Attitude

The best customer service happens when people care about other people and the relationships they have. When you put people and relationships first, then you are paving the way for better customer service. Doing this consistently well means having the right attitude.

Delivering Amazing Service – Boston Style

June 12, 2011

by Kevin Stirtz Recently my friends Chip Bell and John Patterson shared with me this story of amazing service. It’s from their friend and client, Katy Wild. Chip and John call it “Boston Style Customer Service.” “Recently I lost my purse while traveling and then found it, thankfully, but not before missing my plane.   So, [...]

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Forget labels

May 14, 2010

Think about how we often describe our customers. We might label them as difficult, angry, rude, uninformed, arrogant, etc. (Sometimes we use terms like friendly, warm, engaging and so on.) On one level this seems useful. It might help us decide how to handle certain customers in specific situations. But labels can also cause problems. [...]

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Choosing service means choosing responsibility

May 14, 2010

A while ago I wrote about a book called: “Choosing Civility”. One thing I like about the book is that it puts the responsibility for change on us, not on others, Even the title says it well. It reminds us we have the ability to choose how we act. Since my job is to help [...]

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Here’s the most important secret to success

April 9, 2010

Over the past few years I’ve been lucky. I have been reminded of the most important thing we can all do to be more successful in our businesses, our careers and our personal lives. Treat everyone well. It’s a simple lesson but easily forgotten. Or maybe, for some, it was never learned. I admit to [...]

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Here is what real service looks like (and why it matters)

April 1, 2010

There I was, standing in the Burnsville Post Office, staring at a pile of work. I had 21 books to mail that each required 5 stamps. (Yes, that’s 105 stamps total.) It was 5:36 pm and the deadline for pickup that day was 5:45. The clock was ticking so loud I could barely think straight. [...]

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7 things customers hate

March 3, 2010

As we left the Cracker Barrel that night, I asked my wife how she would rate our customer experience as we paid for our meal. “Two thumbs down” she replied in microseconds. We were on the same page. It was a horrible experience. While the food and overall experience in Cracker Barrels are frighteningly consistent, [...]

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Be the customer you’d want to work with

March 3, 2010

I was standing in line at my favorite sub shop. I cringed every time the guy next to me spoke. “I want tomatoes, onions and hot mustard.” Seconds later: “Gimme more pickles.” And then “Make sure you don’t get that other stuff on my sandwich.” (Exactly what “other stuff” did he mean??) In a five [...]

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Here’s what a London cabbie taught me about customer service

March 2, 2010

Recently I learned something about customer service from a London cabbie. Actually I met the cabbie two years ago. But it wasn’t until a few weeks ago I fully understood the lesson he taught me. It was spring 2008 and I was spending a week in London doing training for a client. Because I was [...]

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What might happen if you treated everyone well?

February 22, 2010

A foundation of my philosophy (in business and in the rest of my life) is that we need to treat everyone well. Another way to look at this is we’re here to serve others. And the best way to serve others (or at least, the best way to start) is by putting others first. This [...]

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Thanks for serving

February 22, 2010

I while ago, my wife and I traveled to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia). It was a wonderful trip where we mixed business, fun, the thrill of seeing new places and the warmth of making new friends. But, as we stood in line to re-enter the USA I reflected on how tired I was (tired of flying) [...]

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In Customer Service the Little Things are Big

February 17, 2010

Little things make all the difference in customer service. They can contribute to a positive and memorable experience. They can ruin an otherwise decent situation. An otherwise completely average encounter can turn into a source of endless referrals by adding a little thing or two. I’ve had a few recent examples: At my favorite sandwich [...]

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Airlines to customers: Stop complaining or we’ll pack up and go home!

February 17, 2010

I remember when we were kids. We’d play all kinds of games. And when one kid pushed things too far (playing unfair) a parent might step in and enforce some basic rules on the group. This usually had a stabilizing effect on the game. But sometimes the kid who was acting out would escalate rather [...]

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What’s most important?

February 10, 2010

A friend of mine helped me today. I had a minor decision to make yet I found myself stuck. So I asked her for help. Rather than give me her opinion, she gave me a process. She said: “Ask yourself which is more important.” She went on to explain how she makes decisions when she’s [...]

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Recipe for a great customer experience

February 8, 2010

Recently, at our weekly breakfast club meeting we were treated to one of the better dining experiences I have had in a long time. It didn’t happen because the food was spectacular. It wasn’t. It wasn’t because the restaurant team did everything right. They didn’t. And it’s not that our server was overly funny or [...]

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Be grouchy on your own time

January 18, 2010

It’s not always easy to keep a good attitude and a smiling face when we’re helping our customers.  We all have many stressors that can get in the way of staying positive and friendly. It’s especially hard when customers are rude, inconsiderate or just plain ornery. Perhaps the hardest thing to do is to behave [...]

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What kind of customer are you?

January 11, 2010

Sometimes people who focus on improving customer service forget that the lessons apply to everyone. This includes when we are customers. Here’s what I mean. Remember, the three requirements of an Amazing customer experience are: 1. Treat me well 2. Help me accomplish what I want 3. Offer me value As a customer if you [...]

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