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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

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Serving the Technology-challenged Customer – 6/9/20

Posted on June 9, 2020 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

The IT helpdesk representative was on a call with a customer, and in trying to troubleshoot an issue, the employee said, “Let’s start by opening Windows.” The customer said “OK,” and there were 2 minutes of silence. The employee twice asked, “Are you still there?” with no response. Finally, the customer got back on the phone and said, “Sorry about that; two of my windows were easy to open, but the third was painted shut.”

This is a true story, it came out of training we conducted almost 20 years ago, and in many ways it applies today, as well.

Not every customer grew up with technology, and not every customer loves or is naturally wired to work with technology. Especially in this age where so many are working remotely and we have a need to provide customer service remotely, we need to understand if the person we’re talking to is technology-challenged.

These people are as smart or smarter than any of us, but maybe they just have a different communication preference or a different background or a different level of experience and comfort with technology. To address these unique individuals, here are three key areas of focus.

Patience – First, it’s about our way of interacting with people. We need to be very patient and very empathetic/understanding, as well. A little bit of levity and laughter is always good when done appropriately. Keep in mind that we’re trying to create comfort with this person and reduce their anxiety, and the more patient and understanding we are in the words we say and the tone we use, the more comfortable they will become.

Phrases – Second, effective communication in these situations is based on understanding the importance of words. Even “windows” does not mean the same thing to everybody. Try to avoid the acronyms. Try to understand that simplicity is vital. Does “application” mean the same thing to everybody? What does it mean to “click on” something? Think about keeping things Short, Simple, and Summarized, so that they understand. And if you feel they don’t understand, ask them their understanding of what they see, should be seeing, or should be doing.

Process Steps – Third, don’t move through multiple steps quickly. Always end one step by confirming where they are before going on to step two. End each step with a clarification question if there’s any doubt about where they are at that point.

If we want to deliver great customer service, let’s tailor the process of delivering that customer service to the individual we are speaking with at the time.

Let’s provide great customer service in this technology world, particularly to the technology-challenged customer.

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The Deeper Reason to Transform the Customer Experience – 6/2/20

Posted on June 2, 2020 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Why are government offices putting up plexiglass between their staff and their customers?  Why is restaurant takeout being done in such a way that is contactless and yet still fosters engagement between the employee and customer?  Why have so many traditionally onsite businesses converted to delivery businesses?

The answer is obvious.  But I want to look at a different answer that is a little bit deeper.  Particularly as we are transitioning back into reopening many of our businesses, a lot of these changes are not changes in the product or service itself.  They are changes in how the product is delivered.  They are changes in the experience the customer has with the organization.  They are changes in how that experience looks and feels when the customer comes to our facilities and locations.

And we are making these changes not just to adhere to governmental regulations and not just to address new organizational policies.

We are making these changes so that our customers are comfortable and confident.  We want our customers, after experiencing this new way of doing business with us, to have confidence enough in our ability to deliver that product or service that they are willing to come back.

In other words, we’re doing this to create the comfort and confidence that leads to repeat business.

So, even though we are changing our operations to adhere to regulations and policies, start transitioning to a slightly higher-level set of questions.  When you are thinking of how to transform your customer experience, ask:  How can you make an experience that will create more comfort for the customer?  How can you create communications around the experience that make the customer more confident?

As you begin to make these changes, focus on the comfort and confidence that your customer will walk away with, and you will – in the end – focus on the things that are going to drive repeat business.

Design for customer comfort and confidence.

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Motivating Yourself when Working Remotely – 5/26/20

Posted on May 26, 2020 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

For any of us who are working remotely, we are finding ourselves more and more having to be self-motivated. And while many people are naturally self-motivated, others need to have that manager who gives us the encouragement. Many of us need to have that ongoing informal dialogue with co-workers and customers. Many of us need the energy we get from being in a busy place with lots of movement and activity all around us.

In the April 28, 2020 Tip of the Week, we alluded to the importance of motivating ourselves. But let’s dig a little bit deeper today.  Here are several things to consider if you need a little bit extra energy or motivation for your day…

Find Out What Motivates You

Before you can motivate yourself, you need to understand what is motivating to you. We’ve done activities with clients where we had each individual employee develop a Personal Mission Statement; basically this was describing their purpose in their job. It wasn’t just the tasks or activities that they do, but it was the greater good that comes from those tasks or activities for their community, their customers, their co-workers, or their company. You could go through an exercise of developing your own Personal Mission Statement, or you could simply write a list of your motivators. It could be future success – where a great day today means a great week, a great month, great year, a great career. Your motivator could be your family, it could be free time, and whatever it is, write it down and put it in front of you every day.

Give Yourself a Challenge

I have a friend who I volunteer with, and she is well into her 70s; yet, she is easily the most energetic person I know. She takes multiple leadership roles and works as hard or harder than any of the individuals within this organization. I asked her where she gets all her energy.  Her response?  She said that she gets up every day and simply challenges herself to get as much done as possible that day. She basically has a contest with herself to see how much she can accomplish.

Celebrate Even Small Wins

Remember that small wins are still wins. So celebrate! This might sound goofy, but it’s something I strongly believe. I was conducting a workshop for a client several years back, and we talked about the importance to an organization’s culture for employees to have a clear purpose in their role and to celebrate.  At the time, Aaron Rodgers, a quarterback for the Green Bay Packers football team, would celebrate when he or his teammates made a big play by pretending to put a championship belt around his waist. So, I asked people to celebrate an accomplishment during this workshop, and the way I asked them to do it was to put on the figurative belt.

Employee by employee stood up, said something that they accomplished over the last week or two – as little or as big as they could think of – and then they would give themselves “the belt.”  It was funny, it was interesting, and it addressed the importance of really recognizing what you do – not just doing it, but RECOGNIZING YOURSELF FOR YOUR OWN ACCOMPLISHMENTS.

In this world of working remotely, so much more of the motivation has to come from within. Figure out what motivates you, and find ways to become more self-motivated.

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