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Why “No” is So Important - 9/15/26


The employee told the caller: “I don’t think that is possible.” The customer eventually hung up, and redialed to ask a different employee the same question. The employee responded to the customer: “That’s probably not the best way to do it.”  Then, the customer kept asking question after question, arguing Read more

It’s Not “You,” It’s “I” - 9/8/26


During a business writing course that I took years ago, the instructor had us write an e-mail.  I can’t recall if it was written to a co-worker or customer, but after writing this e-mail, she had us count every “I” and “You.”  We talked about how we need to Read more

It Shouldn’t Make a Difference, But… - 9/1/26


We have this conversation with lots of our sports clients, but the principles apply across all different industries.  Too many service representatives view a conversation with a customer as a transaction.  Just get him off the phone as quickly as possible.  The customer is Joe Public, not Joseph Pendergrass.  Read more

Use What the Customer Gives You - 8/25/26


Scenario #1: The customer sent an e-mail to the general inbox at the company.  The message noted that the customer needed to get a family member added to their account, but they couldn’t tell from the website how to do so. The next morning an employee opened up the e-mail, Read more

How Better Customer Service is Better for You - 8/18/26


Oftentimes, we have employees in training or workshops who really want to understand what’s in it for them to deliver better customer service.  How does the employee benefit from a better customer experience? Noted below are 5 different aspects of a great experience desired by the customer.  What if... The customer Read more

Manage New Customer Expectations - 8/11/26


The fan had never been to a motorsports event before, but they had been to concerts.  They had been to big conferences.  At those other events, they could park right next to the venue, many of the activities were indoors, and weather was a non-issue.  So, they were not Read more

Complement Empathy with Action - 8/4/26


A man falls into a hole, and he can’t get out.  He starts yelling for help, and a doctor walks by and looks down the hole.  The man in the hole yells to the doctor “Please help me.  I’ve fallen into this hole!”  And the doctor takes out a Read more

My 8-Minute Visit at the DMV- 7/28/26


I needed to get a Real ID, which in North Carolina facilitates airline travel and other identity verifications.  My wife suggested I go to one particular DMV that was a LONG way away from home, but where she had experienced great customer service.  I was lucky to find an Read more

When They Might Walk Out the Door…Permanently- 7/21/26


Have you ever had one of those conversations with the customer where they literally tell you they’re about to stop doing business with your company?  This is it.  They may bring up a competitor or found another way to get their need met, or they are just leaving. When we Read more

Transparency in Customer Service- 7/14/26


We’ve worked with a lot of clients in the local government sector, and many of these clients have Customer Service Standards and/or corporate values that include Transparency. Think about an old-fashioned transparency sheet, that malleable see-through page you put on an overhead projector.  You can see everything on one side Read more

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Pass the Quick Impression Test – 12/30/25

Posted on December 30, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

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, but they can color the customer’s perception of the employee or the organization that affects their demeanor during the encounter.  First impressions can create an immediate conclusion that, if negative, must now be overcome.

Let’s say you’re the customer.  You pull up to the teller window at the bank with no other customers around.  The two employees in the teller window are talking and laughing with each other and not acknowledging you.

You walk into the home improvement store, and three employees walk by you without making eye contact.  You start to feel they are purposely avoiding you.

You are waiting to check out at the retail store, and the employee is looking at their computer screen while reaching out with their left hand for you to give them the clothes you’re purchasing.  No eye contact, no smile, no words…just an outstretched hand.

The customer can tell a lot about a company very quickly.  And maybe their conclusion is not accurate because they’re basing it on something they experience in less than 7 seconds.  However, that quick impression either gets the encounter started positively, or it can put the employee behind the “8 ball” right off the bat.

Don’t risk allowing a negative immediate impression to become a long-term perception.  Make sure that when customers experience your details and how you engage them, they are drawing positive conclusions about how much you care about them.

Pass the Quick Impression Test.

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2025 Holiday Poem – 12/23/25

Posted on December 23, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

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 evolves

And then takes quantum leaps.

Sometimes it’s unclear

What benefits it reaps.

 

We could be in the office.

Things change every year.

We could be remote.

Policies are often unclear.

 

So with all of this change

We’ve experienced in the past,

We know the new norm

Will also not last.

 

As we go into the new year,

Let’s be flexible in our mind.

Let us realize that change

Can sometimes be kind.

 

Let us hope for the best

With an optimist’s heart,

For transitions can be smoother

If we all do our part.

 

I hope for you well

As we start a new year,

That it’s filled with positives

And is void of most fear.

 

I hope you can flex

With the change we’ll go through,

And I hope you find joy

In the things that you do.

 

Happy Holidays!

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

Posted on December 16, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

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, gave him a number, and asked him to take a seat.

After filling out some paperwork on his appeal, Greg had a seat in the waiting room.  He watched some TV, read a magazine with some information for men in their 50s (after all, 50 is the new 40…apparently), and then was greeted by an employee.  The employee updated Greg on his current place in line, what the appeal process would be once Greg met with an appeals coordinator, and asked if Greg had any questions about the paperwork or the process.

After chit-chatting for another minute, the employee said that he’d be back within 10 minutes if Greg had not been brought back, and would give him another update.

About 7-8 minutes later, the employee came by while Greg was looking at some paintings on the walls from local artists, and reading the plaques that noted the history of the areas.  They chatted some more, Greg was told that there was only 1 more person in front of him, and he continued the wait.

When the appeals coordinator came out to greet Greg, she apologized for the wait and appreciated Greg’s patience.  Greg replied: The wait wasn’t too bad – staff were nice, and the waiting area is really interesting.  [then looking at his watch] Oh!  I didn’t realize I’d been here about an hour; seemed like 20-30 minutes!

Wait time is not always perceived to be what it is; if you do a good job of keeping the customer occupied and informed, of showing empathy and respect, even the long waits can feel shorter.

If you can’t shorten the wait, help it to FEEL shorter to the customer.

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