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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

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

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Be Kind to Yourself When the Customer Isn’t – 9/13/22

Posted on September 13, 2022 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

I was having a debrief call with one of my clients recently, and this was regarding a survey of employees who work events.  One of the survey questions asked employees for advice on how to improve the customer experience.  When the employees shared their input on the guest experience, comments were often worded like this:

“The customers seemed to have a good time at the event, but they were griping and complaining when they arrived because of the parking issues.”

“They enjoyed the event, but a lot of fans had difficulty with mobile ticketing and couldn’t see the screens because of the bright sun.”

“They enjoyed the entertainment, but many complained about the heat and lack of shade.”

“Overall, customers had a good time, but the guests complained that the food ran out too soon.”

So overall, the entertainment was great, but the employees were fielding lots of complaints and dealing with lots of issues relating to processes, technology, concessions, or other issues.

Not only were the employees having to deal with difficult processes and address complaints, but the frustrations of these guests were being transferred to the employees.  The employees had more work to do because of these issues, and they themselves became frustrated and upset just like the guests.

As an employee, what can you do when you’re getting hammered by process and experiential complaints even though you might be doing a great job?

First, be clear to yourself that the complaint about these items is not a complaint about you.  Understand that truth, and by taking things less personally, it’s easier to control your emotions.

Second, focus on listening, and provide a little empathy.  Don’t feel like you have to counter every complaint with a comeback.  If you focus on listening and understanding, it takes away the burden of your having to respond to every criticism or always saying the right thing.  In these situations, sometimes the less you can say, the better it is for all parties.

Finally, help the company to improve.  Very few organizations are good at tapping into the voice of the employee to seek the voice of the customer like our client has done through this research.  If you’re not asked to share customer feedback, proactively find ways to share those common themes – those common positives and concerns that you’re hearing from customers – with leaders on your work team.

Be kind to yourself even when the customer isn’t being so kind.

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Being the Emphatic Employee – 9/6/22

Posted on September 6, 2022 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Empathy is the key quality of somebody who’s great at customer service.  We talk about it often – what it is, how to convey it, what it looks like, and how it makes the customer feel.

But along with knowing how to be empathetic, we also need to know how to be emphatic.  There are many times when the customer lacks confidence or clarity, they are uncertain or anxious.  And it is part of our role to build that confidence, convey more clarity, and offer certainty to help overcome the anxiety.

To fulfill that role in our conversation with our customers, we can be emphatic with our words.  For example, it’s more emphatic to say “I will do ABC…” than to say “I think we can do ABC…”   It’s better to say “This will definitely help” than to say “This should help.”

It’s better to give a shorter answer than a longer answer.  It’s better to say “Yes,” then go into the description.  That immediately answers the question, emphatically.  That’s preferable to saying “There are a lot of different factors that come into play and for this particular situation…”  Again, we’re trying to create certainty and clarity.  It’s easier to be clear in a 3-word answer than in a 33-word response where the answer is somewhat hidden in the statement.

To be emphatic, think about more eye contact, more nods.  You’re reaffirming what you’re saying while you’re saying it.  Have body language that is complementary.  Use good posture, have more concise arm and hand movements just like your wording is more concise.

You can be positive while being emphatic to build confidence, convey clarity, and offer certainty to overcome anxiety.

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The Good, the Really Good, and the Ugly of Customer Service – 8/30/22

Posted on August 30, 2022 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Here are three helpful customer service stories.  They may not be from your specific industry, but it’s always good to learn from others.

The Good…

Paula submitted a ticket to the I.T. vendor.  Below the signature line in the reply she received was the following:  Please share your comments or needs with us.  We are constantly improving our services by being good listeners.  You can contact Jim Smith, CEO of Acme Paper Products directly to voice the good, bad and ugly.

The Really Good…

I read this article a couple months ago:  3 Customers Showed Up at a Starbucks as It Was Closing. The Barista’s Response Was Completely Unexpected. The customer showed up 3 minutes late after closing, but the employee still took and filled the order.  At the drive-through window, after the customer apologized for ordering after hours, the employee said: “No problem. We love making your favorite drink, and we’re always happy to make it!”

The Ugly…

Robert needed to contact a DMV fraud department.  The website said they are open Wednesday/Thursday 9-10am.  He waited from Friday to Wednesday to call them.  He called Wednesday, and the phone line said they are open Monday/Tuesday/Thursday 8-10 am.  So, he waited another day and called during open hours.  The phone tree said, “We won’t respond to messages left on this line,” and then it told him to leave a message.

Look at these three stories, and find your own lessons learned for yourself or for your organization. See what good you can pull from each, and try to avoid the ugly from story #3.

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