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What Phones and Football Have in Common - 2/11/25


Congratulations!  You made it through weeks/months of hype for football’s Super Bowl!  You made it through hundreds of pregame shows and podcasts, endless debates on things endlessly inconsequential, 10 hours of pre-game shows on Sunday, what seems like 100 commercials designed specifically for the “Big Game,” and the longest Read more

Create Awareness of Alternatives - 2/4/25


Sandy was hungry, and she was on the move.  Driving between meetings, she saw the restaurant sign and pulled in.  The fast-food restaurant had two drive-thru lanes.  One was for any customer who wanted to place an order on the spot. The other was for mobile orders only.  The Read more

Listen with Your Eyes - 1/28/25


Out of the corner of his eye, Patrick saw the customer enter the lobby.  The customer was carrying a large shoulder bag with several papers in her hand.  The customer was shuffling the papers and looking down; then she stopped, looked up, and saw the staff navigator sitting at Read more

When You’re the Educator, What Should You Teach? - 1/21/25


The best customer service professionals are also excellent educators.  Not only within the organization, but I’m talking specifically about the role they play as educator with their customers.  With all the self-service options that technology provides, customers often have the opportunity to do things on their own, to investigate Read more

Wrap It Up Right: Why Follow-Up Communications WOW Customers - 1/14/25


Dena had some questions about her water bill, so she looked for answers on the utility’s website.  She didn’t find specific answers, and she really didn’t want to get on the phone with somebody at the time and risk staying on hold.  She had lots going on, but she Read more

From Conversation to Connection: Defining Customer Engagement - 1/7/25


Maggie was sitting in the Service Excellence Training class, and the instructor kept talking about staying engaged with the customer.  Proactively engaging the customer.  Being fully engaged in the conversation. After hearing this same phrase (“engage”) used in various ways, Maggie raised her hand and asked a question probably several Read more

Self-empower for the New Year - 12/31/24


Jeff joined the company, in part, because he loved their approach to culture.  Leadership tried to create an empowerment culture.  They tried to develop an environment where, within certain parameters, individual team members could make a decision and feel confident that they would be supported by leadership. The reality was Read more

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

You are the Superhero – 11/5/13 TOW

Posted on in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

When I was growing up, there were so many great Superheroes I would read about in comic books or watch on TV. Superman was invincible (despite the occasional bout with kryptonite). Spiderman was a real person – a photographer – who just had this amazing power (and a cool outfit) that allowed him to almost fly through the city and catch villains in his web.

And then there was the greatest Superhero of all – Hong Kong Phooey. Okay, maybe the dog who knew kung fu wasn’t exactly a classic Superhero.

But one thing almost all Superheroes had in common was a tag line, or a motto, or some phrase that – when you heard it – made you think of him or her:

Leap tall buildings in a single bound…spins a web, any size, catches thieves, just like flies…

When I think of Superheroes in the business world, I envision those who help others, who treat others with respect. I think of those who go above and beyond the basics to make a co-worker or customer feel special. I think of people like you – people who do the right thing because it’s the right thing to do. People who don’t just answer a question, but they look to find the solution. People who are amazing problem-solvers, you-first individuals who make their businesses more successful, their customers happier, and their co-workers more enriched because they are doing their thing.

So you may not literally leap tall buildings, but you address big complaints. You might not spin a web, but you can talk with the best of them. You may not catch thieves, but you get at the root causes of issues. And you might not get all the accolades of a Superhero, but you have some of the same great long-term impact.

Great customer service people should be proud of what they do. They’re the Superheroes of business.