Customer Service Tip of the Week

It’s Not “You,” It’s “I” - 9/8/26


During a business writing course that I took years ago, the instructor had us write an e-mail.  I can’t recall if it was written to a co-worker or customer, but after writing this e-mail, she had us count every “I” and “You.”  We talked about how we need to Read more

It Shouldn’t Make a Difference, But… - 9/1/26


We have this conversation with lots of our sports clients, but the principles apply across all different industries.  Too many service representatives view a conversation with a customer as a transaction.  Just get him off the phone as quickly as possible.  The customer is Joe Public, not Joseph Pendergrass.  Read more

Use What the Customer Gives You - 8/25/26


Scenario #1: The customer sent an e-mail to the general inbox at the company.  The message noted that the customer needed to get a family member added to their account, but they couldn’t tell from the website how to do so. The next morning an employee opened up the e-mail, Read more

How Better Customer Service is Better for You - 8/18/26


Oftentimes, we have employees in training or workshops who really want to understand what’s in it for them to deliver better customer service.  How does the employee benefit from a better customer experience? Noted below are 5 different aspects of a great experience desired by the customer.  What if... The customer Read more

Manage New Customer Expectations - 8/11/26


The fan had never been to a motorsports event before, but they had been to concerts.  They had been to big conferences.  At those other events, they could park right next to the venue, many of the activities were indoors, and weather was a non-issue.  So, they were not Read more

Complement Empathy with Action - 8/4/26


A man falls into a hole, and he can’t get out.  He starts yelling for help, and a doctor walks by and looks down the hole.  The man in the hole yells to the doctor “Please help me.  I’ve fallen into this hole!”  And the doctor takes out a Read more

My 8-Minute Visit at the DMV- 7/28/26


I needed to get a Real ID, which in North Carolina facilitates airline travel and other identity verifications.  My wife suggested I go to one particular DMV that was a LONG way away from home, but where she had experienced great customer service.  I was lucky to find an Read more

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

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

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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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Don’t Create the Second Complaint – 12/2/25

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Maria was upset.  Rightfully so.  The product delivery was delayed, she couldn’t get anybody on the phone, and nobody would reply to her e-mails.  So, she went down to the store, and she found a customer service representative.

After the initial greeting, the employee listened to Maria’s complaint.  While Maria told her story, the employee stood there…with a blank face.  There was some eye contact, but otherwise there was basically nothing.  No nodding.  No furrowing of the brow.  No outward signs of inward empathy.

Maria wasn’t getting any reaction, so she just kept talking, although she felt like she was talking to a brick wall.  Eventually Maria stopped, paused, and the employee asked to see her purchase receipt.

Maria’s frustration transitioned from the delayed product and the lack of responsiveness to the situation she was facing at this point – an employee who had not been trained on…how to engage someone who was upset…how to use her body language to convey a little empathy…how to note some understanding and communicate effectively.

Although Maria thought she went to the store solely to get some resolution to her issue, she soon realized what else she wanted.  She wanted to be heard.  She wanted to be understood.  She wanted somebody to convey that they cared.

When you’re dealing with a customer who is upset or frustrated, understand that – for most of them – it’s not just about the issue.  It’s about how they perceive your organization feels about them based on that negative experience.  The situation makes them think that the company doesn’t care, but how you engage them about the situation can convey that the company really does care.

Engage the person when you’re dealing with their issue.  Use your body language and expressions to show you care about them individually, even if the issue with their product or service may have given them the opposite impression.

Avoid giving them an additional reason to complain.

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

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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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