Customer Service Tip of the Week | Customer Service Solutions, Inc. - Page 85

Home  /  Meet on Equal and Even Ground – 7/21/20  /  Customer Service Tip of the Week

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

When Patience Begets Patience - 9/2/25


Jennifer, the server, walked toward the couple in the restaurant.  The customers had been seated for a minute or two, and they noticed the server was walking briskly toward their table.  Jennifer recognized the couple she was about to serve, because they had been in the previous week. Since the Read more

Address the Expectations that Were Set - 8/26/25


Before the caller ever got to Marco – the customer service representative, the customer had been working with the company for months.  They had read the marketing brochures, had a conversation with a sales rep, reviewed the new customer information on the website, and read all the information e-mailed Read more

When Technology Fails the Customer - 8/19/25


Technology is a wonderful thing…until it isn’t.  The website is down, the mobile app won’t work, the system keeps kicking them out of their account, or they received a spoofing phone call supposedly from your department. If you’ve ever been manning the phones or managing the department inbox, you know Read more

The Misunderstood Physician - 8/12/25


I was speaking with one of my personal physicians years ago, and when we were talking about my work – particularly customer satisfaction research - he started talking about online physician ratings.  He lamented that a few low ratings were dinging his overall score.  Then he shared that the Read more

Uncover Silent Concerns - 8/5/25


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 Read more

Talk Yourself Up to Take Down Their Anxiety - 7/29/25


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 Read more

Use Little Acts to Make a Big Impact - 7/22/25


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 Read more

Avoid Some Stress by Addressing Issues Quickly - 7/15/25


It’s good customer service to resolve issues quickly.  The customer sees the light at the end of the tunnel.  They more quickly bring their anxiety and stress, their negative emotions down.  And they more quickly get to a solution. But this tip is not about them.  This tip is about Read more

Better Customer Service through Better Teamwork - 7/8/25


We spend so much time talking about what great customer service looks like in those 1-on-1 Moments of Truth, that we often neglect to discuss what goes on inside the company that leads to those great moments.  We’ve talked about customer handoffs within an organization, but what does a Read more

•••••

Meet on Equal and Even Ground – 7/21/20

Posted on July 21, 2020 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

“To be of most service to my brother, I must meet him on the most equal and even ground.”  Henry David Thoreau wrote this in 1841, and it applies almost 180 years later in customer service.

We often talk about empathy, and empathy relates to an employee having an understanding of the customer – where they’re at and what their situation is at that time.  Thoreau is referencing the same thing.  For us to be of service to others, we need to try to get on equal ground, even ground.

Where is this other person at this moment?  Is the customer in an emotional state?  Are they upset or angry or anxious?  What did they do to get to this point where they are in front of us or on the phone with us or sending us the e-mail or text?  The answers to these questions provide the “ground.”  We create a common understanding of their current footing and how they got to this place.

But for us to best serve, we must also be equal.  How can we turn that understanding of their ground into creating a position of equality?  We have to think about how we’re speaking to that person.  We have to think about the words that we use based on their situation.  We have to consider how well we listen and how well we portray that we’re listening.  We have to use some of their words when responding in dialogue to them.  We need to reflect their tone or at least a slightly softer tone when they are loud.

To be of best service to someone, understand where they are and how they got there, then consciously try to reflect them.

To best serve others, meet on equal and even ground.

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


When Customers are…Jerks – 7/14/20

Posted on July 14, 2020 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Some people are a little extra…uh…difficult to deal with these days. Customers may have concerns or complaints – many of which are justified. But some customers act like…well…jerks. They’re not kind or understanding or have any idea how poorly they treat others. They’re obnoxious and yet, we still have to serve them.

So when you’re engaged with a customer and the phrase (“What a jerk!”) pops into your mind, let that acronym – J.E.R.K. – help you deal with them:

  • Just calm yourself down. Don’t match emotion for emotion – that will just raise the tension and lengthen the encounter. Remember their negativity is not about you – even if they’re directing it AT you. Use the techniques that work best for you for calming your mind and your pulse.
  • Empathize with them. Empathy always is a key ingredient in reducing emotion, because it takes away the sense that they’re in a fight. It makes them feel that – while you may not be “for” them – at least you’re not against them. Show that you understand their situation even if you don’t agree with their point.
  • Redirect toward a solution. The longer you’re mired in a talk about who’s to blame or what went wrong, the longer it can take to get it right. Yes, let them speak their peace, but segue to discussions of next steps, what you or they can do, what it would take to get it right.
  • Know your Plan B. Who do you go to or bring in when “JER” doesn’t work – a supervisor, security? What compensation can you offer – the remuneration tools the company provides or the alternatives that you can suggest? Can you take down the information and call them back at a specified time? Know what Plan B’s are available for you in these types of situations.

 

Do your best to do what’s best…when the customer is being a J.E.R.K.

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


Customers Appreciate Your Kindness – 7/7/20

Posted on July 7, 2020 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

The 3rd grade teacher had a phrase she used with her students. She wanted them to be “kind-hearted.” It was a phrase she used over and over again; no matter what she taught, this was an overriding emphasis on how she would communicate with students and how she expected them to communicate with each other.

Yet, in 2020, it seems like a lot of the dialogue, at least publicly, is anything but kind. And where there is a lack of kindness in public discourse, kindness in 1-on-1 communications is needed that much more. Sometimes people in customer service can be so script-oriented, so ultra-professional, so technique-oriented, that having a little bit of informality – that little extra kindness needed to treat a person like a person – can get lost.

So, what is kindness? It’s being friendly, conversational. It’s being nice in the words and phrases that are used. To be nice, think about what is said and the tone that is used. Avoid the interruption or talking over the other person. Ask about the other person and how they are doing, what is of interest to them.

It’s being considerate of the other person’s time and situation. Their concern or priority may not seem like a big deal to you, but if this is a need or concern being voiced by the customer, it is obviously a big deal to them.

Have a gentle manner. Sometimes we can be so loud or so abrupt that even the best words can come across like a hammer. Keep the tone lower and the pace a tiny bit slower.

People who are kind understand how to listen, and the importance of making sure that most of the talking is done by the other individual. They understand that being perceived as empathetic is best achieved if the customer feels like you are listening enough to understand them. You’re asking enough questions to learn. You’re actually conveying you care more by commenting less.

If you’re looking for a way to bring a little brighter experience to your customer’s day, figure out how to add more kindness to your conversations. The customers will appreciate the break from the acrimony of their day with the kindness you bring into the conversation.

Customers will appreciate your kindness.

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


« Previous   1 2 ... 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 ... 210 211   Next »