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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

Energy v. Apathy - 4/22/25


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 Read more

Prep Enough to Personalize - 4/15/25


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, Read more

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


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 Read more

Narrow Your Focus to Seek Excellence - 4/1/25


You’ve probably heard companies use phrases such as: “We want to go from being good to great.”  Maybe they’ve said: “We strive for perfection, and although we’ll never reach perfection, maybe we can achieve excellence along the way.” These organizations find some kind of a catch phrase or slogan, but Read more

Avoid the Unfriendly Ghost - 3/25/25


Last week we talked about the qualities of “PERKI Customer Service,” essentially what attitudes and actions are characteristics of those who provide great customer service.  This week, let’s take the opposite approach.  What are some of the mistakes that people make?  Maybe these are mistakes of omission or commission; Read more

PERKI Customer Service - 3/18/25


After having worked on hundreds of projects over the years with thousands of thousands of individuals, some things become pretty clear. There are certain traits held by people who are great in customer service.  Look at this list, and do a self-assessment.  Which apply to you? Positive and Patient Do you Read more

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Everybody Doesn’t – 2/25/25

Posted on February 25, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Joey received the compliment, but he was confused.  Paula, his boss, and Joey had their monthly one-on-one meeting, and Paula noted that, although he was new, Joey was already doing a great job!  While there were learning curves on some of the organizational policies and the technology that he was using in working with his customers, his customer service skills were excellent.

Joey appreciated the positive feedback, but he was struggling to figure out what he did that was so special.  He’s not the most outgoing person in the world, not the most gregarious or chatty or social individual.  So, he asked for some specifics from Paula.

She talked about how he’s always patient with the callers on the phone.  He always responds to the emails.  If there was a next step, he always follows up with the customer later on to make sure they were satisfied.  He always touches base with a co-worker when he handed something off just to make sure the co-worker understood things and was able to follow through.  Joey always completed his projects on time, and when he anticipated a delay, he gave his team members a heads up well in advance.

Joey thanked Paula, but then he asked: I’m not sure what is so special about that. Doesn’t everybody do those things?

Paula paused, and then she responded:  Unfortunately, no.  At least not with your consistency.  You are always being patient, always responsive, always following up, always communicating with your co-workers, always managing expectations.  So, no, everybody doesn’t do those things.  At least they don’t do them all the time.

In 2025, “Delighting” the customers or “Delivering a WOW Experience” is great, but you can be special by executing those core customer service actions consistently…by doing them ALL the time.

Become better by becoming even more consistent.

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A Simple Phrase to Transform Your Customer Feedback Approach – 2/18/25

Posted on February 18, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

I went to a restaurant called Big Ed’s (no relation) in Raleigh, NC recently.  It’s basically country cooking with fantastic breakfast options!  On the menu there was a quote that said:

If you enjoyed your meal, tell a friend.  If not, please tell us.

That was an excellent statement that embodies a guiding principle that a lot of organizations should focus on for customer feedback.

You want the word-of-mouth advertising, so are you asking for it from your customers?  Retention may be the most cost-effective marketing available, but a referral from an existing customer (i.e., asking them to tell a friend) is the second most cost-effective.  It costs you nothing but the great experience that you’re hopefully already delivering…and maybe a simple request from you to the customer.

Ask the customer to tell you if they have an issue.  Many customers leave businesses after a bad experience and never come back. The company may or may not know that that customer had an issue because frankly, the company doesn’t ask for feedback.  And most customers don’t offer unsolicited feedback, so most negative experiences are unknown to the company.  Sure, there is social media now, and people vent there, but it’s still a small percentage of the total customer base.

If you want to learn, you want to hear it from your customers directly.  Therefore, you have to ask for the feedback.  Never assume leaving customers are happy customers.  Never assume somebody who doesn’t complain is thrilled.  Never assume that if somebody has an issue, that they’ll tell you directly.

Ask the customer to share their great experiences with others, and ask them to share their concerns with you.

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What Phones and Football Have in Common – 2/11/25

Posted on February 11, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Congratulations!  You made it through weeks/months of hype for football’s Super Bowl!  You made it through hundreds of pregame shows and podcasts, endless debates on things endlessly inconsequential, 10 hours of pre-game shows on Sunday, what seems like 100 commercials designed specifically for the “Big Game,” and the longest halftime in football all year long.  Oh!  And I almost forgot – you also made it through the actual 3.5 hour game.

I won’t belabor the topic of the Super Bowl beyond what happened 2 days ago.  But I do want to talk football one more time, and note how it relates to customer service.

In football, when a quarterback (QB) gives the ball to a runner, they call it a handoff.  And it’s the QB’s responsibility to make sure that the ball is in the running back’s stomach, between his arms.  The running back is about to be hit by several 250-300 pound men running at 15-20 miles per hour, so he’s got to figure out how to avoid them.

You get the picture.  Therefore, if it’s a bad handoff, it’s the quarterback’s fault.f

The same is true in customer service; it’s primarily the responsibility of an employee talking to a caller to ensure a solid handoff to a co-worker.  The first employee has the information and is engaged with the customer.  Now, it’s that first employee’s responsibility to put their co-worker in a position to succeed.

After the handoff, it’s pretty much up to the co-worker to carry the experience forward, but here are some things that the first team member can do to get the process started effectively.  He can:

Avoid the use of the word “transfer.”  This has a negative connotation in society today.  Instead, say: “I am going to connect you with…”

Explain why he’s “transferring” the call.  The caller should realize that the transfer’s being done – not because the QB doesn’t care about them – but because the employee is trying to get the caller to the person who can best help them.

Give the caller the co-worker’s name and number.  This personalizes the conversation about to occur.

Stay on the line and introduce the caller to the co-worker, possibly telling his team member that a call is coming, from whom, and why.  Prepare and educate the co-worker for success.

Ask the caller if there’s anything else they need help with prior to the transfer.  This conveys patience and ensures all the customer’s needs are met.

When making a handoff, make sure the ball carrier is set up for success.

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