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Listen with Your Eyes - 1/28/25


Out of the corner of his eye, Patrick saw the customer enter the lobby.  The customer was carrying a large shoulder bag with several papers in her hand.  The customer was shuffling the papers and looking down; then she stopped, looked up, and saw the staff navigator sitting at Read more

When You’re the Educator, What Should You Teach? - 1/21/25


The best customer service professionals are also excellent educators.  Not only within the organization, but I’m talking specifically about the role they play as educator with their customers.  With all the self-service options that technology provides, customers often have the opportunity to do things on their own, to investigate Read more

Wrap It Up Right: Why Follow-Up Communications WOW Customers - 1/14/25


Dena had some questions about her water bill, so she looked for answers on the utility’s website.  She didn’t find specific answers, and she really didn’t want to get on the phone with somebody at the time and risk staying on hold.  She had lots going on, but she Read more

From Conversation to Connection: Defining Customer Engagement - 1/7/25


Maggie was sitting in the Service Excellence Training class, and the instructor kept talking about staying engaged with the customer.  Proactively engaging the customer.  Being fully engaged in the conversation. After hearing this same phrase (“engage”) used in various ways, Maggie raised her hand and asked a question probably several Read more

Self-empower for the New Year - 12/31/24


Jeff joined the company, in part, because he loved their approach to culture.  Leadership tried to create an empowerment culture.  They tried to develop an environment where, within certain parameters, individual team members could make a decision and feel confident that they would be supported by leadership. The reality was Read more

2024 Holiday Poem - 12/24/24


I sometimes hear it said That things have never been like this before. That challenges are unique, That stresses seem like more.   I sometimes hear it said That we're asked to do much more with less. That workloads are increasing, And we're resource-constrained at best.   And others often say That things are really very good. That they enjoy those Read more

Is Their Poor Planning Your Emergency? - 12/17/24


Have you ever heard the saying:  Your poor planning is not my emergency. I’ve heard it said often – not necessarily directly from one person to another.  More typical is that I hear it from the person having to drop everything and do something immediately because someone else didn’t think Read more

Empathy Examples for Everyday Situations - 12/10/24


I’ve often said that empathy is the single most important characteristic of people who are great at customer service.  If empathy is essentially “to understand the other person,” it helps so much to have that ability in order to specifically help someone.  To talk to what’s unique about them.  Read more

Tell Them Why You’re Giving Thanks - 12/3/24


Thank you! Merci! Danke! Doumo! Gracias! It seems like every language has a translation of Thank You.  Even though I only fluently speak English and speak Spanish, un poco, I – and probably most of you – have heard some or all of the translations of "Thank You” noted above.  Read more

Refine Your Decision-making Process - 11/26/24


Every day, you make decisions of what to do and what not to do.  And in the world of customer service, often the affected parties are our customers, our co-workers, and our company.  Here are a few quotes to consider when you’re thinking about evaluating and refining your decision-making Read more

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Take a Football Approach to Changing Corporate Culture

Posted on December 15, 2011 in Business Advice, Sports Please leave a comment

As the NFL regular season draws to a close over the next 3 weeks, it’s a good time to get in some football analogies – particularly analogies that relate to business. Many coaches attempt to create a team culture, believing that how they work, communicate, relate, and interact on an ongoing basis impacts their on-the-field success.

We agree.

Consider these keys to creating your own corporate culture just like a successful football coach.

Target the Super Bowl

· If a healthy culture is defined as having everyone on the same page, going in the same direction. You have to define the “direction.” Leaders need to set long-term goals for the organization – a Vision of what it wants to achieve or what it wants to become. To most professional football teams, it’s the Super Bowl. Create that Vision.

Score More than the Other Guys

· Understand that getting to the Super Bowl (your Vision) requires you to accomplish certain milestones along the way. Know those milestones, those nearer-term goals for your organization. To an NFL team, they cannot get to the Super Bowl without winning games, and winning is defined simply as scoring more than your opponent. Define your organization’s milestones.

Know Who to Block

· Make sure everybody understands their individual roles. Lack of clarity for an Offensive Lineman can cause his quarterback to be sacked. Lack of clarity for a customer support person can cause an organization to lose a customer. Be clear with everyone on their individual role.

Huddle Like a Football Team

· Teams huddle to call out the play. When do you get all your individuals (or individual departments) together to discuss how you’re going to work on the next project or initiative? Everybody needs to know how their role will fit into the team picture, and they need to know the roles of others around them. Huddle with co-workers.

Get First Downs on the Way to Scores

· Don’t always through the long-bomb. Winning a game involves about 150 plays. If you keep moving forward on offense 10 yards at a time, you’ll keep progressing toward the goal line. Don’t feel like you have to do it all at once. Have a plan. Work the plan. Celebrate each first down, celebrate more on scores, and celebrate like crazy when you win.

With the right Vision, understanding of near terms goals, clarity of roles, communication, teamwork, and great execution, maybe your last celebration will be your Super Bowl!

Read our New Book – “Ask Yourself…Am I GREAT at Customer Service?” http://www.amigreatat.com/

Listen to our latest podcast episode of “Stepping Up Service” on The MESH Network at http://themesh.tv/stepping-up-service/

Interested in improving your company’s customer service? See more at our new website! http://www.cssamerica.com/


How to Increase Customer Loyalty Without Becoming Disney or Zappos

Posted on December 14, 2011 in Business Advice, World of Customer Service 1 Comment

A recent study highlighted in the Sacramento Bee (Good Customer Service is Key to Capturing Holiday Shoppers) addressed the impact of customer service on customer loyalty (or disloyalty). Results included:

· 29% stopped shopping at retail stores because of a bad shopping experience

· 71% avoid certain brick-and-mortar retail stores due to unhelpful/unfriendly employees

· 41% stop patronizing a business because of long lines or long wait time.

So it’s about the experience, the people, the processes.

But what’s even more interesting about the results is this conclusion – to improve retention, simply address the reasons why people leave.

While many organizations focus on creating the “WOW” experience or transforming your employees into Disney “Cast Members” or creating a Zappos culture, what is more tangible and provides more bang for the buck is finding out why customers leave.

So research. Interview former customers, or ask current ones why they’d leave. Know why they’d go, eliminate those loss reasons, and watch sales grow.

To become great at customer loyalty, increase your knowledge of why they’d leave…and act on it.

Read our New Book – “Ask Yourself…Am I GREAT at Customer Service?” http://www.amigreatat.com/

Listen to our latest podcast episode of “Stepping Up Service” on The MESH Network at http://themesh.tv/stepping-up-service/

Interested in improving your company’s customer service? See more at our new website! http://www.cssamerica.com/


Tell the Patient What to Expect

Posted on December 7, 2011 in Business Advice, Healthcare Please leave a comment

A UK physician practice that had won a Customer Service Excellence Award addressed what they did to ramp up customer service in a PULSE article. In a nutshell, this is what they did:

  • They decided they wanted to win an award for customer service.
  • They did research with patients via interviews and surveys to determine what the patients wanted out of the customer experience.
  • They determined what needed improvement in the eyes of the customers.
  • They used this information to define expectations (or customer service standards or policies) that patients should have of their experiences with the practice.
  • But they also used this information to define expectations (or customer service standards or policies) that the practice had of patients.
  • They trained staff and changed processes to ensure that they could meet these expectations.
  • Then they continuously publicized these expectations.

Pretty simple stuff, right? Another way to view this approach is the following:

  • Define a Rallying Point (a near-term goal that explains why change needs to occur). Staff can buy-in to change a lot better if they understand the “why behind the what.”
  • Ask the customer what they want and expect.
  • Improve performance to address those expectations.
  • Define and communicate expectations that customers have of you…and that you have of customers.
  • Then deliver, deliver, deliver.

Create your own plan to become great at customer service.

Listen to our latest podcast episode of “Stepping Up Service” on The MESH Network at http://themesh.tv/stepping-up-service/

Read our New Book – “Ask Yourself…Am I GREAT at Customer Service?” http://www.amigreatat.com/

Interested in improving your company’s customer service? See more at our new website! http://www.cssamerica.com/


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