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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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Harvey Wrote the Book on Focus…and Golf – 5/14/19

Posted on May 14, 2019 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

In Harvey Penick’s Little Red Book, the famous golf instructor provides many key tips about golf that just as well could apply to life in general. One such tip is the following: Once you address the golf ball, hitting it has got to be the most important thing in your life at that moment. Shut out all thoughts other than picking out a target and taking dead aim at it. This is a good way to calm a case of nerves.

I love this quote for so many reasons. First, the quote relates to life and customer service. When we’re interacting with that customer during that 1-on-1 moment of truth, we need to view that customer in that situation as the most important thing in our life at that moment. To convey we are engaged and we care, we need to truly believe that that other individual and their situation are important. Even if – in the grand scheme of things – it is not THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THE WORLD to you, at that moment, you need to focus on it AS IF IT WAS the most important thing.

The next aspect of this phrase that I love is that you are shutting out all other thoughts. We might think we can serve a customer the best while we’re simultaneously looking at a computer or thinking about a project we have due later on, but the reality is that the brain works best and we communicate best with others when we are focused exclusively on that individual.

Finally, he sums up by saying that this is a good way to calm a case of nerves. One thing that people don’t realize is that there is a greater sense of calm if we are in-the-moment than there is if we’re thinking about tomorrow. You’re more likely to be stressed if you’re thinking about 12 other things you have to do or what might happen next or all the other stimulations that are in the environment.

If we only focus on the now, there is less to distract and less to disturb the calm.

The next time you’re on the phone or face-to-face with another individual, view that interaction as the most important thing at that moment. Treat them that way, and watch the communications flow better, the conversations end more quickly, and your emotions stay calmer.

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Every Moment is an Opportunity – 1/24/17

Posted on January 24, 2017 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment


It’s a “Moment of Truth.” That’s a phrase used in customer service to typically describe when we’re one-on-one with the customer, and how we react or respond or engage the customer in that situation is make or break.

Do we build a relationship through our actions or tear it down? Do we engender loyalty or drive the customer away? Do we create “Raving Fans,” or do we develop detractors?

When we view that “Moment of Truth” phrase in these terms, it can seem ominous. It can create pressure. It can cause us to focus on “not doing something wrong” in that moment, causing you to hold back or do little proactively.

To help us get in a Success Mindset, let’s view every one of these moments as an opportunity:

  • It’s a chance to get customers to love your organization.
  • It’s a situation that could create positive word-of-mouth.
  • It’s a chance for you to convey you care about someone.
  • It’s an opportunity to make someone smile.
  • It’s a moment that will set your business above competitors in the mind of this individual.
  • It’s a chance to help this person to feel valued.
  • It’s one of those moments where we can flip anger to appreciation.
  • Instead of “making a sale,” it’s an opportunity to “make a customer.”

 
Don’t let the importance of the customer service Moments of Truth overwhelm you and cause you to hold back.

View every moment as an opportunity.

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Great Customer Service is the Opposite of Election Politics – 10/11/16

Posted on October 11, 2016 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment


Is anyone tired of the U.S. elections already, even though they haven’t taken place yet?

At the national level and also at the local level, politics seems to be driven by an endless series of slogans, trite sayings, and jargon. They include brief words, phrases, or labels trying to get us to love one candidate or detest the other.

Candidates paint with broad brushes when describing ideologies, ethnicities, and characteristics of their opponent or those whose vote they want to impact.

Great Customer Service is different. In many ways, it’s the opposite. Great Customer Service is about the 1-on-1, not the categorization of the masses.

Great Customer Service requires that I must view you as an individual, a unique person with your own gifts and talents, your own issues and priorities. I cannot take you for granted based on how you look or what you say. I cannot judge you or your situation based on the question at hand or the manner in which you present yourself.

I can’t rely on the superficial. To be empathetic, to truly help, I need to be willing to go deeper. I need to care enough about you and your needs to ask questions, to listen, to allow you to paint the picture of the uniqueness of your situation.

I can’t force you into a group; I must allow you to create an impression of the unique you.

When trying to help someone, don’t let the superficial or their first impression result in your prejudging them – whether that judgement be good, bad, or indifferent.

To be great at customer service in those 1-on-1 moments of truth, strive to view the other person as one who is unique.

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