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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

Acting on the Guiding Principles for Great Customer Service - 11/19/24


In last week’s tip, we shared 5 Guiding Principles for Great Customer Service.  This week, let’s address what “taking action” looks like on those key principles.  If last week was about what to do and WHY, this week is about the HOW. Engage with Interest: To engage with interest, proactively Read more

Guiding Principles for Great Customer Service - 11/12/24


It’s hard to know every procedure, every policy, every technique possible to handle every situation correctly.  After all, maybe our procedures are standard, but our customers are not.  Maybe our policies stay pretty consistent, but our customers’ needs and issues, their attitudes and actions can change from customer to Read more

From a Simple Question to an Exceptional Experience - 11/5/24


Phyllis loves her job.  It’s not just because she loves being a customer service representative, not just because she really likes her co-workers, and not just because she enjoys her company.  It’s because she really appreciates her customers, as well. A customer had ordered a register book off the company Read more

Fix One Problem without Creating Another - 10/29/24


If you’ve ever had an issue with your dishwasher, this will sound familiar.  I’ve dealt with so many dishwashers over the years, and they always seem to have some kind of an issue.  Maybe it’s because of the mix of water and technology, but for whatever reason, these never Read more

Delight Your Customers - 10/22/24


Buddy the Bug Man was different.  His company was new, and the only reason why Janet tried him out was that the service she had used for years just wasn’t working.  Whether it was mosquitoes in the yard, ants in the kitchen, or cockroaches flying through on their way Read more

A More Complete Definition of Responsiveness - 10/15/24


I was purchasing something recently that was being custom-developed.  At one point, the company’s employee and I had a good 20 e-mails going back and forth - 10 from each of us.  Unfortunately, I broke my own rule, and I did not pick up the phone after 2 or Read more

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

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

Posted on August 27, 2024 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 August 20, 2024 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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Create MAGIC with Your Customers – 8/13/24

Posted on August 13, 2024 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

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 something catchy, something that really conveyed the feel they wanted to create in every customer touch point, every encounter.

We developed this standard for team members to use when navigating conversations with account holders: Create MAGIC with Customers.

  • Meet the Customer – Go to the customer, be welcoming, initiate the conversation
  • Actively Listen to Your Customer – Be inquisitive, ask questions, confirm their need or want
  • Get Engaged when Taking Action – Talk to the customer while you work on their behalf
  • Identify More Needs – Before wrapping up, ask what else they need
  • Close “Up!” – Always end with appreciation!

 
It’s about proactive engagement, listening, keeping the conversation going, being patient enough to inquire about other needs, and making a great LAST impression.

Create MAGIC with your customers.

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