The Mystery of Customer Service. What’s the best customer service experience you’ve had? What’s the worst customer experience you’ve had?

The Mysteryof Customer Service

What’s the best customer service experience you’ve

had?What’s the worst customer

experience you’ve had?

Core ProblemBusiness thrives on

efficiency.People thrive on effectiveness…and effectiveness always feels

personalized.

Competing Agenda

Get my job done.

Respond to

my need.vs.

Analytical | Practical | Intrinsic

Three Kinds of Thinking

Analytical creates systems.

Practical solves problems.

Intrinsic creates positive feelings.

SOP’s

Customer service systems and policies and procedures must

accommodate the reality of the customers’ needs, knowledge and circumstance, or it will only create

conflict.

The Real World Doesn’t Fit into a

SystemGreat customer service occurs

when the “system” won’t solve the problem.

The Truth

How fast are you moving?

Practical Thinking = Common Sense

One-off Solutions for Infrequent Problems

Intrinsic Thinking = Feeling of Special

Service

Relationship Building

1. Understand (Content & Intent)

2. Affirm (Validate)

3. Involve (In Solution)

UNDERSTAND1. What’s happening?

2. What’s the consequence? (practical & personal)

3. What do you want?

Then BE Understood1. This is what’s happening to

me.

2. My consequence.

3. What I want.

AFFIRM1. Acknowledge the problem.

2. Apologize if appropriate.

3. Describe positive outcome. So if…. then you….

INVOLVE1. Brainstorm solutions.

2. Assign tasks.

3. Establish feedback loops & check points.

4. Agree on SOP’s for future.

Customer Thinking

is the “Swiss Army Knife” of All Relationship

Issues.