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Imitate to Improve - 6/3/25


Oscar Wilde said that “Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.”  Now this doesn’t mean that plagiarism is the sincerest form of flattery.  Nor does it mean that great impersonators such as Rich Little, Dana Carvey, or Frank Caliendo are always offering flattering portrayals of those that they imitate. Wilde’s Read more

How the Customer Perceives a Truth as a Lie - 5/27/25


You’re the customer, you’re asking about an unused item that you’re returning, and you hear the employee say: “The refund process takes 7-10 days.”  You’re thinking: “Great!  I can get the refund check as early as a week from today!”  The reality is that the company means that they’ll Read more

Tell Customers What’s Next - 5/20/25


In most businesses that have been around for a while, how a process was originally designed is not how it currently operates.  Sometimes this change is referred to as “practical drift,” where the actual process moves further and further away from the documented steps over time.  Maybe the changes Read more

Questions to Guide You to Empathy - 5/13/25


“If I was him, I would do ABC…” If you’ve ever heard somebody say this - whether it’s a friend or acquaintance, whether it’s some TV reporter or podcaster - you may get as frustrated or as annoyed as I do. I get annoyed because we are not that other person. Read more

Negate the Nervousness - 5/6/25


The customer needed a loan, so he walked into the bank, but he was a little nervous.  He knew that launching his business would be easier if he had some working capital, but that’s about all he knew.  He was anxious because he didn’t know what to expect in Read more

Don’t Rush to Resolve Quickly - 4/29/25


The customer is angry, so you use the CSS LEAD technique as designed.  You, listen, empathize, accept responsibility, and deliver on a remedy.  But it doesn’t work.  The customer is still upset, and maybe even a little more frustrated than when you started…why?! If the use of this technique fails, Read more

Energy v. Apathy - 4/22/25


I asked a couple friends who are much more scientifically-oriented the question: What is energy?  I didn’t mean E=MC2.  I meant physiologically, what is energy? They described a lot of things that sounded really good, yet far too advanced for my non-medical mind. Part of the reason why energy is of Read more

Prep Enough to Personalize - 4/15/25


Everybody loves Howie.  He is an account rep for the local air conditioning and heating company.  When I say Everybody loves Howie, I’m definitely talking about the customers.  His co-workers love him too, but customers are especially fond of him.  They seem to really enjoy their conversations with him, Read more

Get Your Customers to Brag, Not Bolt - 4/8/25


Here are two customer retention concepts that we discuss with some sports clients: BIRG and CORF.  BIRG is Basking In Reflected Glory.  CORF is Cutting Off Reflected Failure. You want BIRG.  You want the customers feeling so good about your organization that they want to be a part of your Read more

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

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Don’t Rush to Resolve Quickly – 4/29/25

Posted on April 29, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

The customer is angry, so you use the CSS LEAD technique as designed.  You, listen, empathize, accept responsibility, and deliver on a remedy.  But it doesn’t work.  The customer is still upset, and maybe even a little more frustrated than when you started…why?!

If the use of this technique fails, the biggest reason is usually that the employee wanted to get out of the conversation FAST.  The employee is uncomfortable in these situations, and they don’t like to deal with the irate customers, so they try to quickly remove themselves from the situation.  And the employee usually – sincerely – believes that quick resolution is what the customer wants, so quick resolution means a fast conversation, right?

Not necessarily. The employee has to be patient to get a quick resolution.

Whether the employee is trying to extricate themselves from the conversation or help the customer get that quick resolution, the most frequent drawback in taking those perspectives is that they try to navigate the conversation too fast.  The employee talks fast.  They don’t give the customer enough time to vent.  They quickly go to a solution without learning the facts.  They interrupt the customer.  They say “I’m sorry” so early on and so quickly that the sincerity is lost.  The employee tries to end the conversation before the customer’s emotions start to calm down.  The employee takes control with speed rather than taking control with well-worded questions.

Quick resolution is a clear goal of most customers, but the best way to get there involves listening, empathizing, and being patient enough to ask the right questions so you can present the right solution.  Speeding to an end rarely ends well.

Don’t Rush to Resolve Quickly.

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

Posted on October 29, 2024 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

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 seem to be perfect devices that are perfectly installed.

There are issues with the dishwasher not draining.  Certain settings aren’t working.  The water is not heating.  Installation was done incorrectly, leaving holes in the wall behind the dishwasher that are big enough for little varmints to squeeze through.  There are dishes that come out and are not clean, utensils with food still on them…ick!

When Monique had one of these issues, the repair tech was able to come out the same day.  Unfortunately, there was no part available.  But the repair tech was able to place the part order while at Monique’s house.  There was going to be a 4 day wait, but every day the tech would send a quick text or e-mail to Monique, either describing an update on the timing of the part delivery, discussing the repair process and timing, or confirming Monique’s availability for the tech to come back and fix the dishwasher.

Monique had no control over the tech, and the tech had no control over the speed of getting the part delivered.  But there was consistent communication, consistent updates, consistent description of next steps.

When the part arrived, the tech was able to get to Monique’s house quickly because he knew of her availability and she was awaiting the scheduling text.  He was able to fix it quickly, in part because she knew how she needed to clear space in the kitchen for him.  And it was done correctly, because he had brushed up on the most expeditious and quality way to install that part.

Even when you don’t have the perfect part or the perfect timing, there are opportunities to still provide near perfect customer service.

Fix the problem without creating another one.

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