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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

See the Customer’s Journey from Their Perspective- 7/7/26


That customer is face-to-face with you right now, and you are fielding their questions or delivering your service to them.  And oftentimes and understandably, we are so immersed in the moment that we don’t think about what came before or think enough about what comes next. But in the life Read more

Gaining the Benefits of the Greeter- 6/30/26


Most likely, we’ve all entered some establishment – a retail store, restaurant, or service center - when there is a greeter at the door.  The most famous greeter position is probably the Walmart greeter.  I often thought that my father-in-law would have been a fantastic Walmart greeter, because he Read more

Seamlessness - Why the Customer Thanked You - 6/23/26


This doesn’t happen enough nowadays, but the employee received a long thank you e-mail from the customer.  A financial services account manager had taken care of the client during a period of time that was stressful for the customer. Life was unexpectedly changing quickly, and personal emotions, additional financial responsibilities, Read more

When to Avoid the Escalation - 6/16/26


The customer calls with a complaint, and the easy thing to do is to escalate it to your supervisor. That may also be the right thing to do, but how do you know when to avoid the escalation? Why You Would Escalate The first thing to consider is why you would Read more

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Energy v. Apathy – 4/22/25

Posted on April 22, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

I asked a couple friends who are much more scientifically-oriented the question: What is energy?  I didn’t mean E=MC2.  I meant physiologically, what is energy?

They described a lot of things that sounded really good, yet far too advanced for my non-medical mind.

Part of the reason why energy is of interest is…well…I always wish I had a little bit more.  But as it relates to customer service, energy is of interest to discuss because it’s generally a good thing.  Especially as an employee interacting with a customer, energy can convey interest.  Energy can convey action.  Energy can convey the willingness to do what is needed.

Apathy is the last thing you want to present to a customer.  It conveys that you don’t care, you’re focused on something else, that they don’t really matter.

So how do you convey more energy than apathy?

People who convey energy typically are doing some customer engagement with their eyes, with their body language.  There is a focus on the other person; you’re looking at the information they’re handing to you; you’re only briefly looking at the computer to access something for the customer before shifting your focus back to the customer.  Energy is having inflection in the voice instead of the verbal flat line.  It is nodding and giving the thumbs up v. being motionless, and having a blank stare.

When you’re in front of the customer, think about conveying a little bit of energy, a little bit of positivity. Because lack of that physical engagement – lack of movement – often suggests a lack of caring.  It suggests apathy.

Show the customer that you are engaged and that you care.  Convey energy over apathy.

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Prep Enough to Personalize – 4/15/25

Posted on April 15, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Everybody loves Howie.  He is an account rep for the local air conditioning and heating company.  When I say Everybody loves Howie, I’m definitely talking about the customers.  His co-workers love him too, but customers are especially fond of him.  They seem to really enjoy their conversations with him, and they always feel heard and appreciated.

Howie believes in doing two things well: Preparation and Personalization.  Before the call or video chat, before that e-mail he sends, he simply writes down the goal for that correspondence.  Sometimes it’s to be clear. Sometimes it’s to be understanding and sometimes to encourage the customer.

Next, Howie actually reads all those notes on the system that the techs or the customer service reps put in relating to this customer.  He tries to understand a little bit about where they’ve been recently and where they’re at today.  He tries to get a sense of how happy they have been with the company’s service.  And he tries to get a sense of the customer themselves.  He refreshes on those little stories, those anecdotes that are unique about the customer, the information on how long they’ve been a customer or what system they have in their home.

In his preparation, he uses the knowledge that somebody took the time to put into the system.

Then he makes the call, or he starts the chat, or he creates the e-mail.  Though he understands customer service techniques, and he knows whatever scripts or guidelines he’s been given, he is focused on personalizing the conversation.  He utilizes the customer’s name, references some of the stories, notes the information that his co-workers have put in the system, and he weaves all of that information into the conversation.

Nobody feels like a number when they talk to Howie because he prepped enough to personalize.

Make preparation and personalization your calling card.

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Get Your Customers to Brag, Not Bolt – 4/8/25

Posted on April 8, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Here are two customer retention concepts that we discuss with some sports clients: BIRG and CORF.  BIRG is Basking In Reflected Glory.  CORF is Cutting Off Reflected Failure.

You want BIRG.  You want the customers feeling so good about your organization that they want to be a part of your organization, they want to let others know they’re a customer of your business.

You don’t want CORF.  This is where it’s the “in thing” to talk negatively about an organization.  Customers go out of their way to say they’re not affiliated with or not a customer of an organization.

So, how could any one of us as an individual help to create BIRG – that positivity about our organization in the customer’s mind?  Obviously, every encounter, every communication, every Moment of Truth is an opportunity to create BIRG.  But there are also opportunities to create these positive feelings from your customers in what you say about your company.

Talk positively about what the company has now: You could describe the great website that has all of this excellent information or enables the customer to get their needs met on their own.

Talk positively about the company’s future: You could use an important communication vehicle from our sports clients – communicating the “Direction of the Team.”  This is where you talk about the company’s vision.  You could mention the expansion plans, the community initiatives they have underway, renovations that will take place, or new products and services on the horizon.

Talk about the customer’s role in the company’s success: State “When you, Mr. Customer, do ABC like you did, that really helps us out.  We are here to serve our customers, so thanks for the opportunity to do so.  Our company would not be nearly as successful if it wasn’t for great clients such as yourself.”

Talk about your feelings working for the company: Mention that you’ve worked there for 10 years because it’s a company with good values.  You enjoy working there, and it’s amazing how the company gives you the training and tools you need to do a good job. You could mention how it’s great to work for a company who listens to your ideas and is always trying to get better.

If we want our customers feeling good about our companies, think about what you can do to talk positively about your company’s present, its plans for the future, the customer’s role in its success, and what you like best about working there.

Build up the BIRG.

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