These Are a Few of My Favorite (Customer Service) Things

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I’ve spent a good chunk of my career monitoring customer and agent interactions and I could probably write a book about the spicier things I’ve heard when listening to live and recorded calls. Some have made me laugh, some have made me cringe, and some have almost made my hair stand on end. You may think I’m talking about the agents, but that’s not necessarily the case. Customers can be fairly forthright in their conversations, saying things over the phone that have at times made me blush, and I’m always impressed when an agent has the wherewithal to keep it together as I listen dumbstruck and virtually speechless.

We are also privileged to share many happy moments with our customers, and those calls are a joy to behold. For me, it’s like being a coach on the sidelines of a sporting event. You’re on the edge of your seat waiting for the home team to deliver a perfectly executed call, and when they do, you can’t help but jump out of your chair and throw a high five in the air. The difference in our world is that the high fives are silent but we get to share the replays over and over again with our teams through the magic of call recordings.

As those of you in the trenches know, we in the contact center industry have such power to make a difference in the lives of the customers we serve, whether it’s offering something as simple as a virtual smile or engaging with aplomb in the more complex case handling that’s an inherent part of our day. There is so much positive energy that our profession generates for its customers, but all too frequently, these moments are soon forgotten. Like most businesses, problems always get the lion’s share of our attention, which is a huge disservice to those who deliver amazing service that make customers and managers like me grin from ear to ear.

In the spirit of throwing out something positive in the universe, I want to share with you some of my favorite things about customer service. It’s been a very uplifting exercise for me and one I don’t do near enough. Maybe it will motivate you think back on why you got into this business in the first place and why it can be so rewarding and inspiring. Without a doubt, we do make a difference and I truly believe that it’s why we do what we do.

A Few of My Favorite (Customer Service) Things

Real Moments from the Contact Center World That Make Me Smile

  • Agents who, each and every time, give a warm greeting and closing that comes from the heart.
  • Managers who regularly make a big deal when their team members are caught doing things right.
  • Moments of laughter between a customer and an agent, genuine signs of meaningful connections being made.
  • The agent who goes above and beyond to get a misdirected shipment routed to a customer in time for her trip the next day.
  • The customer who says, “With you handling this, I have confidence that my problem can be resolved.”
  • The representative who helps a customer find the perfect outfit to welcome her returning (and wounded) soldier home from active duty.
  • The agent who helps a woman with a heart wrenching task – returning newly purchased clothes for her husband who recently passed away – and shares a few tears with her in the process.
  • The customer who takes the time to say “You made my day” or “You have been so helpful” to an agent who has gone above and beyond to make it a memorable experience.
  • The agent who declares, “I’m going to find a solution to this problem” (and does), to an irate customer who later confides, “I almost walked away for good, but thanks to you, I’ll be back. You made all the difference.”
  • The representative who guides a nearly blind (and very grateful) customer through the order process by focusing on the pictures, not the item numbers she couldn’t read.
  • The agent who calls back to check on a customer in a flood-ravaged home, just to be sure that she is going to be okay.
  • The customer who says, “You have restored my faith in humankind today with your exceptional service. Thank you.”

What are a few of your favorite customer service things? I invite you to share them here and look forward to hearing from you.

Republished with author's permission from original post.

Teresa Sinel
Teresa Sinel is the Director of Operations, Analytics and Innovation for VIPdesk, the award-winning pioneer of home-based virtual customer care solutions for global brand leaders committed to enhancing their brand experience. Serving over 40 client programs and 10 million customers, VIPdesk specializes in delivering Concierge Programs, Contact Center Services, and loyalty programs for national brand leaders in the travel, auto, financial services, real estate and retail industries.

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