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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

Identify Your Point of Empathy - 1/20/26


I was watching a webinar recently on empathy.  The speaker mentioned that empathy - to a large extent - is something that you are born with.  It’s something that’s very difficult to learn.  And while I agree that some people are predisposed to being empathetic and understanding of others Read more

Pressure is a Privilege, but... - 1/13/26


When athletes are asked about the pressure of a playoff match or a late-game situation, many times they will say that “pressure is a privilege.”  In other words, usually pressure exists because you’re in a match that matters most.  It exists because you are a player put in a Read more

While I’ve Got You on the Phone… - 1/6/26


I’m a big planner.  Whether it’s strategic planning or planning out the year or planning my week first thing on a Monday morning, I like to plan.  I do this because it gets all of my action items documented and ensures that I have some understanding of what I Read more

Pass the Quick Impression Test - 12/30/25


Some studies have shown that people create an impression of you in less than a second when they first meet you face-to-face.  Other studies have shown that that initial impression can take up to 7 seconds.  Regardless, first impressions are quick.  First impressions are not always the lasting impression, Read more

2025 Holiday Poem - 12/23/25


We hear the word change And that change can be good, But we like things to stay same, And sometimes they should.   The weather can be wet And then dry as a bone. We know things will change, Even if all left alone.   Our customers change. Our co-workers do, too. It seems like our resources Are often too few.   The technology Read more

Make the Long Wait Feel Shorter - 12/16/25


When Greg entered the Tax Office, he was thinking only about two things: (1) How he was going to get the tax value on his home reduced, and (2) Whether the wait would be 1 hour or 2.  He checked in with the navigator who asked a few questions, Read more

When Kindness Means More in Customer Service - 12/9/25


Since a large part of the work we do at CSS includes customer research, we have seen tens of thousands of comments over the years about staff, and it is great to hear the positives that customers, fans, and account holders say about our clients’ team members. One word that Read more

Don’t Create the Second Complaint - 12/2/25


Maria was upset.  Rightfully so.  The product delivery was delayed, she couldn’t get anybody on the phone, and nobody would reply to her e-mails.  So, she went down to the store, and she found a customer service representative. After the initial greeting, the employee listened to Maria’s complaint.  While Maria Read more

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Before Getting into Social Media Customer Service, Do This

Posted on November 1, 2011 in Business Advice, World of Customer Service Please leave a comment

Why Social Media Customer Service? Because if you’re not in it, you’ll be left behind…no, that’s not credible. Because everybody wants their customer service through Twitter or Facebook…uh…no they don’t. Because in this day and age, all your customers are constantly in Social Media…well, not really.

In your personal life, I sure hope you don’t do things for the sake of doing them. You don’t quit your job to create a startup just because all your buddies are doing so. You don’t drop out of college because Gates and Jobs did so. You don’t skydive without a parachute because someone told you what “an awesome rush” it is.

When you do something significant in life or in business, do it with a purpose.

Getting into Social Media Customer Service is no different. Companies who are investing in consulting, resources, and technology to get into Social Media Customer Service typically do it for several reasons including (1) To protect their brand, (2) To reduce cost/unit of providing customer service, (3) To be more responsive, (4) To meet their Social Media-savvy customers where they’re located and/or where they’ve purchased, (5) To improve retention and sales.

You have to have a reason to enter Social Media Customer Service, because the people, process, technology, and cultural costs will be expended upfront before the benefits are realized down the road.

One aspect of Social Media Customer Service that everyone should agree on is this – get your current customer service processes, policy, and training in place and effective before you migrate them to Social Media. If your back office support functions are slow and of poor quality, Social Media will just speed up how quickly the customer realizes those shortcomings. If your people are poorly trained, Social Media creates more real-time interactions where that training is less masked by slower Q&A processes. If your policies are unclear, Social Media will facilitate the spread of misinformation more quickly.

Before diving into Social Media Customer Service, get your current customer service house in order.

Read our New Book – “Ask Yourself…Am I GREAT at Customer Service?” http://www.amigreatat.com/

Listen to our latest podcast episode of “Stepping Up Service” on The MESH Network at http://themesh.tv/stepping-up-service/

Interested in improving your company’s customer service? See more at our new website! http://www.cssamerica.com/


Common Issues Among “10 Most Hated Companies…”

Posted on July 13, 2011 in Business Advice, World of Customer Service Please leave a comment

While the American Customer Satisfaction Index may not use the word “hated,” the author of the Examiner article did. Essentially, the 10 companies noted are the lowest rated by the ACSI. They include PEPCO, Delta, Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Charter, US Airways, United Airlines, American Airlines, MY SPACE, and Facebook. So it’s Airlines, Telecomm/Utilities, and Social Networking…oh my!

With these 3 industry types, there should be some common issues, and there are several. Some of the most prevalent points are poor customer service, not even doing the bare minimum a customer would expect like keeping systems functioning, billing or fee-based issues, and excessive waits.

So the lessons are clear:

· Set expectations with customers, and meet at least the most basic level of these expectations.

· Charge what you said you’d charge, don’t raise rates without a good reason, and convey the good reason if it exists.

· Have processes that work – don’t bill incorrectly, don’t make the customer wait excessively – particularly if they’re waiting to address a problem you caused.

· Deliver customer service that conveys you care about the customer, their time, and their need or issue.

Being the bottom rated in customer satisfaction is an honor no business wants. To receive more positive recognition, these companies need to learn these key lessons.

Which of these lessons can you apply to your business…or yourself?

Read our New Book – “Ask Yourself…Am I GREAT at Customer Service?” http://www.amigreatat.com/

Interested in improving your company’s customer service? See more at our new website! http://www.cssamerica.com/


India Wants Immediacy in Customer Service

Posted on June 1, 2011 in Business Advice Please leave a comment

Immediacy. That’s what it’s about. Immediacy.

In the just published Customer service goes social in India article, a survey showed that consumers in India are using Social Media to complain directly to companies (not just about, but to companies). Their rate of interaction (44%) directly with companies is much higher than in the UK and US.

Why? Immediacy. The long wait times to get a company representative on the phone is so aggravating that consumers prefer to go to Social Media. The ease with which complaints can be voiced via Facebook and Twitter, the speed of sending the message (literally and figuratively), and the speed of expected response are much faster via Social Media.

So customers want speed. They want to be able to vent. They want to be able to interact with a business, a person. They want resolution…fast.

With customer expectations changing, speeding up, what are you doing to speed up your organization’s response rate? Do you measure speed of answer (not just on the phone) via your website, via e-mail, via Social Media, in your storefront?

You should. Your customers have an internal clock, and it’s always ticking.

Understand customer expectations. Measure performance. Improve…continuously. Do it with…immediacy.

Read our New Book – “Ask Yourself…Am I GREAT at Customer Service?” http://www.amigreatat.com/

Interested in improving your company’s customer service? See more at our new website! http://www.cssamerica.com/


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