customer experience | Customer Service Solutions, Inc. - Page 17

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

Highlight the Hidden Value - 7/1/25


Marketing campaigns often highlight a particular product and ALL the features and extras that the customer will receive… “For 3 low, low payments of only $39.99, you not only get these world-renowned chef knives, but you can also get this free laser-etched spatula!  AND THAT’S NOT ALL!  We will also Read more

Don’t Harp on the Customer’s Mistake - 6/24/25


Seth’s daughter, Sarah, had missed some swim classes, and Seth remembered that the aquatics center had several make-up classes available late in the summer.  So Seth pulled up the class schedule on his phone, found one that worked on his and Sarah’s schedules, and planned to attend a session Read more

Create Customers for Life - 6/17/25


Veronica has gone to the same automotive service shop for at least 20 years.  She bought a new car about a year ago, and this is the third car she’s brought to the shop instead of taking her car to the dealer where she bought it.  She’s had three Read more

Don’t Turn the Customer into the QA Department - 6/10/25


Roberta received a form with information filled in by the company after her conversation with the account rep.  Roberta just needed to review the information, fill in some of the blanks, sign it, and resend it in order to set up a new account. She noticed that the effective date Read more

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

Be Amazing – 4/23/24

Posted on in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Watching Michael Jordan steal a pass and then dunk a basketball is amazing.  Taking a rocket to the moon is amazing.  The taste of my mom’s homemade beef soup is amazing.

We all have our personal examples of what is amazing.  Usually, it’s something that we cannot comprehend, that we cannot do, or we just truly appreciate.  Unfortunately for me, I’m not amazing enough to steal and dunk a basketball in the NBA Finals, or to be an astronaut, or to be somebody who can replicate my mom’s cooking.

But fortunately, none of those skills or attributes are required for being great at customer service.  We can still amaze others in customer service.

To amaze is to do beyond what others expect or typically experience.  It’s to be different…in a good way.

So how can you be amazing in customer service?  Find your something better or your something different…in a good way, compared to others in customer service.  Find that thing you do or that way you do something that is beyond what others expect or experience.

When the customer walks up, most employees remain seated.  Stand up when the customer arrives.  Most employees will hop into their script when they get the phone call.  Instead, make your first couple questions about them as a person rather than about their account number.

Most employees never share their name in a conversation.  Start the conversation by introducing yourself.  Most employees try to figure out where the customer needs to be transferred or where they need to go next.  Instead, you could take them to the next stop, or you could help them navigate to the next step in the process.

Consider what most employees don’t do, what they are in a rush to do. Consider what information they leave out, what activity they try to avoid.  Then – to be amazing – do what other employees don’t do, what they don’t have the patience to do, sharing what information they leave out, doing the things that others try to avoid.

Be amazing by being helpful, patient, informative, and supportive.

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The Proven Value in What You Do – 4/9/24

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Forbes wrote an article last year based on a compilation of the results of research on customer service and the customer experience; it was titled:  100 Customer Experience Stats For 2023.

In reading the article, you’ll note that many of these key research findings are about you – the value you provide to the organization through the customer service and great experience you provide to others.  Here are a few examples:

  • 87% of customers actively avoid buying from brands they don’t trust. You help to build the customer’s trust of your organization.
  • 60% of leaders say customer service improves customer retention. You help to retain customers.
  • 64% of leaders say customer service has a positive impact on their company’s growth. You help your organization grow.
  • 81% of customers say a positive customer service experience increases the chances of them making another purchase. You’re helping to generate repeat business.
  • In 2022, only 3% of U.S. companies were customer-obsessed, a decrease of 7% from 2021. By caring about the customer, you’re helping your organization differentiate itself from others.
  • 39% of consumers have less patience today than they did before the pandemic. You’re dealing with impatient customers so your bosses won’t have to.
  • 86% of consumers say showing empathy is powerful in building a strong relationship with the brand. When you show empathy, you’re helping the company to engender loyalty.

 
There is true value in what you do, not just to the customer, but to your organization, as well.

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It’s Not About the 5-Minute Wait – 3/12/24

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Robert went into his supervisor’s office to update her on a situation at the payment desk.  Robert said that a customer was about fourth or fifth in line, waiting to be served, and the customer was complaining loudly about the wait.  He was there to make a property tax payment, had been standing there for 5 minutes, and the line had not hardly moved.

The supervisor, Janice, came out of her office, saw the customer, and listened to him from a distance for about 10 seconds. Janice turned to Robert and said:  It’s not about the 5-minute wait.

Robert and Janice walked up to the customer to speak with him, and they took the customer to the side, away from the rest of the group. They chatted with him about his situation, and Janice was right.

The customer had to be at work in 15 minutes, and he was a 15-minute drive from his job. He was going to be late.

His mapping app on his phone had directed him to the right building, but the parking spaces were full. So, he had to find another parking area – which was a block away.  That took five more minutes of driving and a 6-7 minute walk to get to the building.

The man lived 20 minutes from this building, so, he had left his home a long time ago to get to this location on time, to make his payment on time, and to get to his job on time.

He actually had to make the payment in person, because the County’s web payment portal was down, and the payment was due today.

Robert just assumed it was an impatient customer raising a ruckus.  Janice didn’t make any assumptions, and – after witnessing the customer from afar for a few seconds – she was pretty sure something else was going on.

When a customer is making a big deal about something that doesn’t seem so big, consider that maybe it’s not about the 5-minute wait.  Show a willingness to ask, listen, and learn.

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