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Look for a Stop Sign - 2/3/26


As a customer service professional, what you say matters.  The information you’re providing is useful.  The direction you’re giving the other person is helpful.  But... As you’re speaking, you also need to be reading.  Reading the other person.  Watching the customer, determining whether and how they’re receiving what you’re sharing.  Read more

When They Want the Supervisor - 1/27/26


Maybe you did your best with the customer, or maybe the customer didn’t even give you a chance.  They want to talk to your supervisor.  They see you, notice your title does not have “supervisor” or “manager” or “director” or “President and CEO” in it, so they want to Read more

Identify Your Point of Empathy - 1/20/26


I was watching a webinar recently on empathy.  The speaker mentioned that empathy - to a large extent - is something that you are born with.  It’s something that’s very difficult to learn.  And while I agree that some people are predisposed to being empathetic and understanding of others Read more

Pressure is a Privilege, but... - 1/13/26


When athletes are asked about the pressure of a playoff match or a late-game situation, many times they will say that “pressure is a privilege.”  In other words, usually pressure exists because you’re in a match that matters most.  It exists because you are a player put in a Read more

While I’ve Got You on the Phone… - 1/6/26


I’m a big planner.  Whether it’s strategic planning or planning out the year or planning my week first thing on a Monday morning, I like to plan.  I do this because it gets all of my action items documented and ensures that I have some understanding of what I Read more

Pass the Quick Impression Test - 12/30/25


Some studies have shown that people create an impression of you in less than a second when they first meet you face-to-face.  Other studies have shown that that initial impression can take up to 7 seconds.  Regardless, first impressions are quick.  First impressions are not always the lasting impression, Read more

2025 Holiday Poem - 12/23/25


We hear the word change And that change can be good, But we like things to stay same, And sometimes they should.   The weather can be wet And then dry as a bone. We know things will change, Even if all left alone.   Our customers change. Our co-workers do, too. It seems like our resources Are often too few.   The technology Read more

Make the Long Wait Feel Shorter - 12/16/25


When Greg entered the Tax Office, he was thinking only about two things: (1) How he was going to get the tax value on his home reduced, and (2) Whether the wait would be 1 hour or 2.  He checked in with the navigator who asked a few questions, Read more

When Kindness Means More in Customer Service - 12/9/25


Since a large part of the work we do at CSS includes customer research, we have seen tens of thousands of comments over the years about staff, and it is great to hear the positives that customers, fans, and account holders say about our clients’ team members. One word that Read more

Don’t Create the Second Complaint - 12/2/25


Maria was upset.  Rightfully so.  The product delivery was delayed, she couldn’t get anybody on the phone, and nobody would reply to her e-mails.  So, she went down to the store, and she found a customer service representative. After the initial greeting, the employee listened to Maria’s complaint.  While Maria Read more

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When They Want the Supervisor – 1/27/26

Posted on January 27, 2026 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Maybe you did your best with the customer, or maybe the customer didn’t even give you a chance.  They want to talk to your supervisor.  They see you, notice your title does not have “supervisor” or “manager” or “director” or “President and CEO” in it, so they want to go up the ladder.

Different organizations have different protocols for handling these situations, and they often involve wanting you to handle this on your own – to do whatever you can to avoid the escalation.

But sometimes, despite your best efforts (or the customer just being obstinate), you have no choice.  Now let me throw in a wrinkle.  Your supervisor’s not available at that moment.  What do you do?

No Supervisor?  No Problem

First, explain the issue with the supervisor availability, offer some empathy with your not being able to give them the exact person they want to talk to at that moment.  But let them know you want to do the best you can to help them.

Second, if you haven’t done so already, clarify the rationale for the request.  What is their issue?  What is their goal?

Third, confirm your understanding of what they’ve shared.

Finally, share an alternative…or two!  Offer another party that they could speak with; offer to have the supervisor contact them back at a time when the customer is likely to be available.

Why Use this Process

This process helps you defuse the situation, which could get even worse once they realize the supervisor is not available.  You get the details you need to pass on to whomever is going to address this next.  You provide some empathy and understanding so that they know they’re being heard and that the information they’re giving you won’t have to be repeated to the person they talk to next. 

Then, by coming up with an alternative or two to consider, you’re actually putting the choice in their hands.  You’re giving them some control.  Yes, that can be risky, but you’re giving them control over a decision where you have provided options that you know are doable.

When they want the unavailable supervisor: Defuse, get details, empathize, and give them some control.

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Don’t Create the Second Complaint – 12/2/25

Posted on December 2, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Maria was upset.  Rightfully so.  The product delivery was delayed, she couldn’t get anybody on the phone, and nobody would reply to her e-mails.  So, she went down to the store, and she found a customer service representative.

After the initial greeting, the employee listened to Maria’s complaint.  While Maria told her story, the employee stood there…with a blank face.  There was some eye contact, but otherwise there was basically nothing.  No nodding.  No furrowing of the brow.  No outward signs of inward empathy.

Maria wasn’t getting any reaction, so she just kept talking, although she felt like she was talking to a brick wall.  Eventually Maria stopped, paused, and the employee asked to see her purchase receipt.

Maria’s frustration transitioned from the delayed product and the lack of responsiveness to the situation she was facing at this point – an employee who had not been trained on…how to engage someone who was upset…how to use her body language to convey a little empathy…how to note some understanding and communicate effectively.

Although Maria thought she went to the store solely to get some resolution to her issue, she soon realized what else she wanted.  She wanted to be heard.  She wanted to be understood.  She wanted somebody to convey that they cared.

When you’re dealing with a customer who is upset or frustrated, understand that – for most of them – it’s not just about the issue.  It’s about how they perceive your organization feels about them based on that negative experience.  The situation makes them think that the company doesn’t care, but how you engage them about the situation can convey that the company really does care.

Engage the person when you’re dealing with their issue.  Use your body language and expressions to show you care about them individually, even if the issue with their product or service may have given them the opposite impression.

Avoid giving them an additional reason to complain.

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

Posted on August 26, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

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 to them as they began using the services provided by Marco’s company.

All those communications, all that information set an expectation in the caller’s mind.  Now it was up to Marco to respond to the complaint, the comment, the momentary confusion of the customer.  That complaint, comment, confusion were the result of expectations set through all those communications, and expectations not met through the actual service delivered.

For Marco to best handle the situation, he had to know the content of the marketing collateral, the sales conversation, the website onboarding information, and the information e-mailed to new customers.

It’s hard enough dealing with somebody who’s angry or they’re upset, they’re confused or flummoxed, or they’re seeking clarification or confirmation of information. It’s doubly difficult if you don’t know what precipitated all of those emotions and questions.

Luckily, Marco was well-aware of the communications customers receive, and the company is good enough to provide information between the different divisions so everybody can stay aware of the freshest set of information that goes in front of customers.

While being great at customer service often requires us to be great in that Moment of Truth, sometimes the success of those conversations is based on what happens before that customer engagement.

It’s when individual staff like Marco take time during downtime (or they allocate a little bit of time every day) to make sure they understand what’s being communicated to customers and what kind of questions, concerns, complaints can be driven from that information, and how that information and the expectations it sets differ from reality.

To best meet customer expectations, study the information and communication tools that create customer expectations.

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