Customer Service Tip of the Week

Home  /  Uncover Silent Concerns – 8/5/25  /  Customer Service Tip of the Week

It’s Not “You,” It’s “I” - 9/8/26


During a business writing course that I took years ago, the instructor had us write an e-mail.  I can’t recall if it was written to a co-worker or customer, but after writing this e-mail, she had us count every “I” and “You.”  We talked about how we need to Read more

It Shouldn’t Make a Difference, But… - 9/1/26


We have this conversation with lots of our sports clients, but the principles apply across all different industries.  Too many service representatives view a conversation with a customer as a transaction.  Just get him off the phone as quickly as possible.  The customer is Joe Public, not Joseph Pendergrass.  Read more

Use What the Customer Gives You - 8/25/26


Scenario #1: The customer sent an e-mail to the general inbox at the company.  The message noted that the customer needed to get a family member added to their account, but they couldn’t tell from the website how to do so. The next morning an employee opened up the e-mail, Read more

How Better Customer Service is Better for You - 8/18/26


Oftentimes, we have employees in training or workshops who really want to understand what’s in it for them to deliver better customer service.  How does the employee benefit from a better customer experience? Noted below are 5 different aspects of a great experience desired by the customer.  What if... The customer Read more

Manage New Customer Expectations - 8/11/26


The fan had never been to a motorsports event before, but they had been to concerts.  They had been to big conferences.  At those other events, they could park right next to the venue, many of the activities were indoors, and weather was a non-issue.  So, they were not Read more

Complement Empathy with Action - 8/4/26


A man falls into a hole, and he can’t get out.  He starts yelling for help, and a doctor walks by and looks down the hole.  The man in the hole yells to the doctor “Please help me.  I’ve fallen into this hole!”  And the doctor takes out a Read more

My 8-Minute Visit at the DMV- 7/28/26


I needed to get a Real ID, which in North Carolina facilitates airline travel and other identity verifications.  My wife suggested I go to one particular DMV that was a LONG way away from home, but where she had experienced great customer service.  I was lucky to find an Read more

When They Might Walk Out the Door…Permanently- 7/21/26


Have you ever had one of those conversations with the customer where they literally tell you they’re about to stop doing business with your company?  This is it.  They may bring up a competitor or found another way to get their need met, or they are just leaving. When we Read more

Transparency in Customer Service- 7/14/26


We’ve worked with a lot of clients in the local government sector, and many of these clients have Customer Service Standards and/or corporate values that include Transparency. Think about an old-fashioned transparency sheet, that malleable see-through page you put on an overhead projector.  You can see everything on one side Read more

See the Customer’s Journey from Their Perspective- 7/7/26


That customer is face-to-face with you right now, and you are fielding their questions or delivering your service to them.  And oftentimes and understandably, we are so immersed in the moment that we don’t think about what came before or think enough about what comes next. But in the life Read more

•••••

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.

Signup for FREE Tips!    Contact Us    More Resources for You    Visit Our Home Page


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.

Signup for FREE Tips!    Contact Us    More Resources for You    Visit Our Home Page


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.

Signup for FREE Tips!    Contact Us    More Resources for You    Visit Our Home Page


« Previous   1 2 ... 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 ... 227 228   Next »