encouragement | Customer Service Solutions, Inc.

Home  /  2019 Holiday Poem – 12/24/19  /  encouragement

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

It Helps to Downshift - 3/11/25


One of the first tips I heard when I was learning how to drive related to what to do when the brakes fail - downshift.  Shifting into a lower gear can slow down a moving vehicle.  I would explain this in technical terms to you, but considering I’m not Read more

Patience is… - 3/4/25


Patience is a…pain in the neck.  Why is it so hard to be patient?  Those of us who work in customer service know that we constantly have to show patience with our customers.  We’re ready to move to the next step or the solution because we’ve heard this issue Read more

Everybody Doesn’t - 2/25/25


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 Read more

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


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 Read more

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


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 Read more

Create Awareness of Alternatives - 2/4/25


Sandy was hungry, and she was on the move.  Driving between meetings, she saw the restaurant sign and pulled in.  The fast-food restaurant had two drive-thru lanes.  One was for any customer who wanted to place an order on the spot. The other was for mobile orders only.  The Read more

Listen with Your Eyes - 1/28/25


Out of the corner of his eye, Patrick saw the customer enter the lobby.  The customer was carrying a large shoulder bag with several papers in her hand.  The customer was shuffling the papers and looking down; then she stopped, looked up, and saw the staff navigator sitting at Read more

•••••

2019 Holiday Poem – 12/24/19

Posted on December 24, 2019 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

There is joy absolutely everywhere,

Sometimes you just need to look for it.

There are birds and babies.

There are flowers and sweet older ladies.

You just have to look for them.

People hold doors open for others, with smiles.

There are days when you can see for miles.

You just have to look for them.

There are friends and family to hug with abundant laughter.

There are gifts to give, and thanks to offer.

You just have to look for them.

There is fresh air to breathe,

Pets to pet,

Books to read.

There are bright eyes to see…

You just have to look for them.

There is joy out there. Look for it if you want to find it. Provide it, and you will receive it.

Signup for FREE Tips!    Contact Us    More Resources for You    Visit Our Home Page


Encourage the Customer – 12/17/19

Posted on December 17, 2019 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Everybody sing with me:  Feelings, whoa whoa whoa, feelings…

Excellent old song, and be thankful that I’m just writing the words and not singing to you.  While not all of us are comfortable with discussing feelings, feelings are an important part of the customer experience.

No, you can’t make someone feel a certain way, but there are things you can do or say that help to engender certain kinds of feelings.  That’s why we talk about conveying appreciation for the customer, so they will hopefully feel valued and important.

You also want customers to feel comfortable with your business and confident in their experience with you.  You want them feeling positively about the relationship.  Much of their perceptions about you and your organization, much of their decision-making about whether to stick with your company is about their feelings.

To build their comfort and confidence, consider encouraging your customers (as well as your co-workers).  Encourage them for what they’ve done:  You’ve made great progress. OR I’m impressed with what you’ve done.

Encourage them for what they will do:  Thanks for moving this forward. OR Thanks for taking leadership on this item.

Encourage them for who they are:  I appreciate your great attitude and energy. OR I appreciate you bringing so many productive ideas to us!

To engender positive feelings, encourage the customer.

Signup for FREE Tips!    Contact Us    More Resources for You    Visit Our Home Page


Words of Encouragement – From You and For You – 8/8/17

Posted on August 8, 2017 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment


Comfort and Confidence. These are qualities you want to build in your customers. Their comfort level in working with your organization. Their confidence in you and your business.

And these are qualities staff generally want as well – to be comfortable and confident. When I note that employees want to be comfortable, I’m not saying comfort to the point of being unchallenged or apathetic. I’m saying comfortable enough in the environment where they can be open in sharing their views and ideas, and be open to hearing the perspectives of others as well.

It’s best to have comfortable and confident customers and co-workers because trust is more easily created, relationships are more fully developed, and loyalty is more easily engendered.

So let’s address how to build comfort and confidence by simply being encouraging of others. You could tell customers:

  • You completed the first step in the registration process – good job!
  • You did everything right so far! We just have one more step.
  • You asked excellent questions or That’s a great question!
  • You’re making great progress.
  • You’re definitely doing your part.
  • You called the right number.

For co-workers, you could say:

  • You’re always so organized.
  • You made this process so easy for me.
  • Thanks for being so responsive.
  • Your preparation made the process flow very smoothly.
  • I love how you handled that situation.
  • Great job on the report!

Why are we talking about words of encouragement? Because they convey appreciation, and they also reinforce positive words and actions of the person you’re speaking with – words and actions you’d like to see repeated. So those words of encouragement actually help you as well. Your encouragement creates an environment where the other person is more comfortable and confident that what they did (those words and actions that made YOUR life a little better) is something they should do again.

Offer Words of Encouragement to help others build comfort and confidence.

Signup for FREE Tips!    Contact Us    More Resources for You    Visit Our Home Page