Tag: customer care
Watch Out for the Emptiness of Empowerment
Long, long ago, maybe back in the ’80s, “empowerment” was the hot new thing in workplaces. The word itself had a regenerative, creative, motivating sound. It held the possibility that, instead of laboring under bureaucratic... Continue reading
“That’s The Way (I Like It)”: When Customers Sing the Wrong Song
Perhaps we’ve trained customers to believe that they’re always right or “king” so thoroughly that some of them feel “special” enough to violate institutional norms with impunity. Some of the behavior I witnessed during a... Continue reading
When Appearances Can Really Make a Difference
Is this little hotel room presentation cute, or what? A couple of weeks ago my colleague Katie and I went to an all-day meeting in Virginia Beach, VA where we stayed at a Hilton Garden... Continue reading
This Is Why Fundraising Calls Are So Annoying!
It’s normal to be annoyed when you’re solicited at home by an organization you don’t know or don’t care about. But being mishandled by an organization you support is irritating too! A fundraising call I... Continue reading
2 More Ways to Make Service Feel Less Sorry
To improve the service experience for both customers and reps, start by targeting the key elements of service infrastructure that consistently create negative outcomes. After that, there are some deeply human aspects of service that... Continue reading
Should You Fib for a Better Service Impression?
Sometimes service people say things that an astute customer knows are false. They act as if embroidering the truth enhances their self-image or their organization’s, while making the customer feel better and more cared for.... Continue reading
What Happens When Customer Needs Derail Employee Work Rules?
Sometimes the right thing for an organization to do for a customer and the fair thing to do for an employee are both really obvious but in direct conflict with each other. This story shows... Continue reading
Customer in a Bind: The Broadway Box
If you’ve been reading my posts about service, then you know that I bestow both compliments and critiques and that I typically name the recipients of praise and keep the pans anonymous. (You can check... Continue reading