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My rules for customer service

Let’s talk about politics.  Just kidding.  I’m actually not a big fan of beating my head against a brick wall.  How about religion?  Um, yeah, ditto.

Customer service it is then.  Now there’s a topic I’m happy to sink my teeth into.  Everyone has a customer service horror story.  A truly hair raising tale about terrible treatment from a so-called professional when you needed assistance.  There are some pretty entertaining stories  from the other side of the looking glass as well – customers whose requests were so outlandish as to be laughable, or whose treatment of salespeople was flat-out abusive.  Consistently bad service, however, indicates a company that runs by rote, and requires employees to stick to a script even when the script is nonsense.

On the flip side are the stories of epic customer service that are passed around new-hire training sessions like The Good Word at bible camp.  If you Google “great customer service stories,” you’ll find tales of wonder that will make you laugh, make you cry, make you shake your head in awe.  These stories, however, are frequently about one or two individuals within the company who gave something away for free, which is awesome for the recipient, but not really what customer service is about.  The lesson from these stories ought to be that the companies involved foster a culture that encourages wowing the customer.

Good service comes down to just two things:  1. solving problems; and 2. treating your customers with kindness and respect. 

Great service comes down to just one thing:  taking care of customers outside the box.  Give your customer something positive to say, a story to tell, and a business to recommend.

I used to work for a company that has a legendary customer service reputation, and its one and only rule was, “Use your best judgment.”  This is a uniquely effective way to deliver outstanding service.  Of course, some people have really bad judgment, but I hope those people were weeded out during the hiring process. 

My own rules for giving great service start with these:

  • Always, always, always, (am I making myself clear here?) make every effort to see the issue from the customer’s point of view.  Whatever your own experience might be, to the customer there is a genuine problem that they expect you to solve. 
  • Listen to their story, it’s important to them.  I wouldn’t be surprised if they rehearsed it.  They may feel slighted, or ignored, and most likely frustrated.
  • Think teamwork.  You and your customer are on the same side.
  • Ask questions so you know exactly what the real problem is – don’t make assumptions that could very well take you down the wrong path and waste everyone’s time.
  • Have patience.  They may be calling with an issue that you’ve addressed 100 times, but they don’t know that and even if they did, they don’t care.  This problem is unique for them, even if it isn’t for you.  In addition, you have a wealth of information that is probably completely foreign to them.  Consider yourself a teacher.
  • Be creative and flexible.  You may not know how to solve the problem at hand, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a solution.
  • Have a plan for escalation.  If you can’t solve your customer’s problem, who can, or who can you turn to that can help you figure it out?  No one person has all the answers.  When you bring in that third party, continue to think “teamwork.”
  • And finally, don’t be afraid to fail.  Your customer may have a problem that simply cannot be solved, or an issue that the marketplace has yet to address.  If nothing else, there are lessons to be learned and opportunities for future success from present failure.  I strongly suggest, however, that in these situations you emphasize that you too are disappointed at the lack of available resolution.  Remember, you and your customer are a team.



These techniques are important whatever your responsibility in an organization – management, sales, product specialist, or customer service in a call center.  Just remember this:  what story do you want your customer to tell about you?

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