Customer Service Tip of the Week | Customer Service Solutions, Inc. - Page 102

A Simple Phrase to Transform Your Customer Feedback Approach - 2/18/25


I went to a restaurant called Big Ed’s (no relation) in Raleigh, NC recently.  It’s basically country cooking with fantastic breakfast options!  On the menu there was a quote that said: If you enjoyed your meal, tell a friend.  If not, please tell us. That was an excellent statement that embodies Read more

What Phones and Football Have in Common - 2/11/25


Congratulations!  You made it through weeks/months of hype for football’s Super Bowl!  You made it through hundreds of pregame shows and podcasts, endless debates on things endlessly inconsequential, 10 hours of pre-game shows on Sunday, what seems like 100 commercials designed specifically for the “Big Game,” and the longest Read more

Create Awareness of Alternatives - 2/4/25


Sandy was hungry, and she was on the move.  Driving between meetings, she saw the restaurant sign and pulled in.  The fast-food restaurant had two drive-thru lanes.  One was for any customer who wanted to place an order on the spot. The other was for mobile orders only.  The Read more

Listen with Your Eyes - 1/28/25


Out of the corner of his eye, Patrick saw the customer enter the lobby.  The customer was carrying a large shoulder bag with several papers in her hand.  The customer was shuffling the papers and looking down; then she stopped, looked up, and saw the staff navigator sitting at Read more

When You’re the Educator, What Should You Teach? - 1/21/25


The best customer service professionals are also excellent educators.  Not only within the organization, but I’m talking specifically about the role they play as educator with their customers.  With all the self-service options that technology provides, customers often have the opportunity to do things on their own, to investigate Read more

Wrap It Up Right: Why Follow-Up Communications WOW Customers - 1/14/25


Dena had some questions about her water bill, so she looked for answers on the utility’s website.  She didn’t find specific answers, and she really didn’t want to get on the phone with somebody at the time and risk staying on hold.  She had lots going on, but she Read more

From Conversation to Connection: Defining Customer Engagement - 1/7/25


Maggie was sitting in the Service Excellence Training class, and the instructor kept talking about staying engaged with the customer.  Proactively engaging the customer.  Being fully engaged in the conversation. After hearing this same phrase (“engage”) used in various ways, Maggie raised her hand and asked a question probably several Read more

Self-empower for the New Year - 12/31/24


Jeff joined the company, in part, because he loved their approach to culture.  Leadership tried to create an empowerment culture.  They tried to develop an environment where, within certain parameters, individual team members could make a decision and feel confident that they would be supported by leadership. The reality was Read more

2024 Holiday Poem - 12/24/24


I sometimes hear it said That things have never been like this before. That challenges are unique, That stresses seem like more.   I sometimes hear it said That we're asked to do much more with less. That workloads are increasing, And we're resource-constrained at best.   And others often say That things are really very good. That they enjoy those Read more

Is Their Poor Planning Your Emergency? - 12/17/24


Have you ever heard the saying:  Your poor planning is not my emergency. I’ve heard it said often – not necessarily directly from one person to another.  More typical is that I hear it from the person having to drop everything and do something immediately because someone else didn’t think Read more

Bring Something Extra to the Table – 1/8/19

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


As somebody who has customer service as a part of their role and responsibilities, you are often talking to customers who could access the answers to their questions or the solutions to their problems via a website or some social media resource. But instead of going to those communication vehicles or maybe after going to those vehicles, they have come to you.

In coming to you, many customers have the expectation that you can provide something beyond what they can find on a website or beyond what they can experience via social media customer service. They expect you to bring something extra to the table.

So, what do you bring that goes beyond the content they can find online?

First, Listening and Empathy. By engaging your organization online, customers cannot experience a sense that the organization cares about them personally, is willing to listen to their concerns, and cares about understanding what’s unique about their situation. So, listening is something extra you bring to the table. Empathy and a sense of understanding/caring is something they don’t get from those other communication vehicles.

Second, a Can-do Attitude. What customers experience online from your company includes a series of steps, facts, FAQ’s, and other information. But that online presence doesn’t really convey a true solution-oriented mindset. it doesn’t necessarily create a feel that the company desires to help them with their need. With your tone, words, and responsiveness, you convey the kind of Can-do attitude that is difficult to replicate online.

Third, an Understanding of Internal Processes. Oftentimes, that extra something you bring to the table is your internal knowledge of how your organization works. Few companies can or should open the doors and allow customers to see all the detailed innerworkings of their business. However, that internal knowledge you have helps you to guide the customer quickly and effectively down the path they need to succeed.

Finally, your Dot-Connecting Expertise. The customer may have an issue, a need, or a goal, and your organization might have a process, a product, or a service. But the company’s web presence is typically not designed to connect those dots. However, you have the knowledge and expertise to match the customer’s need with the specific solution your company offers.

In this day and age of online customer service, realize that there’s so much you can and should bring to that service situation that your company’s web presence cannot fully address.

Bring Something Extra to the Table.

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

 


How to Have a Truly HAPPY New Year – 1/1/19

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


Don’t worry. After today, I will get away from my holiday-themed tips, but for now, let me ask you a question. What would be a good way to have a truly HAPPY New Year? Is it lowering expectations so that everything exceeds your expectations? Is it eating chocolate every day? Is it making a resolution to be happy?

Consider this: My answers are “No, No, and Yes.”

Let’s focus on the Yes. We have little control over much that goes on around us – our customers, computers, co-workers; the people, processes, and systems; the buildings we work in and the attitudes and attributes of the people we socialize with; the weather, social media, the overall economy. There is so much we can’t control. Now keep in mind that all these things that are beyond our control are outside of us.

Having a truly happy new year is not about what’s happening around us; it’s about what’s inside us. And maybe happy is not the best word. Maybe joy-filled is a better phrase.

So, what can you and I do within ourselves to be more joy-filled? Maybe it’s limiting our exposure to those outside things that don’t bring joy. It involves thinking about our attitude – being intentional about how we think about other people, how we visualize the meeting about the happen, how we force ourselves to empathize with that person on the phone with us. It’s about our making decision after decision after decision to be good inside no matter the situation we face outside.

A great attitude is a series of decisions to be positive, to be better than the situations we find ourselves in, to look for the good in all things and all people we encounter. In the end, a great attitude becomes a habit, and it leads to joy. It leads to having a Truly HAPPY New Year.

Better yet, it leads to having a truly Joy-filled New Year.

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

 


2018 Holiday Poem – 12/25/18

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


Annually I write a note at this time of year,
And the goal not once but every time is to bring you some cheer.

I try to encourage,
And I work to state the truth
Because as we continue to grow more “wise,”
We can’t lose sight of the joys of youth.

So this year I’d like you to continue
On a path set for you and the rest.
It’s a path where your impact on others
Is marked with positivity and success.

I want you to realize how much good you offer
How many solutions you provide and smiles you create.
Whether it’s with co-workers, sisters, or brothers
Your attitude and approach are great!

I want you to feel valued,
And others know it’s true.
For each day this past year and in the year to come
Is a little brighter because of you.

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