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Bear with Me - 3/31/26


As a customer, you’ve probably called a company and heard the phrase “bear with me.”  At that point, you know there’s going to be some sort of delay.  The CSR is giving you a heads up that there’s going to be additional wait time.  Essentially, they are trying to Read more

Slowing Down the Fast Talker - 3/24/26


Jeffrey had always been told by his manager to figure out the issue quickly and wrap up the conversation as fast as possible.  So, Jeffrey was hyper-focused at finding that one key word that could identify the issue and help him to transition quickly to what might be some possible Read more

Don’t Bury the Lede - 3/17/26


Mary was working at the office, and she received an e-mail alert from the water company.  There was a water outage in her neighborhood.  It looked like it was going to be a couple hours to fix the issue. Sure enough, a few hours later around mid-afternoon, Mary received another Read more

Confirm the Real Issue Before You Start Solving - 3/10/26


Have you ever gone “down the rabbit hole?”  It involves going deep into some topic, some discussion – with analysis that creates complexity as much as it resolves it.  And that dive into the rabbit hole often starts with a simple question. Going down that rabbit hole takes time and Read more

One Question to Prevent a Follow-up Call - 3/3/26


The way some performance metrics work, you would think companies would prefer for their staff to talk to the same customer 4 times on the same topic for 8 minutes each rather than talking to them once for 10 minutes.  Many management metrics are too focused on average length Read more

Stay Calm When the Customer Isn’t - 2/24/26


There are all sorts of others’ emotions that you have to deal with as a customer service professional.  The other person could be anxious or upset, they could be angry or agitated.  It can run the gamut of emotions, but for you to deal with them in the best Read more

Don’t Begin with the Dead End in Mind - 2/17/26


Habit #2 of Stephen Covey’s “Seven Habits of Highly Successful People” is “Begin with the End in Mind.”  It speaks to the need to have a clear vision or goal for what you’re trying to ultimately achieve, so you understand the purpose of what you’re doing.  It helps you Read more

Explain without Over Explaining - 2/10/26


The customer has a question, and we have an answer.  They need to learn something, and we’re in the position to be the educator.  There’s a process they have to go through, and we need them to understand. We know so much, and we could impart so much, but sometimes Read more

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

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When You Take Away a Takeaway

Posted on September 18, 2013 in Business Advice, Sports 1 Comment

I went to a Carolina Panthers game with a friend a couple weeks back, and he told me how he has a box with all the tickets to all the events he’s attended over the years. The problem is that nowadays, you don’t get physical tickets as often – you might print them off the web, but it’s just not the same.

We like the tangible, the feeling of holding something in our hands – as a sports fan, we like having the ticket, the game time guide, the souvenir cup – something tangible to take away from the experience. It’s a physical reminder of a memory.

So when sports fans have that takeaway taken away, sports organizations need to think about the value of that tangible reminder of the experience, the memory it represents, and the memorabilia aspect to it.

In the article The Caps season-ticket holder box, Washington Post blogger Dan Steinberg notes “Sports fans love those beautiful, fancy, full-color, heavy-stock tickets they used to receive. Many season-ticket holders described with joy their excitement upon receiving their tickets each winter, how they would immediately take them out, and stare at the pretty pictures, and hold that thick paper in their hands.”

He then addresses how one team – the Washington Capitals NHL team – has addressed that by sending out a STH package without the tickets. Check out the article to see their approach and the perks they provide.

Just as with any customers (sports fans or not), when you get ready to take something away (even if it’s simply a ticket), think about this from the customer’s perspective. How will they feel? How will they interpret the action? What will this say about your organization? Then determine how to communicate the decision and what else you might be able to provide in its place to lessen the loss.

Learn some Capital lessons from this takeaway being taken away.

Interested in improving your organization’s fan retention and revenue? See our other blog posts at: http://serviceadvice.cssamerica.com/category/sports/

Learn about our CSS Sports services at: http://cssamerica.com/csssport.htm


Fan Equity – The Latest Study…Clear as Mud

Posted on August 29, 2013 in Business Advice, Sports Please leave a comment

Emory University recently published results of their “NFL Fan Equity” study. In the study, they evaluate and rank the 32 teams’ fan bases. You may wonder how your team ranks, but prior to getting too involved and passionate about the results (the study has been hammered by fans since its publication), let’s first define what the study addresses.

It ranks teams by their fan’s “equity”…okay…what does that mean? It means loyalty…but teams that are ranked in the middle of the pack continually sell-out. It means revenue in relation to wins…so that means that teams that win a lot can’t have the highest rank.

The problem here is definition – in any research, you’re going to get push back if the reader doesn’t like the results, particularly if you can’t clearly define the basis for the conclusions. If we were to do a study based on loyalty, we could look at season ticket holder renewal rates, or we could look at waiting list for season tickets, or we could simply ask fans (which this study doesn’t do) about their relative fan affinity.

So what in the world is “equity” – usually that either deals with equality/fairness or financial equity such as the amount of stock an individual owns. I assume they’re speaking of the latter, but it’s not clear when they toss in words like “loyalty” and “fan support.”

When you embark on any research project, keep two things in mind. First, know your goal. What are you trying to learn? What are you trying to accomplish with the results? How are you going to clearly communicate findings, conclusions, and recommendations?

Second, ask the customer. Don’t make evaluations of the customer (especially about their affinity, loyalty, renewal likelihood, growth opportunities, etc.) without asking them.

When you look to research your fan base, begin with the end in mind…and ask the customer directly.

Interested in improving your organization’s fan retention and revenue? See our other blog posts at: http://serviceadvice.cssamerica.com/category/sports/

Learn about our CSS Sports services at: http://cssamerica.com/csssport.htm


Don’t Buck the Broncos’ Approach to Fan Relations

Posted on January 24, 2013 in Business Advice, Sports Please leave a comment

Leadership needs to be involved in customer relations, especially when things go bad. We often say that even the best strategies and initiatives put in place to create a customer service culture can fail if management doesn’t practice what they preach.

In the article Broncos owner Pat Bowlen e-mails ticket holders after ‘gut-wrenching’ loss, the writer addresses a communication sent to season ticket holders where the Denver Broncos owner appears to do two things very well. First, he empathizes with the customer, noting “I feel terrible for our players, coaches and staff…but most importantly, my heart aches for you.” He then tries to get the fans (and probably himself) focused on the future by stating “As we move forward, I am extremely optimistic with the future of our team.”

This is a positive example of how a leader could (and should) insert himself into a major customer relations issue. He proactively and directly communicates, empathizes, and redirects the focus to the future.

Now I’m not suggesting that leadership needs to constantly be involved in the role of “customer relations representative,” because – frankly – many business leaders are ill-equipped to know how to defuse a 1-on-1 situation, how to effectively communicate, how to empathize with their customer, and how to be responsive to needs.

But when issues arise, don’t buck the Broncos’ approach to fan relations. Appropriately involve leaders in communicating the empathy and the future vision.

Interested in improving your organization’s customer service? See more at http://www.cssamerica.com/


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