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Imitate to Improve - 6/3/25


Oscar Wilde said that “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”  Now this doesn’t mean that plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery.  Nor does it mean that great impersonators such as Rich Little, Dana Carvey, or Frank Caliendo are always offering flattering portrayals of those that they imitate. Wilde’s Read more

How the Customer Perceives a Truth as a Lie - 5/27/25


You’re the customer, you’re asking about an unused item that you’re returning, and you hear the employee say: “The refund process takes 7-10 days.”  You’re thinking: “Great!  I can get the refund check as early as a week from today!”  The reality is that the company means that they’ll Read more

Tell Customers What’s Next - 5/20/25


In most businesses that have been around for a while, how a process was originally designed is not how it currently operates.  Sometimes this change is referred to as “practical drift,” where the actual process moves further and further away from the documented steps over time.  Maybe the changes Read more

Questions to Guide You to Empathy - 5/13/25


“If I was him, I would do ABC…” If you’ve ever heard somebody say this - whether it’s a friend or acquaintance, whether it’s some TV reporter or podcaster - you may get as frustrated or as annoyed as I do. I get annoyed because we are not that other person. Read more

Negate the Nervousness - 5/6/25


The customer needed a loan, so he walked into the bank, but he was a little nervous.  He knew that launching his business would be easier if he had some working capital, but that’s about all he knew.  He was anxious because he didn’t know what to expect in Read more

Don’t Rush to Resolve Quickly - 4/29/25


The customer is angry, so you use the CSS LEAD technique as designed.  You, listen, empathize, accept responsibility, and deliver on a remedy.  But it doesn’t work.  The customer is still upset, and maybe even a little more frustrated than when you started…why?! If the use of this technique fails, Read more

Energy v. Apathy - 4/22/25


I asked a couple friends who are much more scientifically-oriented the question: What is energy?  I didn’t mean E=MC2.  I meant physiologically, what is energy? They described a lot of things that sounded really good, yet far too advanced for my non-medical mind. Part of the reason why energy is of Read more

Prep Enough to Personalize - 4/15/25


Everybody loves Howie.  He is an account rep for the local air conditioning and heating company.  When I say Everybody loves Howie, I’m definitely talking about the customers.  His co-workers love him too, but customers are especially fond of him.  They seem to really enjoy their conversations with him, Read more

Get Your Customers to Brag, Not Bolt - 4/8/25


Here are two customer retention concepts that we discuss with some sports clients: BIRG and CORF.  BIRG is Basking In Reflected Glory.  CORF is Cutting Off Reflected Failure. You want BIRG.  You want the customers feeling so good about your organization that they want to be a part of your Read more

Narrow Your Focus to Seek Excellence - 4/1/25


You’ve probably heard companies use phrases such as: “We want to go from being good to great.”  Maybe they’ve said: “We strive for perfection, and although we’ll never reach perfection, maybe we can achieve excellence along the way.” These organizations find some kind of a catch phrase or slogan, but Read more

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Don’t Rush to Resolve Quickly – 4/29/25

Posted on April 29, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

The customer is angry, so you use the CSS LEAD technique as designed.  You, listen, empathize, accept responsibility, and deliver on a remedy.  But it doesn’t work.  The customer is still upset, and maybe even a little more frustrated than when you started…why?!

If the use of this technique fails, the biggest reason is usually that the employee wanted to get out of the conversation FAST.  The employee is uncomfortable in these situations, and they don’t like to deal with the irate customers, so they try to quickly remove themselves from the situation.  And the employee usually – sincerely – believes that quick resolution is what the customer wants, so quick resolution means a fast conversation, right?

Not necessarily. The employee has to be patient to get a quick resolution.

Whether the employee is trying to extricate themselves from the conversation or help the customer get that quick resolution, the most frequent drawback in taking those perspectives is that they try to navigate the conversation too fast.  The employee talks fast.  They don’t give the customer enough time to vent.  They quickly go to a solution without learning the facts.  They interrupt the customer.  They say “I’m sorry” so early on and so quickly that the sincerity is lost.  The employee tries to end the conversation before the customer’s emotions start to calm down.  The employee takes control with speed rather than taking control with well-worded questions.

Quick resolution is a clear goal of most customers, but the best way to get there involves listening, empathizing, and being patient enough to ask the right questions so you can present the right solution.  Speeding to an end rarely ends well.

Don’t Rush to Resolve Quickly.

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Energy v. Apathy – 4/22/25

Posted on April 22, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

I asked a couple friends who are much more scientifically-oriented the question: What is energy?  I didn’t mean E=MC2.  I meant physiologically, what is energy?

They described a lot of things that sounded really good, yet far too advanced for my non-medical mind.

Part of the reason why energy is of interest is…well…I always wish I had a little bit more.  But as it relates to customer service, energy is of interest to discuss because it’s generally a good thing.  Especially as an employee interacting with a customer, energy can convey interest.  Energy can convey action.  Energy can convey the willingness to do what is needed.

Apathy is the last thing you want to present to a customer.  It conveys that you don’t care, you’re focused on something else, that they don’t really matter.

So how do you convey more energy than apathy?

People who convey energy typically are doing some customer engagement with their eyes, with their body language.  There is a focus on the other person; you’re looking at the information they’re handing to you; you’re only briefly looking at the computer to access something for the customer before shifting your focus back to the customer.  Energy is having inflection in the voice instead of the verbal flat line.  It is nodding and giving the thumbs up v. being motionless, and having a blank stare.

When you’re in front of the customer, think about conveying a little bit of energy, a little bit of positivity. Because lack of that physical engagement – lack of movement – often suggests a lack of caring.  It suggests apathy.

Show the customer that you are engaged and that you care.  Convey energy over apathy.

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Get Your Customers to Brag, Not Bolt – 4/8/25

Posted on April 8, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Here are two customer retention concepts that we discuss with some sports clients: BIRG and CORF.  BIRG is Basking In Reflected Glory.  CORF is Cutting Off Reflected Failure.

You want BIRG.  You want the customers feeling so good about your organization that they want to be a part of your organization, they want to let others know they’re a customer of your business.

You don’t want CORF.  This is where it’s the “in thing” to talk negatively about an organization.  Customers go out of their way to say they’re not affiliated with or not a customer of an organization.

So, how could any one of us as an individual help to create BIRG – that positivity about our organization in the customer’s mind?  Obviously, every encounter, every communication, every Moment of Truth is an opportunity to create BIRG.  But there are also opportunities to create these positive feelings from your customers in what you say about your company.

Talk positively about what the company has now: You could describe the great website that has all of this excellent information or enables the customer to get their needs met on their own.

Talk positively about the company’s future: You could use an important communication vehicle from our sports clients – communicating the “Direction of the Team.”  This is where you talk about the company’s vision.  You could mention the expansion plans, the community initiatives they have underway, renovations that will take place, or new products and services on the horizon.

Talk about the customer’s role in the company’s success: State “When you, Mr. Customer, do ABC like you did, that really helps us out.  We are here to serve our customers, so thanks for the opportunity to do so.  Our company would not be nearly as successful if it wasn’t for great clients such as yourself.”

Talk about your feelings working for the company: Mention that you’ve worked there for 10 years because it’s a company with good values.  You enjoy working there, and it’s amazing how the company gives you the training and tools you need to do a good job. You could mention how it’s great to work for a company who listens to your ideas and is always trying to get better.

If we want our customers feeling good about our companies, think about what you can do to talk positively about your company’s present, its plans for the future, the customer’s role in its success, and what you like best about working there.

Build up the BIRG.

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