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Build Relationships with First-timers - 11/11/25


We’ve worked with one of our sports clients for over 10 years, and although the main focus of our work is research with their fan base, we also provide informal consulting advice and guidance whenever possible.  One approach we’ve talked about on and off for years is the need Read more

Last Impression Faux Pas - 11/4/25


Rightfully so, many customer service experts harp on the importance of the first impression.  It happens quickly, and it can impact the individual’s perception of you and the organization.  We even wrote a Tip of the Week on this years ago called First Impression Faux Pas. What many people tend Read more

Familying with Customers - 10/28/25


In our transactional society, it’s hard to think about customers in the long-term.  But if we want to be as successful as we can as an individual or as a business, we need to view customers through a relationship lens. What do we need to know about them to Read more

Avoid These Techniques - 10/21/25


We had a Customer Service Tip of the Week recently that addressed gaining control of the conversation.  One of the key points was that the focus should be on gaining control of conversations in various circumstances, but trying to avoid making it your goal to gain control of the Read more

View Quality through the Customer’s Eyes - 10/14/25


Geri had been dealing with backups in the downstairs plumbing system of her house on and off for the past year.  The most recent company that she called in to unclog the pipes stated that they could send a camera down the pipes and tell her exactly where the Read more

Be Supportive, Not Defensive - 10/7/25


[An employee on the phone with a customer…] Who told you that you didn’t have to submit that form? … Bob?  Oh brother!  You see Bob is our “special” co-worker.  He seems to always tell customers the wrong thing to do, and we’re having to clean up after him.  Read more

Some Customers LOVE Predictability - 9/30/25


I was facilitating focus groups of businesses that utilize local government services.  The phrase that popped up multiple times was “Time Is Money!”  What these municipal customers were conveying was that their time was valuable, and delays were wasting their time.  But the conversations were not just about how Read more

Find Your Special Sauce - 9/23/25


When I watch a football game and I see a great quarterback (somebody who may be considered a “Star”), he might be an excellent runner, have a big arm, be able to diagnose the defense and get his team into the right play.  But he’s likely not great at Read more

Gain Control of the Conversation - 9/16/25


The customer’s angry or upset or they have a complaint.  They’re very chatty or very wordy or they just want to talk to somebody.  You’re on a time crunch, and the customer obviously is not. There are times when you need to gain control of the conversation.  It’s important for Read more

Complement with a Compliment - 9/9/25


We perform many tasks for our customers every day, and when we’re done with a step in the process, oftentimes we will tell the customer what’s been done.  But if we want to create more of a WOW experience, if we want to make the customer feel a little Read more

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C.A.R.E. for Customers – 2/11/14 TOW

Posted on February 11, 2014 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment


In our analysis of customer satisfaction data for a client recently, we identified the survey attributes which had the strongest correlation to the customer’s feeling that the organization cared about them as an individual.

These “Care Perception Drivers” fit nicely into an acronym (C.A.R.E.), and we shared the analysis in a brief educational session with our client. Maybe these tips can help you, too:

  • C = Communicate before and after the transaction. The customers appreciated it when the employees engaged them upfront and proactively thanked them or addressed them in follow-up communications after the transaction. It’s not just about the task; it’s the start-to-finish experience.
  • A = Ask them about themselves and their situation. Customers perceived that the employees cared if they were inquisitive and sought to learn about what made that customer unique.
  • R = Relate on their level. The customer cares about the customer, so relate to them in a way they’re comfortable – with your tone and body language, tailoring your style to appeal more to them.
  • E = Educate them on how to have a great experience. Customers aren’t usually experts in your business – you’re the expert. So they appreciate tips or directions that can maximize their enjoyment.

When customers feel that you care, they’re more likely to come back to you, to be open to your suggestions, and even to cut you some slack when something goes wrong.

Ask yourself “Have I conveyed I C.A.R.E.?”


Fix Fast to Reduce Stress – 2/4/14 TOW

Posted on February 4, 2014 in Customer Service Tip of the Week 1 Comment


This tip is all about you. The vast majority of the advice we provide involves helping the customer, serving them better, or the benefits to the organization or the customer for creating a great experience.

For example, when we discuss service recovery – dealing with complaints or issues – we often talk about how quick resolution increases your chance for customer retention. We note that many customers feel better about the company when an issue is resolved quickly than if no issue had ever happened.

But when you think of service recovery and their impact on you, oftentimes you think of stress. When you’re on the phone or face-to-face with a griping customer, you may think “I’m dealing with an emotional customer” (or a raving lunatic, however you like to describe them). Your heart starts to pump, your temperature starts to rise; it’s not a situation that many of us find comfortable. It can create stress.

So when you’re considering how to deal with the situation, there is a benefit to you to resolve it quickly. A fast fix may reduce your stress. The longer the delay in identifying a solution, moving the customer to the next step, making that fix occur, the more time that you are dealing with the emotions, thinking, worrying.

On a more basic level, the longer it takes to deal with a complaint, the more likely you are to have to add items to a To Do list, to play phone tag with others, to send e-mails flying back and forth to co-worker and customer.

Please don’t misconstrue this advice to be to “give the customer whatever they want to get them off your back.” Instead, when faced with an opportunity to call the customer back the next day or take care of it while they’re on the phone, take care of it then. When given the options to resolve it over the next week or to begin the process now, begin. When you have a chance to get them in touch with your co-worker immediately or take their information and tell them someone will call them later in the week, handoff now.

Cut your stress by looking for the faster path to the fix.


Give the Customer a Plan B – 1/28/14 TOW

Posted on January 28, 2014 in Customer Service Tip of the Week 1 Comment


I was walking into my local bank branch a couple Saturdays ago to make a deposit. While I usually go through the drive-through, I didn’t have any deposit slips left, so I had to get some new ones at the bank. When I entered the lobby, I got the feeling of dread in my chest – 20 people in line ahead of me. I stopped, took a deep breath to calm the impatient side of me, and proceeded to the line to become customer #21.

After three minutes, I assessed the situation (3 tellers, 20 people in line, nobody had yet moved). I mentally calculated a wait time that would stretch into lunch if not dinner. And then I got an idea. I picked up a few deposit slips, and I left.

Sitting in the car, I filled out a slip, went to the drive-through (where there was NOBODY in line), and was on my way in less than 2 minutes.

At this point I realized that it would have been wonderful if an employee in the bank lobby had stated to the 21 of us in line “There’s no wait at the drive-through.”

The lesson learned? This is the 21st century. This is the era of an exorbitant number of customer service channels for most businesses (walk-in, phone, drive-through, self-service, web, e-mail, social media, etc.). And many customers who are in one channel are going to get very upset with a business because that method of obtaining service is slow, cumbersome, manual, or simply not a great customer experience.

The lesson learned is that businesses need to find ways to educate the customers on the other channels on an ongoing basis and real-time, so that the customer doesn’t feel trapped and doesn’t take out the bad experience on the company.

This involves having an ongoing Touch Point Plan with clients that includes periodic educational communications about the other channels, how to access them, and their benefits. This requires that companies know real-time what channels are performing like greased lightning and which ones are stuck in neutral. And this requires that employees get in the habit of “Educating Forward” – where they let customers know other channels available to them in case the preferred method of service is delayed or backlogged.

When it comes to providing a positive experience, sometimes the best path is the one that helps them avoid the bad experience. Give the customer a Plan B.


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