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Bear with Me - 3/31/26


As a customer, you’ve probably called a company and heard the phrase “bear with me.”  At that point, you know there’s going to be some sort of delay.  The CSR is giving you a heads up that there’s going to be additional wait time.  Essentially, they are trying to Read more

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

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Bear with Me – 3/31/26

Posted on March 31, 2026 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

As a customer, you’ve probably called a company and heard the phrase “bear with me.”  At that point, you know there’s going to be some sort of delay.  The CSR is giving you a heads up that there’s going to be additional wait time.  Essentially, they are trying to reset the customer’s expectations.

As a customer service professional, there are many reasons why you could be delayed in responding to the customer or getting the answer they want quickly while on the phone or face-to-face with them.  This can even happen when the customer’s accessing the online chat platform, and we’re trying to provide that professional answer quickly.  So, if we want to find some professional phrases to communicate to the customer, here are a few to consider:

  • This process will take about a minute. Thanks for your patience.
  • The computer is running a little slow today, so I apologize, Ms. Jefferson.
  • Looks like it’s going to take a couple of minutes to access the information, so please stay on the line.
  • I’m moving on to the last step in the process. That means we’re almost done.
  • I’m awaiting a response from the escalation team, and then I’ll be able to provide you an answer.
  • I’m in the process of pulling up the details on your account, and it takes a little while, so please bear with me for another minute or so.
  • Just confirming a couple details on the system, and then we’ll be ready to address your question.

 
Notice some of the common themes: (1) If you have an accurate sense of timing, give them a specific timeline. (2) Let them know you’re working on their behalf. (3) It’s OK to subtly blame the system, but avoid blaming the co-worker. (4) Note that you’re appreciative of them and their patience. (5) Let them know that what you’re doing is for them.

When things are moving slowly for you, don’t panic, and don’t keep your customer in the dark.

Professionally reset their expectations in that moment of delay.

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How the Customer Perceives a Truth as a Lie – 5/27/25

Posted on May 27, 2025 in Customer Service Tip of the Week Please leave a comment

You’re the customer, you’re asking about an unused item that you’re returning, and you hear the employee say: “The refund process takes 7-10 days.”  You’re thinking: “Great!  I can get the refund check as early as a week from today!”  The reality is that the company means that they’ll mail the check 7-10 business days after processing it – which takes 48 hours to process.

Therefore, in 2 days, it could be 14 calendar days (10 business days) before they mail it, which could add 3-5 days.  So yes, the refund may arrive 21 days from today, even though you thought it would be 7 days.  What the company said may be truth to them, but what the customer hears makes what was said seem misleading.

You’re the customer, you’re calling about an account issue, and you hear the employee say: “I can help you with that.”  They go through a series of questions, confirm your account, and eventually tell you that they’re going to send the issue to their escalation team.  They’ll e-mail you back in 2-3 days.

When the employee said “I can help you with that,” you thought it meant that they could resolve the issue during the call.  Instead, in 2-3 days, you’ll find out if they can address the issue at all.

There are times when the employee has the best intent, but the words they use or the script they’re provided misleads the customer.  It’s likely not intentional, but it’s also how frustration and mistrust can build.

Look at your scripts and the wording you use, and don’t assume that the customer interprets it the same way that it’s intended.

Don’t let a truth to the company become a lie to the customer.

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Recognize the Situation, and Pivot – 1/16/24

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

The customer has a complaint, or they may have an important question about an order or their account.  You may be talking to them in an emergency room, in the lobby of the government building, on the phone, or in a video conversation.  And in many of these Moments of Truth, there is a high likelihood of the customer’s perceptions being affected based on how you handle the situation.

This is a Moment of Truth because of the topic, or the situation itself.  The Topic could be the complaint, the question about an order or an account, an encounter with a new customer, or engagement with somebody who’s upset.  The Situation could be a stressful emergency room visit, an encounter with a government agency, a wait time at the restaurant, or the arrival of the tech at the house 60 minutes after the scheduled time.

During these Moments of Truth, the employees have some control over the interaction. While it’s up to the customer to create their perception about the organization or the employee, this is where the employee needs to understand the critical nature of the topic, the critical nature of the situation.

Recognize the Critical Nature

The best employees in customer service recognize the critical nature of these situations and become agile. They have the ability to pivot – to flex their attitudes and actions in the moment.

The best can stop all other activities and focus on that individual.  They can downshift, pulling their emotions back to keep the situation calm.  They understand the frustration with wait times, and proactively communicate with the customer to decrease the perception of the wait and reduce the angst and anger.  Staff have empathy for the customer and convey understanding of the situation back to that customer.  The best staff have patience, speak with a specific intent for how to best communicate with that particular individual, and work through these situations with and for the customer.  They recognize and pivot.

Identify the critical Topics and Situations that you encounter.  Get in-tune with these situations, recognize when these critical moments are happening, and adjust your behaviors and words to deliver a great experience.

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