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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

Don’t Skip the Recap - 5/12/26


The playoff hockey game goes on for almost 3 hours.  There’s non-stop action, with plenty of penalties and takeaways and hits against the boards…and a few goals, as well. You didn’t get to watch the whole game because you had other plans, but you wanted to know what happened.  So, Read more

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

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Uncover Silent Concerns – 8/5/25

Posted on August 5, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

One of the customer service statistics we have quoted many times over the years is:  For every complaint you do hear, there could be 26 other customer issues that you don’t hear.

And when we bring up that statistic, we bring it up because we want to make sure companies and individuals realize that “no news is not necessarily good news.”  There are many people who will not complain directly to a company when they have an issue.  If you don’t ask them, they will not let you know.  You may assume that they had a great experience because they didn’t say otherwise, but they could be taking their business elsewhere the very next day.

While we have provided examples of questions you could ask directly before you wrap up a conversation in order to uncover complaints, you can also – through the normal course of discussion – gauge how the customer’s experience has been.

Noted below are some key questions to ask your customers to uncover concerns before they balloon into something bigger:

Process and People Questions

  • How has the process been so far?
  • Anything that we can be doing better to serve you?
  • Is there any part of the process or any information in the application that is unclear?
  • How did you like working with our intake team?

Product and Service Questions

  • How has the product been working for you?
  • Is the device performing consistently?
  • Are you noticing any improvements since you started this service?

Expectation-oriented Questions

  • Have we been meeting your expectations?
  • Have you been receiving the updates you expected?
  • Is there anything we can be doing to better meet your needs?

While you’re talking with the customer, be intentional about gaining some feedback.

Ask key questions to learn about the experience, and to uncover silent concerns.

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Talk Yourself Up to Take Down Their Anxiety – 7/29/25

Posted on July 29, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

I believe that most customer service people are pretty humble, so I’m not asking you to lose your humility.  But I do have one ask of you…

When that customer is anxious or nervous, when they fear the future because the future is unknown or it could be laced with negative outcomes, part of what brings their anxiety down, part of what calms their nervousness is their confidence in you.  So, that might require that you talk a little about yourself – not to brag – but more so to help them realize they’re working with somebody who will help.

What can you say about yourself to build confidence in the mind of the customer?

First, make sure they know your name.  If you’re going to help them through a process, they feel more comfortable with somebody that they feel like they know or can call by name.

Next, weave in how long you’ve been working at the organization.  If you haven’t worked there that long, let them know how long you’ve been working in the industry or how long you’ve been working on similar issues.  Time conveys experience which can convey knowledge and expertise.  If you are brand new to the company or industry, tell them about your training or your team of co-workers.

Talk about similar customers – probably not by name – but those who were in similar situations or were dealing with similar stresses as the customer in front of you.  Talk about those customers without going into too much depth on what their issue was, because it’s not about the other customer.  But talk about those similar customers and the positive outcomes that transpired.  Here you are painting a positive picture for the individual in front of you by sharing stories of those you’ve helped in the past.

Note your familiarity with the process you’re going through or technology that you’re using to go through this process.  If they sense you’re knowledgeable about the nuts and bolts of resolving the issue or addressing the need, then that’s another confidence-builder.

Sometimes you have to talk about yourself even if you’re the most humble person in the world, because sharing about yourself creates comfort for the customer.

Talk yourself up to take down their anxiety.

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Use Little Acts to Make a Big Impact – 7/22/25

Posted on July 22, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

A WOW Experience is not always one instance, one act that blows away the customer.  It’s not always an over-the-top-the-employee-saved-the-day act of brilliance.  Sometimes a WOW is the sum total of a series of little things that others don’t do – those actions that differentiate you from others.  The customer may not visibly react, but – inside – they sense something different in a good way, something positive, something special.

When the customer walked in, you immediately looked up and informally greeted them.  You smiled and even stood up!

They sent you an e-mail at lunchtime, and you responded mid-afternoon.  The customer left a voice mail, and you responded in the next hour.

The patient had a question, so you turned away from the computer and patiently (no pun intended!) answered; you then asked what other questions they had in mind.

While they waited, you walked up to them and provided some educational information about the vehicle service you were performing for them as well as other useful features on their car – some they weren’t aware of previously.

The customer was talking to you – a customer service representative in some far away location – but you asked them for their name upfront and used it throughout the conversation.

A few days after the appointment, they received the handwritten thank you note that you penned on the day that you met.

Creating the WOW Experience doesn’t always require that over-the-top-the-employee-saved-the-day act of brilliance.  You don’t have to be the best ever.  But if you’re consistently better than what the customer experiences elsewhere, you become a WOW.  You become the standard.  You become that something positive, that something special in their day.

Use little acts to make a big impact.

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