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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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The Goal – A Great Experience – 5/21/24

Posted on May 21, 2024 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

The following is a narrative of a great experience (people, process, service, facility) at a minor league sporting event – key points that could apply to any business are in bold…

Mark and I pulled into the parking lot, excited about the game.  The Slapshots had been on a roll lately, and this was my first chance to see them play this year.  The line moved smoothly and signs alerted us to the $10 parking charge, so we had the money ready when we reached the parking attendant.  “Good evening, and welcome to the Slapshots!” the man exclaimed as he took the money.  “Please follow the other attendants’ directions to your parking spot, and have a terrific night!”

The ticket window attendant offered a friendly “hello!” and offered to help us locate the best seats.  I asked about the $22 seat locations, and – showing me a color-coded map of the arena – she pointed out the best remaining seats for that price.  She asked if we were familiar with the ice box seating.  We weren’t, so she explained the expanded food and beverage service in those seats.  We agreed to the extra $5 to avoid missing any game action in the search for food. “Great,” she said, as she rang up the sale.  “Enjoy the game, and here’s some information on season ticket packages in case you’re interested.”

We entered the main concourse and immediately spotted the merchandise table and requested a couple team magazines.  “Is this your first Slapshots game?” the booth worker asked.  Since it was Mark’s first game, the employee pointed to the “Hockey 101” fact sheets on the table.  “You might find this useful if you’re new to the sport.  A lot of folks around here are, and they find this useful.” 

Mark followed the signs to our section, and an usher greeted us and showed us to our seats. The menus were on our seats, and we placed our dinner order with the server who appeared almost as soon as we sat down.  “What great seats!” Mark said, as the puck slammed into the window right in front of us!

It was an awesome game, and the food was great, better than expected for minor league hockey. At the second intermission, we walked the concourse to stretch our legs and grab a drink.  The Slapshots had taken the lead by the end of the second period, and the staff we talked with were excited about the game and thanked us for coming.

After an exciting ending to the final period to secure a 5-4 victory for the Slapshots, Mark and I headed to the exits.  “That was a ton of fun!” Mark exclaimed.  “I’m going to stop off at the information desk and find out about their season ticket packages.”

Whether it’s the people, the process, the service, or the facility – learn from these examples to move all aspects of the customer experience from good to great.

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Your Best Ability is… – 5/14/24

Posted on May 14, 2024 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

I enjoy watching sports, and I’ve even listened to some sports press conferences over the years, just to hear what coaches are saying.  Basically getting the leadership perspective from the sports industry either out of my interest or curiosity, or to figure out how to apply it to the business world.

A pro football coach was discussing some of the injuries that players were dealing with, and he stated: Someone’s best ability is their availability.

I found this interesting, because usually when we talk about the best players, we’re talking about those with the best skills.  But really, the most impactful players are the ones that are on the field, the ones that are able to participate in 80%, 90%, 100% of their team’s plays.  Maybe there are more skilled players on the bench, but because they’re nursing injuries, they may miss weeks of games or may be limited to only a few plays for each game.

In customer service, availability is also huge.  It’s not just a matter of handling that question or the complaint.  It’s a matter of being available to communicate.  Availability is the opportunity to serve.  Availability gives us a better chance of being responsive.  Availability enables us to show our abilities, to show our skills and knowledge.

So how do you make yourself available?

Consider how you can be available via the phone or via e-mail a little bit more.  Consider how to spend less time in meetings to find more time for the customer.  Look at the administrative tasks that you perform, those reports you produce for management, and determine how to spend less time on these to free up more time for the customer.  Find activities you perform that do not affect the customer, and figure out which of these items you could stop doing, reduce time on, or defer to the lighter times of the day or week.

You have tremendous abilities in customer service, communication, and issue resolution.  To be even more impactful, find ways to make availability your BEST ability.

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A Complaint is a Gift – 5/7/24

Posted on May 7, 2024 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

A complaint is a gift.  Okay, so the complainer is not always a “gift.”  The customer’s delivery of the complaint is sometimes more like a stocking filled with coal than a vase filled with roses.  But this is why we need to be able to differentiate the complaint from the complainer for a moment.

A complaint is feedback; it’s an opportunity to improve.  It’s often an example of something 5 or 50 other customers have experienced, but they did not voice to you.  Companies send out surveys, and many customers don’t respond.  Some customers proactively provide real-time feedback; others will only share when asked, if even then. 

It’s hard to learn from a lack of information.

So, a complaint is a gift because it provides information.  It tells you what the customer experienced, perceived.  It conveys who was involved, what happened or didn’t happen, what experiences didn’t meet expectations, what was too early or too late, what attitudes came across poorly, what products didn’t work, what policies were frustrating, and what processes were clunky or not self-evident.

In the moment, we need to deal with the complaint and the customer.  But to make a complaint a gift, we need to revisit the complaint after the fact and identify what information was gained, what lesson was learned, and how we can apply those learnings moving forward.

Give yourself time to get over any negative emotions from the dust-up with the customer, and then glean what you can from what happened and the customer’s perspective on the experience.  Use the complaint for continuous improvement.

Unpack the complaint to make it a gift.

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