Customer Service Tip of the Week | Customer Service Solutions, Inc. - Page 187

Home  /  Build Your Confidence with the 5 P’s – 4/22/14 TOW  /  Customer Service Tip of the Week

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

•••••

Build Your Confidence with the 5 P’s – 4/22/14 TOW

Posted on April 22, 2014 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment


Sometimes a person’s anxiety, worry, indecision, passivity, inefficiency, and lack of ownership can all have the same source – lack of confidence. It could be the student unwilling to raise his hand in class; we could be discussing the leader making decisions simply by not making decisions. Maybe it’s the adult talking with twelve friends and family members about something to gain the 100% certainty that will never exist. Maybe it’s the employee who won’t take on a responsibility because they’re afraid of doing the wrong thing.

Years ago, we shared a Tip of the Week (TOW) that talked about how to build confidence, and what we’re doing today is expanding that list to build your confidence further. To build your confidence, here are the 5 P’s of knowledge-building. You need to “Know Your:”

  • Processes – Learn your organization’s information flows and process flows so you can know HOW things occur and be able to explain the HOW of actions to customers.
  • Policies – Understand the company’s policies and the reasons for them to be able to explain the WHY behind the WHAT to customers.
  • Products – Become well aware of your organization’s products and services so you can easily match the customer’s issue/need/goal to your company’s solution.
  • People – Know who does what in your organization so you’re aware of whom to contact to address a need; also, get to know your customers – ask questions, look at their purchase/participation/service history so you can tailor your response to what makes them and their situation unique.
  • Purpose – Understand your purpose. We’ll address this more in next week’s TOW, but think of Purpose like this – why do you do what you do? Beyond the tasks, meetings, notes, communications, paperwork – what is the greater good in what you do? If you know the ultimate goal of your role, you can be more confident, particularly when what you are being asked to do might not be “within the job description.”

Use this knowledge-based approach to becoming more confident in interactions with customers.

Build confidence by building knowledge.


The Great Manager I Never Met – 4/15/14 TOW

Posted on April 15, 2014 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment


I was fortunate to have been asked to speak at a finance association conference this past month on the topic of “Customer Service in the Tax Office.” I know that’s not the most exciting title, but it was a fun group!

I stayed at the hotel where the conference was held and had several interactions with the hotel staff while there:

  • I talked with two staff at the front desk during my stay; they each greeted me as I entered the lobby on two separate occasions, addressed my needs, proactively shared where the events were taking place in the hotel as I was checking in, engaged me in some pleasant chit-chat about the weather, etc. It was simple, pleasant, proactive, and done in personable way.
  • Since I arrived late in the day, I decided to order room service, and the room service person on the phone was upbeat, made recommendations to me in a confident manner in response to my questions, confirmed my order, and told me by when the meal would be delivered.
  • The room service delivery person delivered the meal a little early. He was professional in dress/demeanor, pleasant to chat with, patient with me, and closed positively.
  • As I entered the elevator from my floor to check-out, a housekeeper exited the elevator. She smiled, placed her hand on the side of the door to keep it open, and asked me to what floor I was going. She then pressed the button for me, smiled, thanked me, and moved on.

There was no individual “WOW” moment, but the high performing consistency made it a collective WOW experience!

Now, I never met the hotel manager; I’m not sure I ever even spoke with a supervisor-level individual. But I can tell they have a great manager. In the Moments of Truth with these five employees, every interaction was positive, was pleasant, was professional. Every interaction had a little that went beyond the basic expectations.

You don’t get that purely by being lucky. You develop efficient processes. You hire the right people, train them well, don’t overly script them, and motivate them to keep them happy and pleasant.

Sometimes you can identify great managers without ever seeing them.


A Flurry of Best Practices – 4/8/14 TOW

Posted on April 8, 2014 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment


In less than ten minutes, I saw a flurry of customer service best practices. They were all performed by someone named Linda, and here’s what happened…

I was at the Miami airport for the first time in years, not remembering much about how to get to ground transportation, let alone how to find the shuttle service the hotel recommended.

When I located the shuttle kiosk outside the terminal, I experienced and witnessed Linda – the dispatcher – weaving some wonderful customer service.

As she was helping a man and his young son when I walked up, she engaged me with a smile and asked where I was heading. She responded “Great! I’ll help you as soon as I’m done helping this gentleman.” Linda asked the father if she could give his son a piece of candy; the dad confirmed that was fine; she gave the boy a piece of wrapped candy, the child opened the wrapper, and he quickly dropped the candy on the ground.

“Please don’t eat it,” Linda said. “I don’t want you to eat that, and I don’t want you to be sad. Here’s another one.” She gave the child a new piece and picked up the one that dropped.

As she helped me, she confirmed the details, mentioned the price, and wrote it on my receipt along with the shuttle number. She told me the driver would take care of my luggage, told me it would be a five minute wait and a 25 minute drive, and completed the scheduling. She said that I could pay the driver, and she noted how his credit card machine would look. She set every expectation, and Linda twice updated me on my shuttle’s status – even though it was only a five minute wait.

While I waited, another shuttle drove up; she asked the driver where he’d been since she hadn’t seen him in a while – she was concerned about his health. As we were waiting, she engaged a policeman riding a Segway for chit-chat and did the same with a nearby Taxi dispatcher. She also had time to toss some bread on the ground for some small birds, and when she caught me watching her feed them, she smiled with a sheepish grin.

I was around her a total of 8-10 minutes, and in that short time it was clear that Linda was personable, proactive, pleasant, and professional. She managed my expectations, conveyed caring for co-workers and others, took personal interest in a small child, and was productive the entire time.

Sometimes a few minutes can result in a flurry of customer service best practices.

Let’s all learn some lessons from Linda.


« Previous   1 2 ... 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 ... 203 204   Next »