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G.A.B. – The Survey Guiding Principles - 3/28/23


You’re excited!  The company has okayed your conducting a survey, and you immediately think of a half dozen questions you want to ask every customer.  You document your questions, get input from others, and all of a sudden you have a Word document with 36 questions instead of 6.  Read more

Build Your Shield - 3/21/23


When the customer complains or the boss gets upset, when the negativity gets too personal or you get that unprofessional e-mail from the angry client - those are the times when we can feel hurt.  Those are the times when we in customer service roles can feel that physical Read more

Avoid the Aggravation; Confirm the Key Point - 3/14/23


In this age of instant information and auto-completion of texts or e-mails, we are quick to get one thing done and move on to the next thing.  Technology often helps us to complete our work more quickly.  Yes, there’s even AI technology that’s starting to wreak havoc on the Read more

Frame the Ways to Get Back Your Customer - 3/7/23


Every organization that gains customers is in a position to lose customers.  For the sports organization, it’s the lost account holder.  For the healthcare provider, it’s the member who enrolls with the competitor at the end of the year.  The retailer, the software provider, the financial services firm – Read more

RELATE to Your Customers - 2/28/23


One of the more interesting processes we go through with some clients is the development of Customer Service Standards.  One might think that the expectations that organizations have of their staff are pretty consistent when it comes to customer service and relationship-building.  However, the Standards are often unique because Read more

Show Progress to the Customer - 2/21/23


When I enter the Chick-fil-A drive-thru lines, there are typically 10-15 cars ahead of me.  The cars move slowly but surely.  Employees take your order.  Others confirm your order.  Others provide the food.  In a study conducted a couple years ago, Chick-fil-A was noted as having the longest drive-thru Read more

Provide the Promise of Patience and Kindness - 2/14/23


Patience and kindness go a long way in life, and they go a really long way in customer service, as well.  These are two of the harder qualities to exemplify in customer service, particularly when you are spinning multiple plates, have a backlog of work or calls or contacts Read more

When You Can’t Say “Yes to the Address” - 2/7/23


I was interviewing a frontline staff person for one of our local government clients recently as part of our CSS Training Development Process.  They described their customers and the difficult situations that they face, their tougher conversations with customers. This individual supports local events, so there’s a lot of planning involved.  Read more

How to Fix Other People’s Problems - 1/31/23


I was helping a friend navigate some healthcare processes recently, so I conducted a 3-way call with my friend and the physician practice to try to get things cleared up.  The employee I spoke with on the phone - let’s call her Katie. There had been poor communication between different Read more

What to do When You’re in the Middle - 1/24/23


Bob and Sarah are arguing, and you’re in the middle.  Bob’s an employee, and Sarah is a customer, and they have a difference of opinion.  Somehow you’re involved even though you didn’t have anything to do with the interaction in question, the complaint being addressed.  You find yourself being Read more

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React, Reflect, Respond – 6/16/20

Posted on June 16, 2020 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Sometimes you can’t help it. You gasp. You get upset. You get angry. You have this look of shock on your face. You say something defensive. You react.

I love people who are in customer service roles. These are the folks that people say things to in the business world that you wouldn’t expect. They are dealing with rude and obnoxious customers, odd situations, and complaints they didn’t cause. The topic and the person that they’re having to deal with can change literally minute-by-minute.

And through it all, these customer service stars try to be caring to that other person. They try to be selfless. They try to balance the company, the customer, and the co-worker.

But even customer service stars aren’t perfect, and they should not expect themselves to be perfect.

We’re all human, and we all react. The difference between people who are truly great in customer service and those who are simply in a customer service job is that those who are great may follow-up that natural reaction with reflection and a response based on that reflection.

The reflection involves understanding the situation, quickly understanding your own role, and then trying to create empathy in the moment for that other individual. The reflection is looking back on the similar experiences you have encountered in the past, the training you’ve received, and identifying the best ways to handle this unique situation.

That reflection is followed in the response – one where the combination of body language and tone of voice and the words you use and how you engage others is done in a thoughtful, professional, and solution-oriented manner.

Those who are great in customer service react naturally. We all do because we’re all human. But those who are dealing with these trying situations and these challenging customers are great at not letting that reaction continue unabated through the conversation. Reflection leading to a thoughtful response is what separates the good from the great.

React, Reflect, Respond.

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