Customer Service Tip of the Week | Customer Service Solutions, Inc. - Page 2

Listen with Your Eyes - 1/28/25


Out of the corner of his eye, Patrick saw the customer enter the lobby.  The customer was carrying a large shoulder bag with several papers in her hand.  The customer was shuffling the papers and looking down; then she stopped, looked up, and saw the staff navigator sitting at Read more

When You’re the Educator, What Should You Teach? - 1/21/25


The best customer service professionals are also excellent educators.  Not only within the organization, but I’m talking specifically about the role they play as educator with their customers.  With all the self-service options that technology provides, customers often have the opportunity to do things on their own, to investigate Read more

Wrap It Up Right: Why Follow-Up Communications WOW Customers - 1/14/25


Dena had some questions about her water bill, so she looked for answers on the utility’s website.  She didn’t find specific answers, and she really didn’t want to get on the phone with somebody at the time and risk staying on hold.  She had lots going on, but she Read more

From Conversation to Connection: Defining Customer Engagement - 1/7/25


Maggie was sitting in the Service Excellence Training class, and the instructor kept talking about staying engaged with the customer.  Proactively engaging the customer.  Being fully engaged in the conversation. After hearing this same phrase (“engage”) used in various ways, Maggie raised her hand and asked a question probably several Read more

Self-empower for the New Year - 12/31/24


Jeff joined the company, in part, because he loved their approach to culture.  Leadership tried to create an empowerment culture.  They tried to develop an environment where, within certain parameters, individual team members could make a decision and feel confident that they would be supported by leadership. The reality was Read more

2024 Holiday Poem - 12/24/24


I sometimes hear it said That things have never been like this before. That challenges are unique, That stresses seem like more.   I sometimes hear it said That we're asked to do much more with less. That workloads are increasing, And we're resource-constrained at best.   And others often say That things are really very good. That they enjoy those Read more

Is Their Poor Planning Your Emergency? - 12/17/24


Have you ever heard the saying:  Your poor planning is not my emergency. I’ve heard it said often – not necessarily directly from one person to another.  More typical is that I hear it from the person having to drop everything and do something immediately because someone else didn’t think Read more

Empathy Examples for Everyday Situations - 12/10/24


I’ve often said that empathy is the single most important characteristic of people who are great at customer service.  If empathy is essentially “to understand the other person,” it helps so much to have that ability in order to specifically help someone.  To talk to what’s unique about them.  Read more

Tell Them Why You’re Giving Thanks - 12/3/24


Thank you! Merci! Danke! Doumo! Gracias! It seems like every language has a translation of Thank You.  Even though I only fluently speak English and speak Spanish, un poco, I – and probably most of you – have heard some or all of the translations of "Thank You” noted above.  Read more

Refine Your Decision-making Process - 11/26/24


Every day, you make decisions of what to do and what not to do.  And in the world of customer service, often the affected parties are our customers, our co-workers, and our company.  Here are a few quotes to consider when you’re thinking about evaluating and refining your decision-making Read more

From Conversation to Connection: Defining Customer Engagement – 1/7/25

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Maggie was sitting in the Service Excellence Training class, and the instructor kept talking about staying engaged with the customer.  Proactively engaging the customer.  Being fully engaged in the conversation.

After hearing this same phrase (“engage”) used in various ways, Maggie raised her hand and asked a question probably several people in the class also had:  What does it mean to engage the customer?

The instructor said: That’s a great question!  Let’s think about engagement from two perspectives…

First, it’s the mindset and the attitude you take into these conversations.  If you are being engaged, you have a desire to help the other person.  You find a way to care for them in their situation.  You’re constantly trying to think of how to help them, how to understand them better.  Your attitude is that that other individual is the most important person in the world to you at that moment.

That’s an engaged attitude.  You are focused, concerned, and have the appropriate level of energy and enthusiasm FOR the other person.

The second perspective is about your action.  Literally, how do you engage the other person?   You take that desire to understand them, and you apply it by tapping into your own curiosity, by asking questions.

You apply that information they provided by using their name, restating their situation, their goals, their perceptions and preferences.

You act engaged by starting the conversation with them.  You take engagement seriously by seeking solutions, often on the spot.  By offering tips.  By sharing your knowledge with the purpose of not only helping to address their need but by also helping them to become more knowledgeable.  And you convey that you stay engaged by initiating follow-up, and by following through on what you promised.

View the other person as important, as interesting.  Then be proactive, personalize, tap into your own curiosity, and take action to engage the customer.

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Self-empower for the New Year – 12/31/24

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Jeff joined the company, in part, because he loved their approach to culture.  Leadership tried to create an empowerment culture.  They tried to develop an environment where, within certain parameters, individual team members could make a decision and feel confident that they would be supported by leadership.

The reality was like the portrait they had portrayed for him when he was interviewing.  He really liked his job, liked the leadership, and enjoyed working at the company.  He felt like a part of a culture that aligned to his values.

As time went on over his first two years, the culture was still good, but the organizational performance started to drop.  Sales began to decline as operating expenses increased.  Profit was pinched.  And all of a sudden, leadership started to turn over.

Who knew how long Jeff would stay at the job?  It was obvious that the culture was changing with or without him.

But Jeff loved being empowered.  So eventually he asked himself the question: How can I empower myself?

He did the following for himself:

Set Goals: He identified what he wanted to achieve, what performance levels he wanted to reach, and he identified actions needed to get from here to there.

Learned New Skills: He taught himself some new skills, learning some of the technology better, becoming proficient at the use of AI and PowerBI, becoming the resident expert in the customer information system.

Understood His Strengths and Weaknesses: He reflected on what he did well and what aptitudes or characteristics of attitudes were somewhat lacking. He asked others to give him a quick 50/50 evaluation: Where do I excel, and where don’t I?  He used this understanding to figure out how to get better.

Found His Work Joy: He identified what he liked most, still, about the company.  He loved going to the common area to socialize briefly with others.  There were certain staff whom he enjoyed chatting with about fishing and football.  He enjoyed leading project teams, and he sought out opportunities to do so.

The culture was changing, and not for the better.  But that didn’t mean that he needed to change not for the better.  He could stay stagnant, or he could grow.  Jeff decided to self-empower.

Map out your own plan to Self-empower for the New Year.

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2024 Holiday Poem – 12/24/24

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I sometimes hear it said

That things have never been like this before.

That challenges are unique,

That stresses seem like more.

 

I sometimes hear it said

That we’re asked to do much more with less.

That workloads are increasing,

And we’re resource-constrained at best.

 

And others often say

That things are really very good.

That they enjoy those they work with,

And they appreciate those they serve.

 

Yes, others often walk around

With a smile on their face,

that comes from their within.

That brightens up the place.

 

You see, all these things, both bad and good,

Can be true at the same time.

Things can be challenging, and we feel overloaded;

We enjoy others and feel good inside.

 

It’s amazing how much the external world

Surrounds our every day.

If we let it, it can affect us

In every imaginable way.

 

But the key is “if we let it,”

The key is our control.

Instead of external driving internal feelings,

The internal drives it all.

 

My wish for you as we end this year

Is to find peace and joy and light.

To be full of hope on the inside,

To keep positives in sight.

 

My appreciation for you, as always,

Is of the utmost, as I sit and reflect.

For you who serve your customers,

Deserve big courtesy and respect.

 

Happy Holidays!

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