customer experience | Customer Service Solutions, Inc.

Home  /  When They Might Walk Out the Door…Permanently- 7/21/26  /  customer experience

When They Might Walk Out the Door…Permanently- 7/21/26


Have you ever had one of those conversations with the customer where they literally tell you they’re about to stop doing business with your company?  This is it.  They may bring up a competitor or found another way to get their need met, or they are just leaving. When we Read more

Transparency in Customer Service- 7/14/26


We’ve worked with a lot of clients in the local government sector, and many of these clients have Customer Service Standards and/or corporate values that include Transparency. Think about an old-fashioned transparency sheet, that malleable see-through page you put on an overhead projector.  You can see everything on one side Read more

See the Customer’s Journey from Their Perspective- 7/7/26


That customer is face-to-face with you right now, and you are fielding their questions or delivering your service to them.  And oftentimes and understandably, we are so immersed in the moment that we don’t think about what came before or think enough about what comes next. But in the life Read more

Gaining the Benefits of the Greeter- 6/30/26


Most likely, we’ve all entered some establishment – a retail store, restaurant, or service center - when there is a greeter at the door.  The most famous greeter position is probably the Walmart greeter.  I often thought that my father-in-law would have been a fantastic Walmart greeter, because he Read more

Seamlessness - Why the Customer Thanked You - 6/23/26


This doesn’t happen enough nowadays, but the employee received a long thank you e-mail from the customer.  A financial services account manager had taken care of the client during a period of time that was stressful for the customer. Life was unexpectedly changing quickly, and personal emotions, additional financial responsibilities, Read more

When to Avoid the Escalation - 6/16/26


The customer calls with a complaint, and the easy thing to do is to escalate it to your supervisor. That may also be the right thing to do, but how do you know when to avoid the escalation? Why You Would Escalate The first thing to consider is why you would Read more

Let’s be Clear on Clarity - 6/9/26


When trying to manage expectations, it’s vital to be clear with the customer.  But what specifically does it mean to be “clear?” Clarity is in the eyes and ears of the beholder, so what may be clear to one customer may be unclear to another.  However, there are some basic Read more

Allow Yourself to Solve a Couple Puzzles Every Day - 6/2/26


Frank had never been a dog owner before, and when he first got Bosco at the shelter, Frank didn't really know what he was doing.  He would try to be a good parent - feed the dog, play with it, take it on walks - but he was doing Read more

Improve with a Purpose - 5/26/26


If you’re reading these customer service tips, you likely want to get better.  You want an idea, a technique, a reinforcement, or a question that helps you improve. But why improve? At some point you may waver on the commitment to improve, because it can take effort, introspection, time, and change.  Read more

Reciprocate the Thanks - 5/19/26


Jasmine had a great experience with the company, and the company sent her a link to provide an online evaluation following the visit.  So, she clicked the link, gave a rating, and made a comment about her experience. The company monitored their online reviews, saw the positive response, and replied Read more

•••••

When They Might Walk Out the Door…Permanently- 7/21/26

Posted on July 21, 2026 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Have you ever had one of those conversations with the customer where they literally tell you they’re about to stop doing business with your company?  This is it.  They may bring up a competitor or found another way to get their need met, or they are just leaving.

When we say “Moments of Truth” in customer service, this is about the ultimate Moment of Truth.  They are at a tipping point, and how you handle this conversation can determine whether they stay or truly go.

There are so many factors that are at play that it’s difficult to concisely address them all in a brief tip.  But let’s at least talk about one of the most important aspects to this conversation – finding out the Why.

Consider the Potential Whys

Is it because of a bad or a stale relationship, or maybe issues with a product or service?  It could have been the pricing or technology or perceived lack of value.  Maybe it’s about the customer experience, or a competitor just reached out with some enticing pitch or offer.

Whatever their priorities are – speed, responsiveness, quality, benefits and perks, access, consistency and predictability – they are not being met.

Gather Yourself and Respond

When you’re in this situation, in this Moment of Truth, don’t panic.  Take a deep breath, and professionally and respectfully start searching for the why.  Use phrases like “I’m sorry to hear that this is something you’re considering…” OR “Help me understand…” OR “We definitely would love to keep you as our customer, so please share more about but you’re thinking and some of the reasons for it.”

In other words, convey empathy.  Don’t get defensive.  Seek to understand before making some grand sales pitch.  Convey your desire to keep them as a customer, and gain a deeper understanding of their decision-making process.

When faced with a customer who is stating that they’re getting ready to leave, downshift your emotions, convey your interest in them, and seek to understand.

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


Let’s be Clear on Clarity – 6/9/26

Posted on June 9, 2026 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

When trying to manage expectations, it’s vital to be clear with the customer.  But what specifically does it mean to be “clear?”

Clarity is in the eyes and ears of the beholder, so what may be clear to one customer may be unclear to another.  However, there are some basic tenets to keep in mind when you’re trying to ensure the customer is clear.

When Customer Education is Needed

Let’s use the example of giving instructions.  These could be discharge instructions given to a patient when they’re getting ready to leave the facility.  It could be instructions to a homeowner trying to understand how to appeal the tax value of their home.  The new season ticket holder account for a sports team could require instructions for how to use the team’s app.

Instruct with Clarity

First, use a multi-mode approach – a mix of verbal and written.  Different people learn different ways, and there aren’t many of us that “get” instructions given in one way one time.  Make sure people have a takeaway to complement and reinforce what you’ve said to them.

Second, add specificity – dates, times, specific URLs, specific guidance on the sequence of tasks.

Third, avoid the confusing terminology.  Eliminate or define acronyms.  Use layman’s terms that a first-time customer would know and understand.

Fourth, limit the verbiage, being as brief as possible.  More information results in more mud that could cloud the waters, making the clear unclear.

Fifth, convey what WILL happen v. what MAY happen, so the expectation isn’t for everything to occur.  That way, they’re not confused if certain steps don’t take place.

Finally, allow time for the Q&A.  One-way communication is not the recipe for consistent clarity.  Allow the person to ask questions or restate their understanding of the instructions back to you.  This is the best way to understand how clear things are in the mind of the customer before you wrap up the conversation.

Be clear on what creates clarity with the customer.

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


Reciprocate the Thanks – 5/19/26

Posted on May 19, 2026 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Jasmine had a great experience with the company, and the company sent her a link to provide an online evaluation following the visit.  So, she clicked the link, gave a rating, and made a comment about her experience.

The company monitored their online reviews, saw the positive response, and replied online: Jasmine, What a fantastic review! We are thrilled that you shared these wonderful things with us.  Please know how much we appreciate you and hope that every experience you have with us is as positive!

Fred was supporting a client – a local government agency that had previously not been performing well.  During a meeting about 6 months into the consulting project, a director at the agency paused to thank Fred for the ongoing support and guidance, and for helping the department performance metrics to consistently improve over the most recent 4-5 months.

Fred replied: That’s very kind of you.  It’s been a great experience working with you and your team, and I’m glad we’re seeing the progress you all have been working hard to achieve.

In both of these real-life examples, the customer is appreciative – WOOHOO!!

And in both cases, the person who receives the thanks on behalf of the company reciprocates that appreciation.  Those statements back to the customer are short, sincere, and positive.

It’s great to get a “Thanks!” from the customer.  And some days those thank yous are few and far between.  But if we’re fortunate enough to get them, it’s often good to thank the customer for their role in making it a great experience, to convey you appreciate them, to convey you value them.

Reciprocate the Thanks.

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


1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 ... 75 76   Next »