Customer Service Tip of the Week | Customer Service Solutions, Inc. - Page 198

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Highlight the Hidden Value - 7/1/25


Marketing campaigns often highlight a particular product and ALL the features and extras that the customer will receive… “For 3 low, low payments of only $39.99, you not only get these world-renowned chef knives, but you can also get this free laser-etched spatula!  AND THAT’S NOT ALL!  We will also Read more

Don’t Harp on the Customer’s Mistake - 6/24/25


Seth’s daughter, Sarah, had missed some swim classes, and Seth remembered that the aquatics center had several make-up classes available late in the summer.  So Seth pulled up the class schedule on his phone, found one that worked on his and Sarah’s schedules, and planned to attend a session Read more

Create Customers for Life - 6/17/25


Veronica has gone to the same automotive service shop for at least 20 years.  She bought a new car about a year ago, and this is the third car she’s brought to the shop instead of taking her car to the dealer where she bought it.  She’s had three Read more

Don’t Turn the Customer into the QA Department - 6/10/25


Roberta received a form with information filled in by the company after her conversation with the account rep.  Roberta just needed to review the information, fill in some of the blanks, sign it, and resend it in order to set up a new account. She noticed that the effective date Read more

Imitate to Improve - 6/3/25


Oscar Wilde said that “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”  Now this doesn’t mean that plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery.  Nor does it mean that great impersonators such as Rich Little, Dana Carvey, or Frank Caliendo are always offering flattering portrayals of those that they imitate. Wilde’s Read more

How the Customer Perceives a Truth as a Lie - 5/27/25


You’re the customer, you’re asking about an unused item that you’re returning, and you hear the employee say: “The refund process takes 7-10 days.”  You’re thinking: “Great!  I can get the refund check as early as a week from today!”  The reality is that the company means that they’ll Read more

Tell Customers What’s Next - 5/20/25


In most businesses that have been around for a while, how a process was originally designed is not how it currently operates.  Sometimes this change is referred to as “practical drift,” where the actual process moves further and further away from the documented steps over time.  Maybe the changes Read more

Questions to Guide You to Empathy - 5/13/25


“If I was him, I would do ABC…” If you’ve ever heard somebody say this - whether it’s a friend or acquaintance, whether it’s some TV reporter or podcaster - you may get as frustrated or as annoyed as I do. I get annoyed because we are not that other person. Read more

Negate the Nervousness - 5/6/25


The customer needed a loan, so he walked into the bank, but he was a little nervous.  He knew that launching his business would be easier if he had some working capital, but that’s about all he knew.  He was anxious because he didn’t know what to expect in Read more

Don’t Rush to Resolve Quickly - 4/29/25


The customer is angry, so you use the CSS LEAD technique as designed.  You, listen, empathize, accept responsibility, and deliver on a remedy.  But it doesn’t work.  The customer is still upset, and maybe even a little more frustrated than when you started…why?! If the use of this technique fails, Read more

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Make Your Team’s STARS Align – 11/12/13 TOW

Posted on November 12, 2013 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

We often talk about individual skills, principles, and philosophies that make an individual GREAT at customer service – we even wrote a book on it! But so much of customer service requires that we’re a great teammate to others, working together for the good of the customer and the company.

With that in mind, to be a great teammate, make sure your S.T.A.R.S. align:

  • Speed – Be responsive to teammates’ requests, voice mails, e-mails, issues. Be quick to them so they can be quick with their customers.
  • Take Ownership – If an issue or request comes to you from a customer, vendor, or other department, accept the responsibility of behalf of your teammate. Act on the need instead of telling the customer to look elsewhere for support.
  • Attitude – Realize that those same customer service attributes we promote with clients need to be used with teammates – be positive, open, and focused on what CAN be done.
  • Respect – Understand that your teammates’ responsibilities, their time, and their goals are important, too. Respect them with body language and tone, and respect what they do with your quality, responsiveness, and completeness.
  • Support – Be willing to jump in and help a teammate in need, willing to complete a project or take a handoff of a customer. In teamwork, it’s about the “we” more than the “me.”

 

To be GREAT at customer service, work hard to be a great teammate to others.


You are the Superhero – 11/5/13 TOW

Posted on November 5, 2013 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

When I was growing up, there were so many great Superheroes I would read about in comic books or watch on TV. Superman was invincible (despite the occasional bout with kryptonite). Spiderman was a real person – a photographer – who just had this amazing power (and a cool outfit) that allowed him to almost fly through the city and catch villains in his web.

And then there was the greatest Superhero of all – Hong Kong Phooey. Okay, maybe the dog who knew kung fu wasn’t exactly a classic Superhero.

But one thing almost all Superheroes had in common was a tag line, or a motto, or some phrase that – when you heard it – made you think of him or her:

Leap tall buildings in a single bound…spins a web, any size, catches thieves, just like flies…

When I think of Superheroes in the business world, I envision those who help others, who treat others with respect. I think of those who go above and beyond the basics to make a co-worker or customer feel special. I think of people like you – people who do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do. People who don’t just answer a question, but they look to find the solution. People who are amazing problem-solvers, you-first individuals who make their businesses more successful, their customers happier, and their co-workers more enriched because they are doing their thing.

So you may not literally leap tall buildings, but you address big complaints. You might not spin a web, but you can talk with the best of them. You may not catch thieves, but you get at the root causes of issues. And you might not get all the accolades of a Superhero, but you have some of the same great long-term impact.

Great customer service people should be proud of what they do. They’re the Superheroes of business.


More Confident Customers are Less Nervous – 10/29/13 TOW

Posted on October 29, 2013 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment


It was just going to be a minor procedure, but Damon was still nervous. He had a hard time concentrating on what he was reading in the waiting room, and the minutes of wait seemed interminable. When the nurse came to the waiting room to bring Damon back to get prepped, his anxiety levels slowly began to fall. The nurse smiled and introduced herself and asked how he was doing. As they walked, Damon was asked several questions, with the nurse confirming his situation and the procedure that was going to take place.

She conveyed her knowledge of his details in those confirming questions, and then told Damon a little about herself, the doctor, and their experience in performing the procedure. She noted how many patients they had cared for in similar situations, and how the patients often remarked about how surprisingly good they felt right after the procedure.

The nurse then asked Damon what his understanding was of how long it would take and what the post-procedure recovery would entail. After Damon explained his understanding, the nurse used his words and his explanation and transitioned to a discussion of the process, the steps, and the timeframes.

Through this 1-on-1, personalized discussion, several things happened. He had formed a personal rapport with the nurse. He felt confident in the nurse, doctor, and the organization. Damon had a clear picture of what was to happen and how long it would take. He felt like he could ask any question and get a specific answer. He was more confident and less anxious.

Soon thereafter, it was time for the procedure. The doctor walked in wearing a surgical mask and carrying. . .a chainsaw (just kidding – it is Halloween week after all!).

Address nervousness and anxiety with confidence-building communications.

 


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