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Ownership when Fixing Others’ Errors - 9/22/26


We were conducting training with a client recently, and one of the participants, Jackie, is in a role in his organization where he goes out to the customer site to investigate issues, address customer complaints, and fix problems.  While he’s at the site, he often gets an earful from Read more

Why “No” is So Important - 9/15/26


The employee told the caller: “I don’t think that is possible.” The customer eventually hung up, and redialed to ask a different employee the same question. The employee responded to the customer: “That’s probably not the best way to do it.”  Then, the customer kept asking question after question, arguing Read more

It’s Not “You,” It’s “I” - 9/8/26


During a business writing course that I took years ago, the instructor had us write an e-mail.  I can’t recall if it was written to a co-worker or customer, but after writing this e-mail, she had us count every “I” and “You.”  We talked about how we need to Read more

It Shouldn’t Make a Difference, But… - 9/1/26


We have this conversation with lots of our sports clients, but the principles apply across all different industries.  Too many service representatives view a conversation with a customer as a transaction.  Just get him off the phone as quickly as possible.  The customer is Joe Public, not Joseph Pendergrass.  Read more

Use What the Customer Gives You - 8/25/26


Scenario #1: The customer sent an e-mail to the general inbox at the company.  The message noted that the customer needed to get a family member added to their account, but they couldn’t tell from the website how to do so. The next morning an employee opened up the e-mail, Read more

How Better Customer Service is Better for You - 8/18/26


Oftentimes, we have employees in training or workshops who really want to understand what’s in it for them to deliver better customer service.  How does the employee benefit from a better customer experience? Noted below are 5 different aspects of a great experience desired by the customer.  What if... The customer Read more

Manage New Customer Expectations - 8/11/26


The fan had never been to a motorsports event before, but they had been to concerts.  They had been to big conferences.  At those other events, they could park right next to the venue, many of the activities were indoors, and weather was a non-issue.  So, they were not Read more

Complement Empathy with Action - 8/4/26


A man falls into a hole, and he can’t get out.  He starts yelling for help, and a doctor walks by and looks down the hole.  The man in the hole yells to the doctor “Please help me.  I’ve fallen into this hole!”  And the doctor takes out a Read more

My 8-Minute Visit at the DMV- 7/28/26


I needed to get a Real ID, which in North Carolina facilitates airline travel and other identity verifications.  My wife suggested I go to one particular DMV that was a LONG way away from home, but where she had experienced great customer service.  I was lucky to find an Read more

When They Might Walk Out the Door…Permanently- 7/21/26


Have you ever had one of those conversations with the customer where they literally tell you they’re about to stop doing business with your company?  This is it.  They may bring up a competitor or found another way to get their need met, or they are just leaving. When we 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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