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Talk Yourself Up to Take Down Their Anxiety - 7/29/25


I believe that most customer service people are pretty humble, so I’m not asking you to lose your humility.  But I do have one ask of you… When that customer is anxious or nervous, when they fear the future because the future is unknown or it could be laced with Read more

Use Little Acts to Make a Big Impact - 7/22/25


A WOW Experience is not always one instance, one act that blows away the customer.  It’s not always an over-the-top-the-employee-saved-the-day act of brilliance.  Sometimes a WOW is the sum total of a series of little things that others don’t do – those actions that differentiate you from others.  The Read more

Avoid Some Stress by Addressing Issues Quickly - 7/15/25


It’s good customer service to resolve issues quickly.  The customer sees the light at the end of the tunnel.  They more quickly bring their anxiety and stress, their negative emotions down.  And they more quickly get to a solution. But this tip is not about them.  This tip is about Read more

Better Customer Service through Better Teamwork - 7/8/25


We spend so much time talking about what great customer service looks like in those 1-on-1 Moments of Truth, that we often neglect to discuss what goes on inside the company that leads to those great moments.  We’ve talked about customer handoffs within an organization, but what does a Read more

Highlight the Hidden Value - 7/1/25


Marketing campaigns often highlight a particular product and ALL the features and extras that the customer will receive… “For 3 low, low payments of only $39.99, you not only get these world-renowned chef knives, but you can also get this free laser-etched spatula!  AND THAT’S NOT ALL!  We will also Read more

Don’t Harp on the Customer’s Mistake - 6/24/25


Seth’s daughter, Sarah, had missed some swim classes, and Seth remembered that the aquatics center had several make-up classes available late in the summer.  So Seth pulled up the class schedule on his phone, found one that worked on his and Sarah’s schedules, and planned to attend a session Read more

Create Customers for Life - 6/17/25


Veronica has gone to the same automotive service shop for at least 20 years.  She bought a new car about a year ago, and this is the third car she’s brought to the shop instead of taking her car to the dealer where she bought it.  She’s had three Read more

Don’t Turn the Customer into the QA Department - 6/10/25


Roberta received a form with information filled in by the company after her conversation with the account rep.  Roberta just needed to review the information, fill in some of the blanks, sign it, and resend it in order to set up a new account. She noticed that the effective date Read more

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

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Give Away the House – Now THAT’S Fan Relations!

Posted on September 21, 2010 in Business Advice, Sports Please leave a comment

In the article titled “Penguins offer freebie game with job-hunting twist,” the Associated Press describes a pre-season program where attendees to an exhibition game of the National Hockey League’s Pittsburgh Penguins will attend free (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j6iKWLJLaijtjwodlAwtulAtXjzgD9IAENCG1). That’s right, 18,000 fans and $0 in ticket revenue.

About 8,000 of the tickets will be given out so fans can attend an “in-game” job fair. The other 10,000 tickets will be donated to local children’s charities and youth hockey leagues.

While I’m not suggesting great Fan Relations requires you to give away the house for free, there are positive lessons to be learned even if you can’t forego the lost ticket revenue.

First, not everything has to be an immediate benefit to your organization; understand that nurturing the customers of tomorrow is important to any organization’s long-term strategy. It’s about the long-term relationship, not the one-time transaction.

Second, if you invite the child, the parent will come (or at least show an interest and appreciation as well).

Third, know your customers and their situations. With the economy like it is today, what will attract more people who are not normally hockey fans – a Sidney Crosby bobblehead or a job interview?

Fourth, find ways to make the community as a whole a fan of yours. Find a niche where you can give back; give back for the good of the community today; it will bear fruit for you down the road.

Learn from the 2010 ESPN #1 rated Fan Relations organization (the Penguins)…even if you don’t have 18,000 free products or services to give away.

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

Check out our new customer service book at http://www.amigreatat.com/


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