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When They Might Walk Out the Door…Permanently- 7/21/26


Have you ever had one of those conversations with the customer where they literally tell you they’re about to stop doing business with your company?  This is it.  They may bring up a competitor or found another way to get their need met, or they are just leaving. When we Read more

Transparency in Customer Service- 7/14/26


We’ve worked with a lot of clients in the local government sector, and many of these clients have Customer Service Standards and/or corporate values that include Transparency. Think about an old-fashioned transparency sheet, that malleable see-through page you put on an overhead projector.  You can see everything on one side Read more

See the Customer’s Journey from Their Perspective- 7/7/26


That customer is face-to-face with you right now, and you are fielding their questions or delivering your service to them.  And oftentimes and understandably, we are so immersed in the moment that we don’t think about what came before or think enough about what comes next. But in the life Read more

Gaining the Benefits of the Greeter- 6/30/26


Most likely, we’ve all entered some establishment – a retail store, restaurant, or service center - when there is a greeter at the door.  The most famous greeter position is probably the Walmart greeter.  I often thought that my father-in-law would have been a fantastic Walmart greeter, because he Read more

Seamlessness - Why the Customer Thanked You - 6/23/26


This doesn’t happen enough nowadays, but the employee received a long thank you e-mail from the customer.  A financial services account manager had taken care of the client during a period of time that was stressful for the customer. Life was unexpectedly changing quickly, and personal emotions, additional financial responsibilities, Read more

When to Avoid the Escalation - 6/16/26


The customer calls with a complaint, and the easy thing to do is to escalate it to your supervisor. That may also be the right thing to do, but how do you know when to avoid the escalation? Why You Would Escalate The first thing to consider is why you would Read more

Let’s be Clear on Clarity - 6/9/26


When trying to manage expectations, it’s vital to be clear with the customer.  But what specifically does it mean to be “clear?” Clarity is in the eyes and ears of the beholder, so what may be clear to one customer may be unclear to another.  However, there are some basic Read more

Allow Yourself to Solve a Couple Puzzles Every Day - 6/2/26


Frank had never been a dog owner before, and when he first got Bosco at the shelter, Frank didn't really know what he was doing.  He would try to be a good parent - feed the dog, play with it, take it on walks - but he was doing Read more

Improve with a Purpose - 5/26/26


If you’re reading these customer service tips, you likely want to get better.  You want an idea, a technique, a reinforcement, or a question that helps you improve. But why improve? At some point you may waver on the commitment to improve, because it can take effort, introspection, time, and change.  Read more

Reciprocate the Thanks - 5/19/26


Jasmine had a great experience with the company, and the company sent her a link to provide an online evaluation following the visit.  So, she clicked the link, gave a rating, and made a comment about her experience. The company monitored their online reviews, saw the positive response, and replied Read more

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When They Might Walk Out the Door…Permanently- 7/21/26

Posted on July 21, 2026 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

Have you ever had one of those conversations with the customer where they literally tell you they’re about to stop doing business with your company?  This is it.  They may bring up a competitor or found another way to get their need met, or they are just leaving.

When we say “Moments of Truth” in customer service, this is about the ultimate Moment of Truth.  They are at a tipping point, and how you handle this conversation can determine whether they stay or truly go.

There are so many factors that are at play that it’s difficult to concisely address them all in a brief tip.  But let’s at least talk about one of the most important aspects to this conversation – finding out the Why.

Consider the Potential Whys

Is it because of a bad or a stale relationship, or maybe issues with a product or service?  It could have been the pricing or technology or perceived lack of value.  Maybe it’s about the customer experience, or a competitor just reached out with some enticing pitch or offer.

Whatever their priorities are – speed, responsiveness, quality, benefits and perks, access, consistency and predictability – they are not being met.

Gather Yourself and Respond

When you’re in this situation, in this Moment of Truth, don’t panic.  Take a deep breath, and professionally and respectfully start searching for the why.  Use phrases like “I’m sorry to hear that this is something you’re considering…” OR “Help me understand…” OR “We definitely would love to keep you as our customer, so please share more about but you’re thinking and some of the reasons for it.”

In other words, convey empathy.  Don’t get defensive.  Seek to understand before making some grand sales pitch.  Convey your desire to keep them as a customer, and gain a deeper understanding of their decision-making process.

When faced with a customer who is stating that they’re getting ready to leave, downshift your emotions, convey your interest in them, and seek to understand.

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When to Avoid the Escalation – 6/16/26

Posted on June 16, 2026 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

The customer calls with a complaint, and the easy thing to do is to escalate it to your supervisor. That may also be the right thing to do, but how do you know when to avoid the escalation?

Why You Would Escalate

The first thing to consider is why you would escalate.

Is it that you don’t have the authority or responsibility to make the policy or process exception that the customer requests – or that’s needed to address the issue?

On this particular topic, you may not have the experience or skills needed to identify and implement a resolution.  The customer could demand to talk to the supervisor, and their behavior could be teetering on abuse.

Is the situation too important not to escalate?  Maybe it’s that ultimate keep or lose the customer situation, and the risk is too great not to escalate.

Issues with Escalation

Now, if these are some of the top reasons to escalate the customer contact, it also becomes more clear when to avoid it.  Remember that escalations take more of the company’s time because two employees (you and your boss) are now involved.  Since a handoff is taking place, the customer may have to repeat themselves, so that takes more of the customer’s time and can frustrate them even more.  In the end, your supervisor may get frustrated about being brought into communications that they feel you should be able to address without them.

When to Avoid Escalation

If you have the authority and responsibility to address the issue, if you have dealt with a similar situation before or have the resources handy to guide you through the service recovery process, try to address instead of escalate.  If they’re being aggressive, first use your training to defuse the situation, lower the emotional temperature, and gain some control.  If you feel there’s risk of customer loss but you’re not certain, ask clarifying questions to gauge their concern levels instead of assuming this 1-time issue will be a long-term loss.

Then, if you can’t avoid it, bring in the supervisor, equipping them with the information you’ve gathered so they can more quickly help to resolve.

When dealing with the complaining customer, seek to avoid the escalation.

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Create Customers for Life – 6/17/25

Posted on June 17, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

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 different makes of car, yet she brings them all to the same service shop.  Veronica gets her routine service there, and if the car needs a repair, the employees explain what they’re going to do and why, and they give her options.  The repairs always seem to do the job.  She trusts the team.

Whenever Veronica takes her pets to the vet, the pets get treated like royalty!  The staff seem sincerely excited to see Clarabelle, the cat, and Floyd, her puppy.  Veronica has been going to the same vet for as long as she can remember, and she feels like the doctors and the team treat Veronica’s pets as their own.

Whereas many people go to the standard fast-food chains for lunch, Veronica goes to the local establishment – Doug’s Dogs and Delectables.  You can get hot dogs, hamburgers, crinkle fries, and even the occasional pulled pork seasonal special.  Doug’s has a drive-thru, and this is not what you would call high-end cuisine, but she can always get through the drive-thru in less than 5 minutes, the food is always hot and tastes good, and they never mess up the order.  It’s a predictable and positive experience.

Technically you cannot “Create” a customer for life, but you can do things that engender trust, convey you care, and offer positive predictability.

While different customers have different motivators, keep in mind that it’s hard to retain customers for the long term if they can’t trust the company.  It’s difficult to have a customer feel loyal to you if they don’t feel like you care about them as an individual.  And it’s tough to ensure they’ll want to come back again, if they have no idea whether you’re going to meet their expectations.

Find ways to create customers for life by building trust, conveying you care, and providing a more predictable and positive experience.

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