customer service | Customer Service Solutions, Inc. - Page 2

Have a Game Plan to Address Their Anxiety - 10/8/24


It seems like we all get deliveries - whether it is UPS, USPS, FedEx, Amazon, the local courier, or all the above.  We order.  They deliver.  Or do they? It’s times like these, when we’re expecting that package, that item that we’re looking forward to or need urgently or are Read more

How Persistence Saved the Day - 10/1/24


Sherrie saw the customer walk into her store holding his cell phone, and Sherrie immediately knew that was William.  She had spoken to William on the phone about an hour ago, he said he would be at Sherrie’s cell phone store in less than an hour, and there he Read more

Notice the Little Changes - 9/24/24


“My, how times have changed.” Yes, times have changed.  As a matter of fact, one of the biggest reasons why an organization’s customer service deteriorates is that times have changed…customers have changed…and the company has not… If we think about customer service delivery today v. decades ago, changes in technology alone Read more

Don’t Hurry…Be Quick - 9/17/24


No, this is not a take off on the Bobby McFerrin song:  Don’t Worry Be Happy. It’s actually a take off on the John Wooden quote:  Be quick, but don’t hurry. When I read Wooden’s book with this title, I liked the concept, and not just because John Wooden was a Read more

4 Actions for the Customer - 9/10/24


One way to look at the difference between proactive and reactive is that proactive is something that’s often done before it absolutely has to be done.  Maybe it’s something done that really doesn’t have to occur, but your professionalism takes over, and some action or communication that you know Read more

Don’t Kick the Problem Down the Road - 9/3/24


The error was obvious.  Shania is a clerk at a local government office, and she could tell that something was wrong with the permit request.  She was about to reject the request because the address was invalid. If this would have been handled like the normal process, Shania would have Read more

Reflect the Best of Your Customers - 8/27/24


When Alice walks into a business, whether it’s a restaurant or government building, whether it’s a Goodwill or a grocery store, she has a certain way about her.  She’s the customer, and it’s not unusual to hear her say to the employee:  Thanks for being here today! It’s not unusual Read more

Create Your Personal Motto - 8/20/24


Take a look at these mottos: It’s the real thing. Just Do It. Have it your way. Betcha can’t eat just one. Breakfast of champions. Do you know the companies?  The answers are at the bottom of this tip. So why am I asking you about mottos?  And why do almost all of them make me Read more

Create MAGIC with Your Customers - 8/13/24


Years ago, we worked with the Orlando Magic in the NBA, and they needed more consistency in their customer service – they needed a standard of engagement with the fans and their account holders.  They were trying to identify the “Orlando Magic Way” – their desired customer experience with Read more

Build Strong Customer Connections - 8/6/24


We’ve worked in health care, education, local government, finance, pro sports, and many other industries.  And while our clients’ customers are often different, their specific scenarios for engaging those customers are different, and policies and procedures are different - there’s one thing that is pretty similar.  And that is Read more

4 Actions for the Customer – 9/10/24

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

One way to look at the difference between proactive and reactive is that proactive is something that’s often done before it absolutely has to be done.  Maybe it’s something done that really doesn’t have to occur, but your professionalism takes over, and some action or communication that you know in your gut should be performed is performed.  Reactive is an after-the-fact action.  You’re in that tennis match, and somebody just hit a volley over the net, so now the ball’s in your court.

In customer service, oftentimes we have advanced knowledge of what could happen, or we know before the customer what did happen.  And the difference between proactive and reactive in this case is that we are initiating contact with the customer or on behalf of the customer when we’re being proactive.  When being reactive, we rarely act on that advanced knowledge, and therefore find ourselves reacting when the customer learns of the issue in some other way than hearing it from us.

With proactive communications, we’re more in control because we’re initiating the engagement.  With reactive communications, we’re often dealing with the emotions of somebody else and are unprepared emotionally or informationally.

Let’s assume that it’s usually better to be proactive than reactive; so, here are 4 actions to consider if you want to be more proactive:

Give the Update: Let the customer know if there’s going to be a delay, if things are on track, what next steps they need to consider.  Keep them in the loop without them having to ask for an update.

Follow-Up: After a purchase or a request is filled or an issue is resolved, touch base with the customer to ensure they got the need met and they’re satisfied with the result.

Suggest Something Beneficial: If you know the customer and their needs well, recommend a product or service that might be helpful to them.  Selling is not a bad word in customer service if what you’re suggesting benefits the customer.

Remind about Maintenance: If they need to update their account information, download a mobile app, do routine maintenance on a car, or fill out some paperwork, give them a friendly reminder so that they’re not in a situation where they miss a deadline or are dealing with something out-of-date.

To do something with tangible benefits for the customer, take these four actions.

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Reflect the Best of Your Customers – 8/27/24

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

When Alice walks into a business, whether it’s a restaurant or government building, whether it’s a Goodwill or a grocery store, she has a certain way about her.  She’s the customer, and it’s not unusual to hear her say to the employee:  Thanks for being here today!

It’s not unusual for Alice to keep the conversation going when the employee is ringing her up during a sale.  Alice will compliment a ring an employee is wearing or how helpful they were during their conversation.

Alice will talk to a customer service rep on the phone, and she’ll thank the employee for being patient with her questions.

If there was a role play during customer service training, and somebody was pretending to be a customer like Alice, the people watching the role play would likely say:  That customer is so nice!  Unfortunately, it’s just not realistic. Customers are not really like that.

Believe it or not, if we – the employees – were acting like Alice, customers would say the same thing about us:  Wow, that employee is so nice!  I wish all employees were like that.  I wish all employees had a good attitude, were appreciative of me coming in or giving them a call.  I wish all employees would continue to chat with me while they’re doing some activity.  I wish employees would be a bit more patient with me and ask me more questions.

Alice may be an unusually nice customer, but – for many customers – it would be unusual for them to engage an employee who is just as nice, just as appreciative.

One way to convey we care about customers is to reflect what we see in the best of our customers.  The best customer attitudes.  The best customer communication skills.

Reflect the best of your customers to deliver a great customer experience.

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Create Your Personal Motto – 8/20/24

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

Take a look at these mottos:

It’s the real thing.

Just Do It.

Have it your way.

Betcha can’t eat just one.

Breakfast of champions.

Do you know the companies?  The answers are at the bottom of this tip.

So why am I asking you about mottos?  And why do almost all of them make me hungry?  I digress…

I’m asking about mottos in part because they are memorable. They reflect what the companies are trying to convey, what the companies are trying to be or to become.

A motto or a tagline is something often catchy, often short.  My company, CSS, created a Mission Statement that is our statement of purpose, but it’s also short and easy to remember: To help others

When I’m speaking with someone, my thought is: How can I help them?  I know that whether it’s an existing client or prospective customer, whether it’s a co-worker or another member of my team, whether it’s a business partner or somebody I just run into at the office who seems to have a question or wants to talk – that’s my primary focus:  How can I help them?

Whether or not I make the perfect presentation or make a sale, at least my goal is to help them.  Whether they have some business concern that we can address or something that is not in our wheelhouse, the least I can do is try to help them. Whether they need advice or guidance or just need somebody to listen, my goal is to meet that need.

We’ve talked about personal mission statements in the past – that statement of purpose that shows the greater good in what you do.  So think about your personal mission statement in terms of a motto.  Describe (in fewer than 10 words) your purpose at your job, the guiding principles within which you operate, what you hope to do…or to be…or to become.  Write that thought down – and help it to guide you throughout the day.

Create Your Personal Motto.

By the way, here are the companies associated with the mottos above: Coke. Nike. Burger King. Lay’s. Wheaties.

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