customer service | Customer Service Solutions, Inc. - Page 8

Finalize the Solution with the 6 Step Checklist - 5/5/26


In last week’s Tip, we showed why and how to Use the 6 Step Checklist before Resolving the Issue.  We noted the importance of taking 15 seconds to mentally walk through the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How to feel confident that you know what’s needed to fix Read more

Use the 6 Step Checklist before Resolving the Issue - 4/28/26


We talk about trying to resolve the issue right the first time, sharing the technique on how to manage the conversation to get clarity on the real issue, need, or goal, and confirming your understanding before moving forward. But what are you trying to clarify?  What are you trying to Read more

Use the Customer’s Words - 4/21/26


The customer is describing a problem on what they call their “computer.” They mentioned that the “screen” doesn’t “move from one page to the other.” They say that the “website’s name is typed at the top,” and it says sample.com with a “line, and then it says ‘home’ after Read more

Affirming the Customer with Empathy - 4/14/26


We’ve spoken and written about empathy for the 20+ years of these customer service tips, noting empathy as the most important quality any individual can have if they want to be great at customer service.  We’ve shared that - in order to serve our customers most effectively – it’s Read more

The Power of Teaching While Helping - 4/7/26


If you’re trying to develop a relationship with the customer rather than just simply handling their transaction and moving on, you are taking a long-term view.  You realize that that individual is someone you want to keep with your business for months or years to come, so it’s a Read more

Bear with Me - 3/31/26


As a customer, you’ve probably called a company and heard the phrase “bear with me.”  At that point, you know there’s going to be some sort of delay.  The CSR is giving you a heads up that there’s going to be additional wait time.  Essentially, they are trying to Read more

Slowing Down the Fast Talker - 3/24/26


Jeffrey had always been told by his manager to figure out the issue quickly and wrap up the conversation as fast as possible.  So, Jeffrey was hyper-focused at finding that one key word that could identify the issue and help him to transition quickly to what might be some possible Read more

Don’t Bury the Lede - 3/17/26


Mary was working at the office, and she received an e-mail alert from the water company.  There was a water outage in her neighborhood.  It looked like it was going to be a couple hours to fix the issue. Sure enough, a few hours later around mid-afternoon, Mary received another Read more

Confirm the Real Issue Before You Start Solving - 3/10/26


Have you ever gone “down the rabbit hole?”  It involves going deep into some topic, some discussion – with analysis that creates complexity as much as it resolves it.  And that dive into the rabbit hole often starts with a simple question. Going down that rabbit hole takes time and Read more

One Question to Prevent a Follow-up Call - 3/3/26


The way some performance metrics work, you would think companies would prefer for their staff to talk to the same customer 4 times on the same topic for 8 minutes each rather than talking to them once for 10 minutes.  Many management metrics are too focused on average length Read more

When Kindness Means More in Customer Service – 12/9/25

Posted on in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Since a large part of the work we do at CSS includes customer research, we have seen tens of thousands of comments over the years about staff, and it is great to hear the positives that customers, fans, and account holders say about our clients’ team members.

One word that is used often by customers in recognizing a great staff experience is kindness: The staff were so kind… They showed kindness throughout the event… We had an issue, and I cannot thank them enough for their kindness and willingness to help!

People appreciate kindness, so it helps to note those situations where customers didn’t simply describe employees as friendly or nice, and they – instead – intentionally used the word kind.

Situations of Kindness

Many survey comments referencing kindness relate to when the customer was not your typical customer, or the situation was not typical.

People use the word kind to describe staff when the customer has some sort of disability or challenge, and the employee recognizes and takes into account the special need.  They use the word kind to describe how staff interact with their children – with pleasantness and respect.  Kindness is noted when an employee realizes the worry or anxiety or urgent nature of something, and it’s clear that the employee is being patient and entirely focused on helping that individual.

When there is a language barrier or a learning issue, and the employee takes the time to listen to the customer, that’s kindness.  When the employee also makes sure what he/she conveys is understood by the customer (being willing to restate things multiple times and in a variety of ways, if needed), they are often referred to as being kind.

When the employee realizes there is something unique about the customer or their situation, and they take a little extra time and convey some special respect during that encounter, the customer often perceives that as kindness.

Be kind in those special customer service circumstances.

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Refresh on the Reasons to Appreciate the Customer – 11/25/25

Posted on in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

This is a great time of year to give thanks, not just because it’s Thanksgiving week in the United States, but also because – with 2025 coming to a close – it gives us the opportunity to do some reflecting on the recent past.

The idea of reflecting on reasons to give thanks clearly applies to the world of customer service.  Although we’re providing the customer with some service or product, some answer or something to address their need – I’m a strong proponent of making sure that we initiate the thanks to the customer.  Thank them for…

  • Their Effort: Thank them for taking the time to come onsite, planning their trip and navigating the traffic to and from your location.
  • Their Communication: Convey appreciation for bringing an issue to your attention so that you can help them and possibly fix any issues before they cause frustrations for other customers.
  • Their Quality: Thank them for completing their paperwork correctly or filling out that form accurately so it saves everybody a bit of time.
  • Their Patience: Offer some gratitude for their waiting on hold while you were helping other customers, for being so patient, as you know they’re also busy.
  • Their Pleasantness: Thank them when they’re pleasant with you, when they smile, when they actually ask you how your day is going, or thank you – the employee – for being there, even though they know it’s your job to be there.
  • Their Business: Oh! And of course, thank them for their purchase and their business, their loyalty and their frequent returns.

 
To offer appreciation, it helps us to refresh on the effort, the attitude, the actions your customer is taking to do business with you.

Refresh on the reasons to appreciate the customer..

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Confirm the Customer is Cleared for Takeoff – 11/18/25

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An airplane pilot is told when they’re “cleared for takeoff” before they begin to accelerate down the runway.  The air traffic controller (ATC) has looked at everything in front of the pilot, on the runway and in the air space, and checked to ensure the pilot is good to go.  The ATC is there to ensure the pilot is set up for success.

Similarly, we want to make sure our customers are set up for success.  If there is any information about next steps or pathways or upcoming decisions, any clarification needed on the players involved in the situation that the customer’s dealing with, we want to make sure there’s clarity.

Here are some examples of the types of things to consider sharing with the customer to confirm they are ready for their version of the takeoff.  Is the customer clear…

  • How to get to a customer service representative?
  • How to locate the right item/office/information?
  • What options are available to them?
  • What their part is in a process?
  • Who the other employees are in the process and what will be their roles?
  • What the next step in the process is and when it will happen?
  • In general, how to get their question answered, their need met, or their issues resolved?

 
Then, even though the pilot is told they are cleared for takeoff, they verify it themselves, because they are the ones ultimately responsible for flying the plane.  Similarly, although we have all this information we want to convey to the customer so that they are clear, it helps for us to confirm with them that they actually are clear, that they actually do understand.

To set the customer up for success, before you end the conversation, confirm the customer is clear.

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