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Gaining the Benefits of the Greeter- 6/30/26


Most likely, we’ve all entered some establishment – a retail store, restaurant, or service center - when there is a greeter at the door.  The most famous greeter position is probably the Walmart greeter.  I often thought that my father-in-law would have been a fantastic Walmart greeter, because he Read more

Seamlessness - Why the Customer Thanked You - 6/23/26


This doesn’t happen enough nowadays, but the employee received a long thank you e-mail from the customer.  A financial services account manager had taken care of the client during a period of time that was stressful for the customer. Life was unexpectedly changing quickly, and personal emotions, additional financial responsibilities, Read more

When to Avoid the Escalation - 6/16/26


The customer calls with a complaint, and the easy thing to do is to escalate it to your supervisor. That may also be the right thing to do, but how do you know when to avoid the escalation? Why You Would Escalate The first thing to consider is why you would Read more

Let’s be Clear on Clarity - 6/9/26


When trying to manage expectations, it’s vital to be clear with the customer.  But what specifically does it mean to be “clear?” Clarity is in the eyes and ears of the beholder, so what may be clear to one customer may be unclear to another.  However, there are some basic Read more

Allow Yourself to Solve a Couple Puzzles Every Day - 6/2/26


Frank had never been a dog owner before, and when he first got Bosco at the shelter, Frank didn't really know what he was doing.  He would try to be a good parent - feed the dog, play with it, take it on walks - but he was doing Read more

Improve with a Purpose - 5/26/26


If you’re reading these customer service tips, you likely want to get better.  You want an idea, a technique, a reinforcement, or a question that helps you improve. But why improve? At some point you may waver on the commitment to improve, because it can take effort, introspection, time, and change.  Read more

Reciprocate the Thanks - 5/19/26


Jasmine had a great experience with the company, and the company sent her a link to provide an online evaluation following the visit.  So, she clicked the link, gave a rating, and made a comment about her experience. The company monitored their online reviews, saw the positive response, and replied Read more

Don’t Skip the Recap - 5/12/26


The playoff hockey game goes on for almost 3 hours.  There’s non-stop action, with plenty of penalties and takeaways and hits against the boards…and a few goals, as well. You didn’t get to watch the whole game because you had other plans, but you wanted to know what happened.  So, Read more

Finalize the Solution with the 6 Step Checklist - 5/5/26


In last week’s Tip, we showed why and how to Use the 6 Step Checklist before Resolving the Issue.  We noted the importance of taking 15 seconds to mentally walk through the Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How to feel confident that you know what’s needed to fix Read more

Use the 6 Step Checklist before Resolving the Issue - 4/28/26


We talk about trying to resolve the issue right the first time, sharing the technique on how to manage the conversation to get clarity on the real issue, need, or goal, and confirming your understanding before moving forward. But what are you trying to clarify?  What are you trying to Read more

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Tell Them Why You’re Giving Thanks – 12/3/24

Posted on December 3, 2024 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Thank you! Merci! Danke! Doumo! Gracias!

It seems like every language has a translation of Thank You.  Even though I only fluently speak English and speak Spanish, un poco, I – and probably most of you – have heard some or all of the translations of “Thank You” noted above.  It’s a universal phrase throughout the world.

The phrase shows that we acknowledge what the other person did or didn’t do; it conveys appreciation for an individual, their attitude, their action.  It is something that is simple, but it typically leaves a positive impression and feeling with the other person.

And in the world of customer service, there are also many ways to say Thank You.  Customers appreciate the thanks.  Co-workers appreciate a Thank You, as well.  And a Thank You is especially appreciated when it’s coupled with sharing the reason for the thanks.

A Quick Story of Thanks

So, a thank you can be a wonderful thing; it can be a pivot point in someone’s day.  It can be something that provides mutual benefit.  Here’s a quick story…

I was recently going to an event downtown, and traffic was moving at a snail’s pace.  It seemed like the more drivers waited, the more impatient they got.  When I pulled into the parking deck and saw the attendant, I rolled down my window, greeted him, and asked how he’s doing.  He replied dryly:  It’s been a day.

He started to pull two tickets to give me that I would need to get out of the deck later that day.  I have parked in this location multiple times, and when you pay upon entry, they give you 2 tickets.  To exit, you scan the pink one first and the yellow one second.

So, as he was pulling tickets, I said with a smile:  Pink, then yellow, right?!

He replied with a smile:  You got it!

I paid the fee, and he said: Thanks! I appreciate your smile, especially today.

I replied:  I appreciate yours, too!

His was a thanks of appreciation, but it wasn’t just for the parking fee.  He specified that he appreciated the person.  He appreciated the smile, especially after probably dealing with 100 cars before me laden with frowns and grumpy customers.

When you give the routine Thank You, make it a little more meaningful, a little more special.

Tell them what you thank them for, and maybe you’ll start feeling a little better yourself.

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Acting on the Guiding Principles for Great Customer Service – 11/19/24

Posted on November 19, 2024 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

In last week’s tip, we shared 5 Guiding Principles for Great Customer Service.  This week, let’s address what “taking action” looks like on those key principles.  If last week was about what to do and WHY, this week is about the HOW.

Engage with Interest: To engage with interest, proactively start the conversation.  Take that monkey off the customer’s back to initiate the engagement.  Immediately be self-aware of your body language, like you’re looking in a mirror, and you’re checking yourself if you’re putting off any negative vibes.  Think about your tone of voice, ensuring that it has a bit of energy, has a positive flow.

Seek to Understand their Uniqueness: Be inquisitive, ask questions, understand them and their situation more specifically.  Clarify your understanding of anything that’s unclear, and make a confirming statement back to ensure you are stating your understanding of what they’ve just shared.

Figure Out How to Help: Identify solutions, identify alternatives when what they suggest just cannot happen, for whatever reason.  The more uniquely you understand their situation, the more you can put yourself in the position of being the solution provider.  Figure out how to help.

Take Action: Do what was promised, or if your co-worker needed to take the next step, make sure they did as was asked in a timely manner.

Convey that You Followed Through: Tell the customer what you did, or share what action was taken by your co-worker on behalf of the customer.  If appropriate and available, let the customer know the outcome.  If you’re making all these efforts to support the customer, ensure that they know that you followed through.

Turn Guiding Principles into a Great Experience.  Put principles into action.

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Guiding Principles for Great Customer Service – 11/12/24

Posted on November 12, 2024 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

It’s hard to know every procedure, every policy, every technique possible to handle every situation correctly.  After all, maybe our procedures are standard, but our customers are not.  Maybe our policies stay pretty consistent, but our customers’ needs and issues, their attitudes and actions can change from customer to customer…or minute to minute.

So, handling a customer situation well is as much about knowing what to do and WHY, as it is knowing HOW to do it.  Therefore, here are 5 Guiding Principles for delivering consistently solid customer service:

Engage with Interest

We need to show that we’re focused on the other person. That they are important. That they are not a number.  Show them that they are a priority.

Seek to Understand their Uniqueness

We don’t want them to perceive that we’re viewing them as anything other than a unique individual.  We must be inquisitive enough to understand what’s unique about them, what’s unique about their situation.  Our desire to understand helps us to convey empathy.

Figure Out How to Help

In most cases customers want us to help them resolve an issue, get a need met, get a question answered, address a certain goal.  Try to determine how to help them get to that next step, get to that solution.

Take Action

It’s not enough to engage somebody; we need to also take action on their behalf, or help them to take the needed action.

Convey that You Followed Through

If you and the customer discussed the next step, and you took action on their behalf, make sure they know you took that action.  If possible, make sure they know the outcome.  For many customers, there’s doubt in their mind until you confirm that you followed through.

These principles are about interest, information, solution, action, and follow-through.

Focus on the Guiding Principles for Great Customer Service: Engage with interest, Seek to understand their uniqueness, Figure out how to help, Take action, and Convey that you followed through.

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