situations.  You excel at communicating or at defusing negative emotions.  You make the company look good by how you care for their clients.

You find yourself in pressure situations for a reason.  Somebody thought you have potential, or you have great qualities, or you’re highly skilled…or all of the above.

View pressure as a privilege.

Signup for FREE Tips!    Contact Us    More Resources for You    Visit Our Home Page


Be Supportive, Not Defensive – 10/7/25

Posted on October 7, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

[An employee on the phone with a customer…] Who told you that you didn’t have to submit that form? … Bob?  Oh brother!  You see Bob is our “special” co-worker.  He seems to always tell customers the wrong thing to do, and we’re having to clean up after him.  We wouldn’t have half the problems that we do if it wasn’t for Bob.

We have probably all worked with a Bob.  He’s that co-worker who causes of fires that we find ourselves fighting.  Maybe he’s the salesperson that made expectations that operations or customer service know cannot be delivered.  Maybe he’s somebody with the best intentions but communicates them in a way that creates issues for others.  But we don’t want to throw Bob under the proverbial bus.

On the other hand, Bob may be an outstanding employee!  Maybe the customer is totally in the wrong, so it’s understandable that we could be defensive because Bob is unjustly being chastised by the customer in their conversation with you.

Whether the customer complaint is justified or not, that co-worker is as much a part of the organization as you are, so how can we be supportive without being defensive?

Avoiding Defensiveness

One way to address this is to keep in mind that defensiveness is often exhibited through our emotions.  To avoid being defensive, keep the emotions down, keep the tone a little more calm and steady, be intentional about your body language, trying not to raise the temperature with the customer.

Being Supportive

Don’t feel like you have to argue on your co-worker’s behalf in order to be supportive.  Sometimes the best thing to do is to convey what you know and don’t know, note your experience or lack thereof in the situation or with your co-worker, and transition the conversation away from your co-worker and back toward the issue and possible resolution.  Talking to the customer:

I wasn’t in that conversation, so I can’t speak specifically to what Bob said, but I’m sorry you had to deal with it, and I want to help you find a resolution.

I’ve known Bob for years, and I’ll definitely talk with him since that’s not the experiences his customers typically have, and I’m very sorry about what happened in your case.  Let’s discuss how we can resolve this for you.

That’s not how we typically do things around here, so I’m very sorry about the situation.  I’ll definitely share your concerns internally after our call, and right now I want to make sure we can get this situation addressed immediately.

Don’t agree with the customer that Bob was at fault; stay composed; let them know if the situation isn’t typical, and move toward a resolution.

Be Supportive, Not Defensive.

Signup for FREE Tips!    Contact Us    More Resources for You    Visit Our Home Page


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ... 29 30   Next »