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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

Identify Your Point of Empathy - 1/20/26


I was watching a webinar recently on empathy.  The speaker mentioned that empathy - to a large extent - is something that you are born with.  It’s something that’s very difficult to learn.  And while I agree that some people are predisposed to being empathetic and understanding of others Read more

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Slowing Down the Fast Talker – 3/24/26

Posted on March 24, 2026 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

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 solutions.

He was especially happy to engage a fast-talking customer, because he could identify that one key word more quickly.

The Issue with his Approach to Problem-Solving

In theory, a fast-talking customer may be conducive to accessing a lot of information and wrapping up the conversation quickly, but it might NOT be conducive to wrapping up the issue correctly.

Jeffrey found that finding that one word led to assumptions about other key poinsts, and he would go down the wrong path only to have to do some rework or engage the customer multiple times to rectify what was truly the problem.

So, he devised his own methodology.  He took this non-stop or fast talker, and he came up with a way to slow down the customer.  Jeffrey realized that – to fully help the other person – he needed to understand the situation and its uniqueness.  And having a customer that was pinballing all over the place when describing what was going on wasn’t helping either of them to get to the right answer.

The Solutions He Developed

Jeffrey learned to interrupt politely and professionally: “I’m sorry to interrupt.  I just want to make sure I’m understanding exactly what you’re saying.  Is it OK if I ask you a couple quick questions?”

Jeffrey learned to clarify key points: “Just so I’m clear, did you say that that transaction happened in person or on the website?  Was that two weeks ago or last week?”

Jeffrey learned to summarize key points: “My understanding of what you just said is that the return was made last Tuesday, you were supposed to get a notification and never did, and you haven’t received the refund on your account at this point.  Did I understand those points correctly?”

In dealing with the fast talker, use these techniques when you need to slow them down.

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Find Your Special Sauce – 9/23/25

Posted on September 23, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

When I watch a football game and I see a great quarterback (somebody who may be considered a “Star”), he might be an excellent runner, have a big arm, be able to diagnose the defense and get his team into the right play.  But he’s likely not great at everything.  Mistakes occur, interceptions are thrown, there are times when he passes and should have run…and vice versa.

I am wowed by musicians – people who can make incredible music on a guitar.  People who can play 10 different songs on a piano at the drop of a hat during a church hymn sing.  Great drummers who can somehow wield two sticks on drums and symbols while also using their feet to bang the bass drum.  But unless you’re a 1-man band (or Prince!), you’re probably not great at all those instruments.  While you may be great at playing instruments, you may not be the best singer or lyricist.

My point is that stars are stars for what they do, but that doesn’t mean that they are great at everything.

Defining Stardom

I’m sure if you’re reading this tip and you’re in a customer service role, you’re either a customer service star already or you have the capacity to become a star.  Now whether you’re that star athlete or that star musician or that star customer service professional, find your special sauce – those 1 or 2 things where you’re already greater or have the capacity to be greater, and continually strengthen it.

Define YOUR Stardom

Become a star because you know how to calm those irate customers.  Become a star because you have an incredible depth of knowledge about your organization’s products, policies, processes, and people.  Hone your skills as a star in how you engage people with your body language and your tone and how you can read others and – on the fly – adjust your communication approach to meet what will work best with them.

In this day and age, it is way too UNcommon for people to be stars in business writing, to be able to craft communication pieces and e-mails that convey the specific information, make the other person feel heard, and create clarity in a concise manner on what the next steps are, when they’ll happen, and who’s responsible.

Hone your star skills for teamwork.  Not only supporting your teammates but understanding your specific role on the team and learning how to strengthen the traits that make you such an important member of your group.

Be a customer service star by understanding what is unique about you and what you bring to the organization, to the team, to the customer.  Then make a conscious effort to build your star talents, attitudes, and attributes.

Become a Customer Service Star.

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

Posted on June 24, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

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 the upcoming Friday.

When the make-up day arrived, Seth and Sarah entered the aquatics center, walked up to the receptionist, and asked if Sarah could use one of her make-up classes that day.  The receptionist, Roberta, asked if they had called or e-mailed in advance to confirm Sarah could drop-in for a class, and Seth responded “No.  Was I supposed to?”

While Seth had remembered the fact that make-up classes were offered, he didn’t remember (and didn’t check) the policy that stated parents had to contact the aquatics center first to reserve a spot.  Seth messed up; he was wrong.

Now, many employees may roll their eyes, say something under their breath, or simply say that they couldn’t help because Seth didn’t follow the policy.

Instead, Roberta reaffirmed the policy, said that “unfortunately I can’t guarantee we have an opening today,” but shared “I hope there is space available.  Let me check.”  Roberta smiled, was hopeful, but didn’t make any promises.  She didn’t criticize the customer.  She just educated the customer, empathized, and excused herself to go check with the instructor about availability.

Seth turned to Sarah, smiled and said “let’s cross our fingers!”

A couple minutes later, Roberta returned and was excited to tell Seth and Sarah “Yes!  We have a spot for you today!”

Sometimes the customer is wrong.  But that doesn’t mean our attitude needs to go negative.  Sometimes we can correct the customer, and do it so professionally that the customer is understanding and hopeful, not frustrated and angry.

Don’t let a customer error create your own customer service error.

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