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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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Consider Lack v. Lag – 9/8/15 TOW

Posted on September 8, 2015 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment


The assumption that we can make about an organization when we hear that there are “communication issues” is that there is a lack of communication. Management did not tell staff about changes. Certain departments are not communicating with other departments about what’s going on with customers. Co-workers are not communicating with each other about basic scheduling or day-to-day operational points.

And while the assumption that communication issues relate to a lack of communication is usually true, in many organizations the bigger issue with communications is the lag in communications.

The staff find out about policy or procedural changes, but the time they find out is when they’re given notice that they need to implement those changes. Without input into the decision to make the change or how the change would be implemented, and without knowing why the change is instituted, the employees are left with the responsibility of implementing something in a very short period of time without the benefit of planning it into their work schedule.

Sometimes the marketing department is rolling out some new messaging to their clients and prospective clients, and they share that information with the customer service area. But unfortunately they share that with the customer service area at the same time that they launch the messaging to the customers directly.

Employees schedule days off weeks in advance, or they take breaks. Although they do tell their co-worker, sometimes they tell them that they’re going to be off on Friday when it’s Thursday evening. Sometimes they mention that they’re taking a break as they are walking out the door.

The point is that it’s not only important to communicate, but it’s also important to think about the timeliness of communication and the impact of the timeliness on others. When you’re evaluating whether or not to share information with others, strongly also consider how soon you can convey that information.

Bring co-workers into the loop earlier to eliminate the lag in communications.

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