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Use AI to Improve Your Performance - 7/23/24


Many companies are integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into some aspect of their business.  This could greatly change how they operate, how they communicate with customers. This AI wave reminds me of a story from 20+ years ago when a stock brokerage firm launched a new website that greatly enhanced the Read more

The New Burger Experience - 7/16/24


Floyd loves a good hamburger. Any chance he gets to try a new spin on an old standby, he takes it. Recently, a burger joint opened near his house, and Floyd was very excited! It was owned by and named for a world-renowned chef, so it had to be Read more

Boost Customer Happiness - 7/9/24


There’s a cooking show that a friend of mine watches, and the premise is all about reverse engineering food.  They may take a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, analyze it, and determine the ingredients just by tasting it.  Then they figure out a recipe.  The cook will try to make Read more

Brainstorm to Better Yourself - 7/2/24


I’ve led enough sessions with clients on continuous improvement topics to have solid experience on how to lead ideation exercises, brainstorming to develop new ideas.  Oftentimes these sessions start with the right question; the first answers may not be the ultimate solution, but they can serve as a jumping Read more

The Power of the Pause - 6/25/24


When I’m facilitating a meeting, and it feels like it’s going off-track or the discussion is going a little longer than it should, I may say something like “let me pause the conversation so that…” or “let’s pause just for a minute and consider…” I don’t like the word STOP. Read more

Handle Interruptions Heroically - 6/18/24


In the middle of a project, Jimbo, the customer service team member, had to stop what he was doing because he received an e-mail from a customer complaining about their experience at a recent event. Later that day, Jimbo was asked by his boss to put everything on hold for Read more

From Employees to Teammates: The Shift - 6/11/24


Be a great teammate. Be a good team player. We’re all part of the team. We’re no longer employees, we’re team members! The phrase “Team” is used in describing co-workers so much more than it was used years ago.  Then, we would be talking about employees, talking about staff, talking Read more

Nurture New Relationships - 6/4/24


Freddie was a new business owner in town.  He was launching a franchise, had acquired some funding from a local bank, and was in search of staff who cared about customer service. All the while, he was in the process of renovating a storefront for his business, so he was Read more

There’s Positivity in Patience - 5/28/24


The employee at the financial services firm was working with a new client on a relatively simple loan.  The documentation was about as clear as it could get to the employee, but the customer had lots of questions.  The employee calmly, clearly, and specifically answered each question.  The meeting Read more

The Goal – A Great Experience - 5/21/24


The following is a narrative of a great experience (people, process, service, facility) at a minor league sporting event – key points that could apply to any business are in bold… Mark and I pulled into the parking lot, excited about the game.  The Slapshots had been on a roll Read more

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

Posted on April 16, 2024 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

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 them to become more confident by taking away the fear of the unknown.

One step in the technique that we use to train our clients for these situations involves employees talking about themselves.  If you’re the person they’re interacting with to help them with their concern, it helps their confidence that things will get resolved if they become confident in you.  So, after listening to them and asking them questions about their situation, convey your understanding of their situation back to them so that they feel like you are understanding what they need.

Then…talk about yourself:

  • I’ve been working here for 10 years now, and I’m very familiar with the different types of solutions that will help you in this situation.
  • I’ve worked with several other clients over the last 12 months who had similar needs, so I’m confident we’ll be able to help you.
  • We’ve helped other customers with similar circumstances, so we definitely have some options for you to consider.
  • When I heard your story, it immediately reminded me of some other customers that we’ve helped through this process.
  • I can definitely help you with that. I’ve got a lot of experience in this particular area, so let’s talk about what we can do for you.

 
Customer service is all about serving others, conveying our understanding of others, showing some empathy.  But sometimes the best way to serve others – when they are anxious or nervous about something – is to find ways for them to feel more comfortable, become more confident.

Talk About Yourself to Build Customer Confidence.

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

Posted on April 9, 2024 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

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 you provide to the organization through the customer service and great experience you provide to others.  Here are a few examples:

  • 87% of customers actively avoid buying from brands they don’t trust. You help to build the customer’s trust of your organization.
  • 60% of leaders say customer service improves customer retention. You help to retain customers.
  • 64% of leaders say customer service has a positive impact on their company’s growth. You help your organization grow.
  • 81% of customers say a positive customer service experience increases the chances of them making another purchase. You’re helping to generate repeat business.
  • In 2022, only 3% of U.S. companies were customer-obsessed, a decrease of 7% from 2021. By caring about the customer, you’re helping your organization differentiate itself from others.
  • 39% of consumers have less patience today than they did before the pandemic. You’re dealing with impatient customers so your bosses won’t have to.
  • 86% of consumers say showing empathy is powerful in building a strong relationship with the brand. When you show empathy, you’re helping the company to engender loyalty.

 
There is true value in what you do, not just to the customer, but to your organization, as well.

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Thanks for Reading – 8/1/23

Posted on August 1, 2023 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

My company, Customer Service Solutions, Inc., just celebrated our 25th Anniversary!  We love the work we do for our clients, and we definitely love our clients.  We’ve developed many friendships over the years, and we’ve tried to provide consistently high quality and personal support for whatever may be their particular goals or needs or issues.

For about 24 of those 25 years, we’ve written these tips of the week.  So, thank you for being a Tip fan, and Thank You for Reading!

CSS conducts a lot of research for our clients, and among all the different types of research we provide, we’ve conducted well over 1,000 surveys.

Sometimes these are web-based surveys where – in lieu of or in addition to completing the survey – the customer or account holder will e-mail us directly, since we’re the survey administrator.

If they have a question or a need or an issue to be addressed, we always reply.  It’s amazing how many times that survey respondent replies to our reply by saying: Thanks for reading! By saying: I can’t believe somebody actually responded. By saying: Thanks for taking my issue seriously.

It’s interesting that the customer is showing appreciation just for somebody reading their message.  Just for getting a response.  Just for feeling like they are being heard.

It’s amazing how simply responding – simply allowing people to feel heard – has a tremendous impact on how the customer feels.  And as Maya Angelou once said:  People will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

And it makes me feel great that you all have read all these tips, and hopefully they’ve helped you a little bit over the years.

Thanks for Reading!

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