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2024 Holiday Poem - 12/24/24


I sometimes hear it said That things have never been like this before. That challenges are unique, That stresses seem like more.   I sometimes hear it said That we're asked to do much more with less. That workloads are increasing, And we're resource-constrained at best.   And others often say That things are really very good. That they enjoy those Read more

Is Their Poor Planning Your Emergency? - 12/17/24


Have you ever heard the saying:  Your poor planning is not my emergency. I’ve heard it said often – not necessarily directly from one person to another.  More typical is that I hear it from the person having to drop everything and do something immediately because someone else didn’t think Read more

Empathy Examples for Everyday Situations - 12/10/24


I’ve often said that empathy is the single most important characteristic of people who are great at customer service.  If empathy is essentially “to understand the other person,” it helps so much to have that ability in order to specifically help someone.  To talk to what’s unique about them.  Read more

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

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2020 Holiday Poem – 12/22/20

Posted on December 22, 2020 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

When in the role of customer service,
We are wired to give and give.
It’s built into our DNA.
It’s simply the way we live.

In order to give to others,
We need to find ways to give them their fill.
We need to pour empathy and openness into them.
To serve, we need to have that will.

But we can’t fill others to the point that we’re empty.
We cannot give if we’re down to the last drop.
We always need to find a new reservoir.
We need to make sure that the cracks and leaks will stop.

One of the greatest ways to refill our bucket
Is to have our share of hope.
One of the greatest ways to rebuild our energy
Is now within our reach and scope.

As you’re going through the holidays,
And you’re thinking about what is next,
Take hope in a healthier new year.
Take hope in lesser stress.

Take hope in more joys and successes.
Take joy in more rest and peace.
Take joys in a 2021
That should be better than this year, to say the least.

So, realize this is the time to fill your bucket.
This is a time to shout HOORAY!
For these holidays are a precursor
To what we hope to be better days.

Happy Holidays!

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The End of the Tunnel – 12/1/20

Posted on December 1, 2020 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Have you ever heard the expression:  There’s light at the end of the tunnel…

In this COVID-era world, it sure does feel like the tunnel is long, doesn’t it?  It sure feels like this is not a light that we’ll be at in 2 seconds after the train goes another 200 yards.  But the fact of the matter is, when you’re in a tunnel and you see light, no matter how dim the light is, it shows that there is an opening.  It’s irrefutable that the closer you get to the end of the tunnel, the bigger the light appears, and the brighter the light shines.

Same is true for when we’re going through difficult times at work.  Whether we were furloughed, lost clients, lost jobs, gained responsibilities with no additional support, or had to work from home without the best equipment to do so, COVID-19 has created its own tunnels.  But the idea of the light at the end of the tunnel is the concept of hope.  And if we focus each day on our difficulties and challenges, sometimes we can lose sight of that which gives us hope.

I was working with a client recently, and we talked about the importance of having a long-term vision, of having a goal, of having some collective rallying point that we could all move toward together.  That gives us hope.

I was listening to a Ted Talk last week, and the speaker talked about the importance of leaders being servant leaders, and he described servant leadership through a definition of what service to others means.  An interesting point he had was that if we have vision of what tomorrow will look like, it helps us to get through today.  That gives us hope.

So, a suggestion or question or a challenge I have for you as you go through your own personal or professional tunnel is to identify:  What is your goal? What is your vision of a more pleasing or productive or joy-filled tomorrow?

Take time to write it down, because it’s much easier to see the light at the end of the tunnel if we figure out what “light” means to us.

Find your own light at the end of the tunnel.

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Hope is a Powerful Word – 4/7/20

Posted on April 7, 2020 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

It was a typical daddy-daughter conversation. The two were just chatting about whatever a father and an 8-year old discuss, and the father decided to ask his daughter a question. What is your favorite word?

With no hesitation, the girl said “Hope.”

“What a great word!” the father replied.  He was happy with his daughter’s answer, and it was an encouraging sign.  Hope is an important word to her.

And the word Hope seems even more important, even more powerful when you look at some of the antonyms of Hope:  Despair, doubt, fear, distrust, discouragement.  Any word that is the opposite of those has to be pretty positive and pretty powerful!

Hope is not just an important word to an 8-year old, but it’s a powerful word for any of us if we understand what it means and we apply it to our daily lives.

As people who work in business, as people who serve others, we need to realize this word’s important to customers, as well.  There’s a level of uncertainty implied when using the word Hope, and I know in a lot of situations with customers, there’s no guarantee of what the next step will look like or what the result will be; there’s no certainty about whether some things will work or they will meet the timeline or happen in an exact way.

But it’s powerful to say to customers that We Hope this addresses your need. We Hope that this will resolve your issue. We Hope that you enjoy the experience. We Hope that the outcome will be what you need.

When we use Hope in this context, we are positioning ourselves on the customer’s side. We’re not just conveying what could happen, but we are conveying to the customer that we desire what they desire, that we want what is best for them.

The next time you explain a step or a process or what’s going to happen next to a customer, if you have any uncertainty about what will transpire or the impact it will have, convey some Hope.  Show that you not only know your stuff, but show that you want what’s best for them.

Let the customer know of your Hope for them.

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