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Bear with Me - 3/31/26


As a customer, you’ve probably called a company and heard the phrase “bear with me.”  At that point, you know there’s going to be some sort of delay.  The CSR is giving you a heads up that there’s going to be additional wait time.  Essentially, they are trying to Read more

Slowing Down the Fast Talker - 3/24/26


Jeffrey had always been told by his manager to figure out the issue quickly and wrap up the conversation as fast as possible.  So, Jeffrey was hyper-focused at finding that one key word that could identify the issue and help him to transition quickly to what might be some possible Read more

Don’t Bury the Lede - 3/17/26


Mary was working at the office, and she received an e-mail alert from the water company.  There was a water outage in her neighborhood.  It looked like it was going to be a couple hours to fix the issue. Sure enough, a few hours later around mid-afternoon, Mary received another Read more

Confirm the Real Issue Before You Start Solving - 3/10/26


Have you ever gone “down the rabbit hole?”  It involves going deep into some topic, some discussion – with analysis that creates complexity as much as it resolves it.  And that dive into the rabbit hole often starts with a simple question. Going down that rabbit hole takes time and Read more

One Question to Prevent a Follow-up Call - 3/3/26


The way some performance metrics work, you would think companies would prefer for their staff to talk to the same customer 4 times on the same topic for 8 minutes each rather than talking to them once for 10 minutes.  Many management metrics are too focused on average length Read more

Stay Calm When the Customer Isn’t - 2/24/26


There are all sorts of others’ emotions that you have to deal with as a customer service professional.  The other person could be anxious or upset, they could be angry or agitated.  It can run the gamut of emotions, but for you to deal with them in the best Read more

Don’t Begin with the Dead End in Mind - 2/17/26


Habit #2 of Stephen Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Successful People” is “Begin with the End in Mind.”  It speaks to the need to have a clear vision or goal for what you’re trying to ultimately achieve, so you understand the purpose of what you’re doing.  It helps you Read more

Explain without Over Explaining - 2/10/26


The customer has a question, and we have an answer.  They need to learn something, and we’re in the position to be the educator.  There’s a process they have to go through, and we need them to understand. We know so much, and we could impart so much, but sometimes Read more

Look for a Stop Sign - 2/3/26


As a customer service professional, what you say matters.  The information you’re providing is useful.  The direction you’re giving the other person is helpful.  But... As you’re speaking, you also need to be reading.  Reading the other person.  Watching the customer, determining whether and how they’re receiving what you’re sharing.  Read more

When They Want the Supervisor - 1/27/26


Maybe you did your best with the customer, or maybe the customer didn’t even give you a chance.  They want to talk to your supervisor.  They see you, notice your title does not have “supervisor” or “manager” or “director” or “President and CEO” in it, so they want to Read more

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Avoid the Unfriendly Ghost – 3/25/25

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

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; either way, here are some examples of action or inaction to avoid:

  1. Excluding Etiquette
  • Not stating your name or department when answering the phone.
  • Putting someone on hold without asking permission or stating how long it will be.
  • Not showing appreciation or not saying “thank you” at the end of a transaction.

 

  1. Ghosting the Customer
  • Not responding to e-mails or voicemails within 24 hours or less.
  • Not following through on next steps promised during a conversation.

 

  1. Blaming Others
  • Responding to a complaint without apologizing for the company’s mistake.
  • Blaming a co-worker or the customer for an issue.

 

  1. Focusing on the Phone
  • Making better eye contact with your device than with your customer.
  • Viewing e-mails as texts (instead of as a professional business correspondence); sending messages without using their name or yours.

 
To satisfy the customers, avoid the dissatisfiers.

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

Posted on November 5, 2024 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

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 website.  A register book is essentially a small but classy hardcover notebook with blank lines.  When some people rent their homes for short visits, they might have visitors leave a little note about their experiences in a register book.

But this particular customer ordered the register as a sign-in book for a relative’s funeral service.  The customer ordered the book, and the tracking details for the shipment were provided the next day.  The customer noticed that the book would be delivered to his home next week – the day before the service – and the service was going to be at a church out of town.

He Found a Backup

The customer didn’t want to risk not having the register, so he went to a local store and found one that could be a backup.  It turns out the family liked the backup better, and they went with that one instead of the one that was delivered from Phyllis’ company.

After the service, the customer e-mailed Phyllis’ company, and she was the one checking the inbox.  Phyllis read the customer’s request for a description of the return process, so she replied back with an e-mail about the process, and Phyllis professionally asked why the book was being returned.

WOW!

When the customer noted it was going to be used for a funeral, Phyllis replied back and told the customer that she had fully refunded the item.  She said that the customer could keep it for any future need or for a donation to a local charity.  The customer was floored – very grateful for and touched by Phyllis’ actions.

Phyllis was empowered to do what was right for the customer, even if that meant giving an unsolicited refund due to special circumstances.  She showed heart, the customer showed appreciation, and that positive story will be told over and over and over again.

When a customer has an issue or a return or a concern, ask enough questions to understand the story, and there are times that what you learn can lead to a great customer experience.

Your willingness to ask a simple question can enable you to provide exceptional service.

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