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When They Want the Supervisor - 1/27/26


Maybe you did your best with the customer, or maybe the customer didn’t even give you a chance.  They want to talk to your supervisor.  They see you, notice your title does not have “supervisor” or “manager” or “director” or “President and CEO” in it, so they want to Read more

Identify Your Point of Empathy - 1/20/26


I was watching a webinar recently on empathy.  The speaker mentioned that empathy - to a large extent - is something that you are born with.  It’s something that’s very difficult to learn.  And while I agree that some people are predisposed to being empathetic and understanding of others Read more

Pressure is a Privilege, but... - 1/13/26


When athletes are asked about the pressure of a playoff match or a late-game situation, many times they will say that “pressure is a privilege.”  In other words, usually pressure exists because you’re in a match that matters most.  It exists because you are a player put in a Read more

While I’ve Got You on the Phone… - 1/6/26


I’m a big planner.  Whether it’s strategic planning or planning out the year or planning my week first thing on a Monday morning, I like to plan.  I do this because it gets all of my action items documented and ensures that I have some understanding of what I Read more

Pass the Quick Impression Test - 12/30/25


Some studies have shown that people create an impression of you in less than a second when they first meet you face-to-face.  Other studies have shown that that initial impression can take up to 7 seconds.  Regardless, first impressions are quick.  First impressions are not always the lasting impression, Read more

2025 Holiday Poem - 12/23/25


We hear the word change And that change can be good, But we like things to stay same, And sometimes they should.   The weather can be wet And then dry as a bone. We know things will change, Even if all left alone.   Our customers change. Our co-workers do, too. It seems like our resources Are often too few.   The technology Read more

Make the Long Wait Feel Shorter - 12/16/25


When Greg entered the Tax Office, he was thinking only about two things: (1) How he was going to get the tax value on his home reduced, and (2) Whether the wait would be 1 hour or 2.  He checked in with the navigator who asked a few questions, Read more

When Kindness Means More in Customer Service - 12/9/25


Since a large part of the work we do at CSS includes customer research, we have seen tens of thousands of comments over the years about staff, and it is great to hear the positives that customers, fans, and account holders say about our clients’ team members. One word that Read more

Don’t Create the Second Complaint - 12/2/25


Maria was upset.  Rightfully so.  The product delivery was delayed, she couldn’t get anybody on the phone, and nobody would reply to her e-mails.  So, she went down to the store, and she found a customer service representative. After the initial greeting, the employee listened to Maria’s complaint.  While Maria Read more

Refresh on the Reasons to Appreciate the Customer - 11/25/25


This is a great time of year to give thanks, not just because it’s Thanksgiving week in the United States, but also because – with 2025 coming to a close - it gives us the opportunity to do some reflecting on the recent past. The idea of reflecting on reasons Read more

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How to Exceed the Promise – 10/10/23

Posted on October 10, 2023 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

It’s the never-ending battle between marketing and customer service.  Marketing makes promises, and customer service has to deal with upset customers when the company doesn’t deliver.  To ensure we deliver on promises, let’s assess promises by looking at some famous quotes over time…

Promises may get Friends, but ‘tis Performances that keep them. Thomas Fuller

Why you gained a customer is not necessarily why you will keep that customer. Typically, that carrot that leads the customer to your organization is not based on their personal experiences with your business. But their personal experiences are what determine whether they come back or not. 

Don’t ever promise more than you can deliver, but always deliver more than you promise.  Lou Holtz

Promises in business create expectations, so it’s better to under promise and over deliver. Remember, the difference between an expectation and reality is a problem when the expectation is greater than the reality.  Make the reality a little greater than the promise.

Let your yes be yes and your no be no.  James

Just like you need to be clear with the customer about what you can do, be clear with them about what you cannot Don’t give the customer the impression that you can hit a deadline when you probably cannot, that you can process a full refund when you probably cannot, that you can fix a problem exactly how they’ve defined the solution when you know you cannot.  Don’t create your own issues.

An ounce of performance is worth pounds of promises.  Mae West

The ultimate judgment of an organization is their performance. The lasting impression of an organization is much more likely to be based on the last impression or experience rather than the initial promise.

Deliver on promises by under promising at the start.  By looking for ways to deliver a little bit more.  By being clear when you cannot do something.  By understanding that performance is what makes the lasting impression.

Exceed the Promise.

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What “One in a Million” Means – 10/3/23

Posted on October 3, 2023 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

You are One in a Million!

That can mean a lot of different things to a lot of different people.  Depending on the tone in which it’s said, the phrase can be a compliment or a criticism.  If there are 8 billion people in the world, that means there might be 8,000 of you on this earth.

But regardless of how it’s intended, there is one core meaning:  You are unique.

We often talk about customers needing to be viewed as individuals, not as a number.  They need to be considered for what makes them and their situation unique.  But what makes an individual or the situation unique?

If Service Excellence requires that we treat each person as an important and valued individual, let’s talk about what makes that individual in front of you or on the phone with you, that person you’re e-mailing or texting…unique:

  • How long have they worked with your business?
  • How urgent is their need?
  • What is their emotional state?
  • What is their knowledge or experience level in working with your organization or in dealing with situations like this?
  • What is their demographic makeup?
  • Where are they from, and where are they going next?

 
If they’re coming to you about a prior experience:

  • When did their prior experience or issue occur?
  • Who was involved in that prior experience or issue?
  • What caused that prior experience or issue?
  • What is their ultimate goal moving forward?

 
Maybe the individual responses to these questions are not unique, but the sum of all these responses are usually quite unique.  Think of it this way – if you flip a coin, there are only two options, heads and tails.  What’s so unique about that?  But if you flip that coin 20 times, how many different combinations of heads and tails could you have? What do you know, it’s about a million!

To treat someone like one in a million, work to uncover what’s unique.

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Same Place, Different Experiences – 9/26/23

Posted on September 26, 2023 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Meredith was getting discharged from the clinic, when the nurse came in, gave her a packet of information including the discharge instructions, explained the next steps, and asked if Meredith had any questions.  Freida, across the hall, was told that she could leave when ready.  However, Freida had to ask if there were any discharge instructions since she hadn’t received any.

Meredith was going to the sporting event, and she was very excited!  Her account representative e-mailed her a week beforehand with instructions on parking options and other amenities/activities around and in the arena.  Freida showed up to the same sporting event.  She had no idea where to park, how much it would cost, or where to enter the arena.

Meredith happened by a new coffee shop, and she ordered a drink.  The employee showed her where the cream, milk, chocolate, and other items were that Meredith could add to her coffee.  The employee also told her about a loyalty program.  Freida went to that same coffee shop later in the day, got her coffee, and left.  She thought:  This tastes good but could have used a little more milk and a dash of mocha.

Both Meredith and Freida went to the same businesses on the same day.  Obviously, these businesses need to learn a lot about consistency, because they were all inconsistent in the experiences that their customers received.  In each case, Meredith had a better experience.  And the key differentiator was that the people serving Meredith were proactive.  They were anticipating next steps, and the result was a customer who was more comfortable, more confident, had a better experience, and even had a better cup of coffee!

Don’t wait for the customer to ask.  Stand out from the crowd by simply being more proactive.

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