upset | Customer Service Solutions, Inc. - Page 2

Home  /  It Matters Who You Know – 2/1/22  /  upset

Be Amazing - 4/23/24


Watching Michael Jordan steal a pass and then dunk a basketball is amazing.  Taking a rocket to the moon is amazing.  The taste of my mom’s homemade beef soup is amazing. We all have our personal examples of what is amazing.  Usually, it’s something that we cannot comprehend, that we Read more

Talk About Yourself to Build Customer Confidence - 4/16/24


When you’re dealing with somebody who is anxious or nervous about a situation, a customer who feels like they don’t have much control, an individual who is unsure and uncertain, it’s important to put the customer at ease.  It’s important to build their comfort level.  It’s important to help Read more

The Proven Value in What You Do - 4/9/24


Forbes wrote an article last year based on a compilation of the results of research on customer service and the customer experience; it was titled:  100 Customer Experience Stats For 2023. In reading the article, you’ll note that many of these key research findings are about you – the value Read more

A Tale of Two Texts - 4/2/24


Having to get allergy shots once a week is never fun, and for Janet, it became an even bigger frustration. She had the shots typically scheduled on Tuesday around 10:30 in the morning, figuring she would avoid the morning rush as well as the lunch rush by going mid-morning.  However, Read more

The Secret Sauce for Great Customer Service - 3/26/24


I was working with the League Office for a major American sport several years back, and one of the executives asked me to describe our Secret Sauce that helped our clients improve the fan experience and customer retention.  I gave him a sense of what makes us unique and Read more

The Miracle of an Apology - 3/19/24


Unfortunate but true story… The manager basically lost his mind.  He terminated his employee on the spot.  She had told the customer that there was going to be a delay in the shipment.  The employee called up the customer ahead of time to let the customer know what was about Read more

It’s Not About the 5-Minute Wait - 3/12/24


Robert went into his supervisor’s office to update her on a situation at the payment desk.  Robert said that a customer was about fourth or fifth in line, waiting to be served, and the customer was complaining loudly about the wait.  He was there to make a property tax Read more

Lessons from the Greats - 3/5/24


I was recently facilitating a workshop on the customer experience, and I made the point that it’s usually beneficial to look at your personal life for great experiences; identify what really resonates with you in a positive way in order to uncover ideas to improve your own customer service. So, Read more

The Empathy Roadmap - 2/27/24


For some people, empathy comes naturally.  There’s an innate desire to learn about the other person and to sincerely convey that sense of interest and caring.  But for many of us, sometimes it helps to have a communication plan.  It helps to know what to do in order to Read more

“You’re the Boss” - 2/20/24


Terrence is excellent at what he does.  From a technical standpoint, he knows how to keep the facility clean.  He’s the lead custodian, and he knows that keeping things straight does not necessarily mean keeping things sanitary.  He knows what chemicals to use and not to use, how to Read more

•••••

It Matters Who You Know – 2/1/22

Posted on February 1, 2022 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

The season ticket account holder has an issue, but he’s not too concerned about it:  I’m going to call my guy, and he’ll take care of it.

The patient is confused about their bill.  The family member says: I know someone who can help.

The husband discovers a problem in the home that needs a repair.  The wife says: Don’t worry about it. I know exactly who to call.

The issues don’t appear to be burdens for these customers.  The reason why they’re not viewed as major concerns is that the customer knows someone.  The person they know may not be their best friend or their buddy or close relative.  But the point is, there has been enough rapport established and trust built up that when an issue occurs, anxiety doesn’t have to arise.

The companies who employ these trusted staff have their standardized processes.  They have their best practices.  They have their training.  But they realize that when issues arise or decisions are made, a customer knowing someone in a company or having that personal rapport means more than having a simple online process to submit an issue ticket.  Knowing somebody means more than having a memorable toll-free number.  Going beyond the technical aspects of service to personalize service means more than being able to text an issue to a help desk.

Businesses often believe it shouldn’t matter who the customer knows in the company. Processes and systems should be so standardized that anybody can help to the same level.  There’s a lot of truth in that concept.

But if we view service experiences from the customer’s perspective, we realize that having that name or that phone number or that e-mail address of that actual specific person creates trust and comfort.  And where trust and comfort exist, customer retention and growth can thrive.

Foster the personal customer connection.

Signup for FREE Tips!    Contact Us    More Resources for You    Visit Our Home Page


Put an End to 1-Star Ratings – 1/25/22

Posted on January 25, 2022 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

If you ever had service performed on your car, I would not doubt it if you received the immediate e-mail asking for that 5-star rating. They want the big ratings because that makes them look good, and to get the big average rating you have to avoid the 1-Star ratings.  And it’s not just vehicle service centers; we’re inundated with requests for ratings in many aspects of our lives.

Granted, most 1-Star ratings are probably because the customer did not get their needs met, their question answered, or they had a bad experience.  I’m sure many low ratings are legitimate, while many others are not truly worthy of only 1-Star. But wouldn’t it be great if we could avoid getting 1-Star ratings in the first place?!

Uncover Potential Low Ratings before They Leave

Remember that most customers who have an issue with the company will not complain to the company.  So, if you’re talking to that customer or sending them an e-mail or engaging them in an online chat (or even meeting them face-to-face), if you want to get a sense for whether you’re going to get that 1-Star rating, ask for feedback before the end:

  • Did you get your needs met?
  • Did you get your questions answered?
  • Do you have any questions or concerns before you leave?
  • Did you have a good experience today?

 
If you ask the question before you end the conversation, great things can happen.  If there is an issue, they may give you a chance to resolve it.  If you resolve it, you have a better chance to keep the customer, and you have a chance to raise the 1-Star to 2, 3, or 4.

And you get one more perk.  It’s likely that most of your customers are satisfied with their experience.  Therefore, the more you ask for feedback, the more accolades, pats on the back, smiles, and “thank yous” you’ll get!

Put an End to 1-Star Ratings; in the moment, ask for and act on feedback.

Signup for FREE Tips!    Contact Us    More Resources for You    Visit Our Home Page


It’s Not You, It’s Them – 7/13/21

Posted on July 13, 2021 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

George Costanza – from the Seinfeld television sitcom – broke up with someone he was dating and told her “It’s not you, it’s me.”  It’s a famous line, and I’ve heard it used many times in humor, but I have a customer service twist on that comedic line.

It’s not you, it’s them.

If you’ve worked in a customer service role long enough, and by long enough I mean even just 3-6 months, you have probably dealt with the same complaint but in two totally different situations.  You could have Fred the customer walk into a store or call you on the phone, and there is a problem with his account.  He calmly describes the issue, and you deliver great service and work with him on a solution.

At some other point in time, Matt is the one who walks in; he’s the one who gets you on the phone.  Unfortunately, he has the exact same complaint about his account.  But instead of calmly describing the issue and working with you, he is ranting and raving!  He is blaming everyone under the stars, particularly you.  His tone is inflamed, and before you can even try to help him, you have to figure out how to calm him down and get the information you need to provide the support.

These are two different customers presenting the exact same issue.  One comes in calm, looking for resolution, and the other comes in like a raving lunatic.

Their negative emotion is not about you; it’s about them.  Even if the negative emotion is directed at you, it is about them.  Even if some of the pointed words are toward you, it is about them.

I’m not saying that the highly emotional complaining customers don’t have a right to complain.  Sure they do.  I’m not saying that the company is absolved of any responsibility for issues they cause.  Of course the company is responsible.

But what I am saying is that it’s much easier for us to handle these situations if we can handle our emotions…if we don’t get defensive…if we don’t take things so personally.  And one way we can do that is to realize that we have had customers with the same issue before who have been calm, have been rational, who have looked to work with us to a resolution.

And if we realize we have been blessed with these collaborative customers, then we can also realize that if somebody comes in with the same issue in a totally off-the-wall manner, their emotion is not our fault.

We should try to do whatever we can to help them and move the conversation forward and resolve the issue, and one of the best ways we can do that is to realize that the emotion is not about us.  It’s about them.

It’s Not You, It’s Them.

Signup for FREE Tips!    Contact Us    More Resources for You    Visit Our Home Page


« Previous   1 2 3 4 5 6 7   Next »