Customer Communicator, February 2021
February 1, 2021
- Improved speech means a better first impression
- Think kindness
- Can you hear me: Open your mouth wide, and other techniques to reduce mumbling
- Pop Quiz
- Service News: A monthly roundup
- Ask the Panel: How can we keep up team morale?
- Watch out for negative self-talk
- Reframing: Not just for pictures
- Don’t say it!
- Give praise
- Get more out of meetings
- SkillSharpener
Keep the QTIP Principle in Mind
January 29, 2021
Have you ever been provoked into letting your emotions loose on a customer? Getting defensive may be an automatic, human reaction to a caller who pushes your buttons, but it’s not a professional one. "As soon as you start taking it personally, you’ll mishandle the situation," says customer service trainer Joan Fox. "You can say…Continue reading
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The Year in Customer Service, 25 Tips and Counting
January 14, 2021
Over the past 12 months, Service Starters has brought you dozens of tips for service professionals. They have covered everything from at your desk exercises, to managing empathy fatigue, to techniques for service recovery. If you’ve missed any of them during this hectic year, they are online now. You’ll even find our five favorite posts:…Continue reading
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Customer Communicator, January 2021
January 1, 2021
- Customer service best practices from a bartender
- New Year’s resolutions in a time of uncertainty
- Pop Quiz
- Service News: A monthly roundup
- Ask the Panel: How do I say “no,” when the customer wants to hear “yes?”
- Use humor to break down barriers
- Cutting off the chatty customer
- Keep the QTIP principle in mind
- Healthcare research sheds light on customer care
- SkillSharpener
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Desk Stretches Ease Muscle Strain
December 29, 2020
The holiday season, for many organizations, means peak call volume, hectic schedules, and high stress levels — and prolonged sitting makes it difficult to release tension. Following are four easy-to-do "desk-ersizes" to try when stress levels rise. Sitting upright, raise the top of your shoulders to your ears. Hold for a few seconds, then relax…Continue reading
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Manage Empathy Fatigue
December 10, 2020
Spending eight hours a day listening to frustrated, confused, and sometimes angry customers is a tough task for service professionals, even in the best of times. Today, those same customers may be struggling with the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, regional wildfires, and hurricanes. They may be juggling work, virtual schooling, caring for aging parents,…Continue reading
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Customer Communicator, December 2020
December 1, 2020
- Is empathy fatigue affecting customer service?
- Use December to take a look back
- Pop Quiz
- Practice gratitude every day
- Service News: A monthly roundup
- Ask the Panel: What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned from a customer?
- Desk stretches to ease peak season muscle strain
- First things first
- Make difficult callers part of the family
- Heard on Twitter
- SkillSharpener
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Show Genuine Concern
November 19, 2020
The best agents know how to extend genuine, sincere concern to callers whether they have a major problem or a minor issue. To be sure customers know that you respect them as individuals with legitimate issues and feelings, keep these dos and don’ts in mind. Do: Stay in control of your own emotionsUse empathy to…Continue reading
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Positive Responses to Negative Situations
November 5, 2020
Occasionally, a customer will point out an error that someone in your organization has made. In these situations, try replying by blending an empathy statement with an apology. But be sure that you don’t blame the customer or your company. Following are three ways to offer a blameless apology: Blaming: "I’m sorry, but you didn’t send…Continue reading
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Customer Communicator, November 2020
November 1, 2020
- Don’t shoot the messenger
- The power of gratitude
- Pop Quiz
- Don’t over promise or apologize
- Service News: A monthly roundup
- Ask the Panel: From time to time, a customer insists on speaking to my supervisor. What should I do?
- Negative situations call for positive responses
- The dos and don’t of showing genuine concern
- Heard on Twitter
- SkillSharpener
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Pandemic Impacts Service Levels
October 15, 2020
To better understand the impact of the pandemic on customer service operations, Tethr (an AI and machine learning company) recently completed a study of roughly 1 million customer-service calls involving more than 20 companies representing a broad cross-section of industries. The results, show the harsh reality of customer service during the pandemic. “In just two…Continue reading
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Take a Moment to Reflect
October 1, 2020
The first full week in October is Customer Service Week. It’s a time to celebrate the contributions made by frontline reps throughout the year. And what a year it’s been. For many, this year meant moving from working in an office to working remotely. It meant learning to navigate a workspace shared with children, parents,…Continue reading
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