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Energy v. Apathy - 4/22/25


I asked a couple friends who are much more scientifically-oriented the question: What is energy?  I didn’t mean E=MC2.  I meant physiologically, what is energy? They described a lot of things that sounded really good, yet far too advanced for my non-medical mind. Part of the reason why energy is of Read more

Prep Enough to Personalize - 4/15/25


Everybody loves Howie.  He is an account rep for the local air conditioning and heating company.  When I say Everybody loves Howie, I’m definitely talking about the customers.  His co-workers love him too, but customers are especially fond of him.  They seem to really enjoy their conversations with him, Read more

Get Your Customers to Brag, Not Bolt - 4/8/25


Here are two customer retention concepts that we discuss with some sports clients: BIRG and CORF.  BIRG is Basking In Reflected Glory.  CORF is Cutting Off Reflected Failure. You want BIRG.  You want the customers feeling so good about your organization that they want to be a part of your Read more

Narrow Your Focus to Seek Excellence - 4/1/25


You’ve probably heard companies use phrases such as: “We want to go from being good to great.”  Maybe they’ve said: “We strive for perfection, and although we’ll never reach perfection, maybe we can achieve excellence along the way.” These organizations find some kind of a catch phrase or slogan, but Read more

Avoid the Unfriendly Ghost - 3/25/25


Last week we talked about the qualities of “PERKI Customer Service,” essentially what attitudes and actions are characteristics of those who provide great customer service.  This week, let’s take the opposite approach.  What are some of the mistakes that people make?  Maybe these are mistakes of omission or commission; Read more

PERKI Customer Service - 3/18/25


After having worked on hundreds of projects over the years with thousands of thousands of individuals, some things become pretty clear. There are certain traits held by people who are great in customer service.  Look at this list, and do a self-assessment.  Which apply to you? Positive and Patient Do you Read more

It Helps to Downshift - 3/11/25


One of the first tips I heard when I was learning how to drive related to what to do when the brakes fail - downshift.  Shifting into a lower gear can slow down a moving vehicle.  I would explain this in technical terms to you, but considering I’m not Read more

Patience is… - 3/4/25


Patience is a…pain in the neck.  Why is it so hard to be patient?  Those of us who work in customer service know that we constantly have to show patience with our customers.  We’re ready to move to the next step or the solution because we’ve heard this issue Read more

Everybody Doesn’t - 2/25/25


Joey received the compliment, but he was confused.  Paula, his boss, and Joey had their monthly one-on-one meeting, and Paula noted that, although he was new, Joey was already doing a great job!  While there were learning curves on some of the organizational policies and the technology that he Read more

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

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Don’t Kick the Problem Down the Road – 9/3/24

Posted on September 3, 2024 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

The error was obvious.  Shania is a clerk at a local government office, and she could tell that something was wrong with the permit request.  She was about to reject the request because the address was invalid.

If this would have been handled like the normal process, Shania would have marked the request as rejected, and the resident would receive an e-mail within the next week that was automatically generated from the system.

The message would simply say that the request had been rejected and for the resident to contact the local permitting office.

Pause to Find the Cause

But instead of doing what’s normally done, Shania made a little extra effort.  She decided to do a little investigation.  She found out that the resident had submitted the request by filling out a form, and that one of Shania’s co-workers entered the information into the permit request system.  What the resident wrote down and what was keyed into the system were different.  The co-worker had made a keying error.

Shania updated the information in the system, so the permit was officially completed correctly and was allowed to continue through the review process.

Consider the Impact Beyond the Moment

Shania’s simple act of patience, this simple investigation, this simple questioning why somebody would have put in an invalid address – these actions avoided a lot of issues.  The resident didn’t have to wait a week for a rejection notice that they would have to follow-up on and address.  A co-worker wouldn’t have been brought under scrutiny by an angry customer for the error.  The delay in the permit process for the customer would not happen. Additional work for the team to reprocess the request would not have to happen.

By being patient, asking herself a couple key questions based on her experience, and discerning what would be the best approach overall rather than what would be most expedient in the moment – these actions resulted in a better customer experience and time saved for her team.

Pause to find the cause, instead of simply kicking the problem down the road.

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Reflect the Best of Your Customers – 8/27/24

Posted on August 27, 2024 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

When Alice walks into a business, whether it’s a restaurant or government building, whether it’s a Goodwill or a grocery store, she has a certain way about her.  She’s the customer, and it’s not unusual to hear her say to the employee:  Thanks for being here today!

It’s not unusual for Alice to keep the conversation going when the employee is ringing her up during a sale.  Alice will compliment a ring an employee is wearing or how helpful they were during their conversation.

Alice will talk to a customer service rep on the phone, and she’ll thank the employee for being patient with her questions.

If there was a role play during customer service training, and somebody was pretending to be a customer like Alice, the people watching the role play would likely say:  That customer is so nice!  Unfortunately, it’s just not realistic. Customers are not really like that.

Believe it or not, if we – the employees – were acting like Alice, customers would say the same thing about us:  Wow, that employee is so nice!  I wish all employees were like that.  I wish all employees had a good attitude, were appreciative of me coming in or giving them a call.  I wish all employees would continue to chat with me while they’re doing some activity.  I wish employees would be a bit more patient with me and ask me more questions.

Alice may be an unusually nice customer, but – for many customers – it would be unusual for them to engage an employee who is just as nice, just as appreciative.

One way to convey we care about customers is to reflect what we see in the best of our customers.  The best customer attitudes.  The best customer communication skills.

Reflect the best of your customers to deliver a great customer experience.

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Create Your Personal Motto – 8/20/24

Posted on August 20, 2024 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Take a look at these mottos:

It’s the real thing.

Just Do It.

Have it your way.

Betcha can’t eat just one.

Breakfast of champions.

Do you know the companies?  The answers are at the bottom of this tip.

So why am I asking you about mottos?  And why do almost all of them make me hungry?  I digress…

I’m asking about mottos in part because they are memorable. They reflect what the companies are trying to convey, what the companies are trying to be or to become.

A motto or a tagline is something often catchy, often short.  My company, CSS, created a Mission Statement that is our statement of purpose, but it’s also short and easy to remember: To help others

When I’m speaking with someone, my thought is: How can I help them?  I know that whether it’s an existing client or prospective customer, whether it’s a co-worker or another member of my team, whether it’s a business partner or somebody I just run into at the office who seems to have a question or wants to talk – that’s my primary focus:  How can I help them?

Whether or not I make the perfect presentation or make a sale, at least my goal is to help them.  Whether they have some business concern that we can address or something that is not in our wheelhouse, the least I can do is try to help them. Whether they need advice or guidance or just need somebody to listen, my goal is to meet that need.

We’ve talked about personal mission statements in the past – that statement of purpose that shows the greater good in what you do.  So think about your personal mission statement in terms of a motto.  Describe (in fewer than 10 words) your purpose at your job, the guiding principles within which you operate, what you hope to do…or to be…or to become.  Write that thought down – and help it to guide you throughout the day.

Create Your Personal Motto.

By the way, here are the companies associated with the mottos above: Coke. Nike. Burger King. Lay’s. Wheaties.

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