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December 10, 2020

Tips for Service Teams

Manage Empathy Fatigue

Spending eight hours a day listening to frustrated, confused, and sometimes angry customers is a tough task for service professionals, even in the best of times.

Today, those same customers may be struggling with the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, regional wildfires, and hurricanes. They may be juggling work, virtual schooling, caring for aging parents, and more. It is a recipe for stressful conversations, razor thin tempers, and empathy fatigue.

Empathy fatigue, says Mark Stebnicki, PhD, is a condition that impacts people working in many "high touch" professions, such as customer service.

Frontline reps are trained to be empathetic, to practice deep and compassionate listening, and to imagine themselves in the customer’s situation.

So while a rep may not be experiencing the impacts of a hurricane personally, there is a real emotional toll to empathizing with the customer who has lost her home and needs to resolve insurance issues with an agent.

The effect of a week, a month, or more, hearing difficult customer stories can make reps less able to bounce back from an emotional call, more prone to apathy, and less able to show customers genuine empathy.

The solution, says Stebnicki, starts with recognizing that empathy fatigue exists and that it takes a real toll on reps and the quality of service they provide. He notes that breathing, meditation, visualization, relaxation, and mindfulness approaches have been shown to be effective in dealing with fatigue and stress in many work environments.

More practical tips for service professionals appear in the December issue of Customer Communicator newsletter.

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Today’s training selection

Effective Email Communication

We are delighted to present the recently updated and expanded Effective Email Communication training package.

With this practical tool, your staff will learn how to handle customer email in a quick, courteous, and business-building way.

Perfect for both the experienced rep and the novice, it covers:

• Reading email for spoken and unspoken needs
• Setting the right tone — not too formal, not too informal
• Making your message clear — four service techniques
• Writing for international readers — four more techniques
• Using header options wisely — the fine points of a subject line, CC, BCC, Urgent, and more.
• Ensuring delivery by avoiding common errors.

There’s even an email checklist to review before hitting send.

Effective Email Communication is a practical tool for self-study or in a classroom setting.

A Complete Package

Your training package includes 10 student guides, plus a downloadable leader’s guide, quizzes, and certificates of participation.

Special Savings

Save 20% when you order two or more packs by May 25.

Order Today

Learn More

Read Samples

Effective Email Communication is part of the Service Success Guides series of training packages.

Today’s training selection

Time Management for Stress Reduction and Productivity

The pressing and often conflicting demands of customers, coworkers, other departments, and management make it difficult for even the most experienced and well-organized reps to manage all of their day-to-day activities.

Now, you can help your in-house and remote staff improve their time-management skills and accomplish more each and every day with Time Management for Stress Reduction and Productivity.

In its pages, your staff will discover how to:

• Create a "to do" list the right way
• Create a "not to do" list
• Plan for tomorrow today
• Minimize interruptions
• Conquer procrastination
• Plus 11 more useful techniques.

A Complete Package

A practical tool for self-study or in a classroom setting, your training package includes 10 student guides, plus a downloadable leader’s guide, and certificates of participation.

Special Savings

Save 20% when you order two or more packs by June 8.

Order Today

View Samples

Learn More

Time Management for Stress Reduction and Productivity is part of the Service Success Guides series of training packages.

Today’s special selection

Thank You Kit

Is your customer service team scattered to remote locations and make-shift home offices? Or putting in long hours in the service center?

No matter where they are, it’s time to thank them for their efforts during this challenging time. Praising and recognizing your team is not just a nice thing to do, it is essential to keep morale and motivation high.

Whether you thank reps for working extended hours, maintaining a positive attitude, or learning a new skill, it’s easy with the Thank You Kit from Customer Service Group.

Each kit includes:

• 25 Botanical Cards and Envelopes. Add your own note or use the suggested language.
• 25 Certificates. Choose your own reward or use the suggestions for meaningful no-cost rewards.
• Recognition Guide. Explains the benefits of recognition and how to get the most from your kit.
• Recognition Log and Storage Portfolio. Keeps everything organized and at your fingertips.

Receiving a personal thank you card at home or in the office will ensure that your team feels appreciated and recognized during this difficult time.

Special offer

Save 20% when you order by June 22.

Order Today

See the Cards & Certificates

Look Inside the Recognition Guide

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April 23, 2020

Tips for Service Teams

Avoid Upspeak and Other
Negative Vocal Patterns

Knowledgeable. Confident. Friendly. Empathetic. There’s a lot that frontline reps need to convey in a single customer contact. And sometimes only a few brief moments to do it all. One speech pattern that can be a confidence killer is upspeak.

Upspeak or uptalk is a pattern most commonly seen in women. Although many men use it as well. With upspeak there is an upswing in pitch at the end of each sentence, which causes statements to sound like questions.

Customers want to feel they are in competent hands. So make sure your voice sounds confident by reducing upspeak. For example,

"I’ll check on that for you."
NOT
"I’ll check on that for you?"

"We’ll have that delivered for you tomorrow."
NOT
"We’ll have that delivered for you tomorrow?"

"I can help with that."
NOT
"I can help with that?"

More practical service tips appear in the April issue of Customer Communicator newsletter.

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Today’s training selection

Guide to Handling Difficult Customers

Help your staff cope with angry or upset customers. Our ready-to-use training package is now available in hard copy or digital format.

With this four part set, your staff will learn to transform angry or upset customers
into satisfied, loyal, long-term customers who know your organization can be
counted on.

Your package includes a student guide for each member of your team, a leader’s guide with engaging discussion topics, a quiz, and certificates of participation. It’s everything you need to ensure that skills are sharp.

The original package has been used by thousands of frontline reps. Now, it is available in both hard copy and digital format so that your team can improve skills no matter where they are working.

In under an hour, your team will learn:

• 7 ways to calm angry or upset customers
• 6 steps to successful problem resolution
• 9 ways to remain calm and collected throughout the process, and more.

Choose hard copy or digital booklets and start improving customer relationships right away!

Order Today

Read a Student Guide Sample

Read a Leader’s Guide Sample

Learn More

Guide to Handling Difficult Customers is part of the Service Success Guides series of training packages.

Today’s training selection

Big Book of Virtual Team Building Games

More people are working remotely than ever before.

For service managers, one of the biggest challenges is keeping everyone connected and motivated. One of the best ways to do that is to devote time to virtual team building.

The Big Book of Virtual Team Building Games can help.

It is packed with exercises and activities for developing productive virtual teams across all digital platforms, including email, mobile devices, web-based conferencing tools, and social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Skype.

The Big Book of Virtual Team Building Games will help you:

• Build a greater sense of community and enhance teamwork
• Increase levels of engagement
• Boost team members’ productivity
• Ensure that the only thing separating your people is distance.

The Big Book of Virtual Team Building Games is just the tool you need to develop trusting relationships, foster clear communication, and use technology to enhance your team’s connections during these difficult times.

Order Today

See Sample Activities

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The Big Book of Virtual Team Building Games is just one of the training activity books available from Customer Service Group.

May 14, 2020

Tips for Service Teams

Clear the Clutter

Whether you’re using a makeshift workspace at home or you’re in the office, it’s time for some spring cleaning.

According to Jeffrey Meyer, an efficiency expert and author of Time Management for Dummies, people should focus on clearing the clutter even if they don’t enjoy it.

"Nobody wants to clean their desk, and nobody wants to get organized, because it takes work," Meyer says. But there’s a benefit. In the long run, you’ll save time and accomplish more by getting organized.

Mayer says that people can waste 60 minutes per day looking for things that are "lost" on their desks. "At least 60 percent of the papers on the typical desk no longer have any value or meaning. They’ve piled up because you don’t have a system for dealing with them," he says.

His solution: Create a simple organization system that doesn’t allow anything to fall through the cracks. Put things where they belong right away, and you’ll spend less time looking for them later.

More practical service tips appear in the May issue of Customer Communicator newsletter.

Learn More >

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Today’s training selection

Guide to Handling Difficult Customers

Are your frontline reps working with more anxious, stressed, and difficult customers than ever before?

Help them manage the challenges and transform angry or upset customers into satisfied, loyal, long term customers. It''s easy with Guide to Handling Difficult Customers.

Perfect for both the experienced rep and the novice, it shows your staff how to handle virtually any customer with poise and professionalism. They will learn:

• Seven ways to calm angry or upset customers
• Six steps to successful problem resolution
• Nine ways to remain calm and collected throughout the process.

Guide to Handling Difficult Customers is a practical tool for self-study or in a classroom setting.

A Complete Package

Your training package includes 10 student guides, 10 glancers, plus a downloadable leader’s guide, quizzes, and certificates of participation.

Special Savings

Save 20% when you order two or more packs by June 15.

Order Today

Learn More

Read Samples

Guide to Handling Difficult Customers is part of the Service Success Guides series of training packages.

Today’s training selection

Guide to Effective Listening

We are pleased to present the updated and expanded Guide to Effective Listening.

In its pages, your service team will learn how to listen, interpret, and respond appropriately in every service situation.

Perfect for both the experienced rep and the novice, it shows your staff how to put the eight "service listening" techniques into action:

1. Eliminate distractions
2. Listen with your body
3. Show that you are listening
4. Don’t judge
5. Keep your emotions in check
6. Don’t plan your response while the customer is talking
7. Don’t jump to conclusions
8. Ask great questions.

Guide to Effective Listening is a practical tool for self-study or in a classroom setting.

A Complete Package

Your training package includes 10 student guides, 10 glancers, plus a downloadable leader’s guide, quizzes, and certificates of participation.

Special Savings

Save 20% when you order two or more packs by June 1.

Order Today

Learn More

Read Samples

Guide to Effective Listening is part of the Service Success Guides series of training packages.

June 12, 2020

Tips for Service Teams

BLUF and Other Rules for Email

When you email a customer or coworker you want that email to be read and acted on. But with the volume of email flowing across the web it can be hard to get a customer’s attention.

Ben Decker, CEO of Decker Communications, offers four no-nonsense steps to ensure that customers read your email:

1. BLUF. This well known communication acronym stands for Bottom Line Up Front. The idea is to place conclusions, recommendations, or necessary actions at the beginning of the text rather than burying them at the end.

2. Share your personality. Try writing like you speak so that people feel you are communicating directly with them on a personal level.

3. Focus on the subject line. Most people do not write meaningful subject lines says Decker. He recommends including any required action and the due date in the subject line. For example, "Your signature needed by May 1."

4. Check for typos. Your email is an extension of you and your organization, says Decker, take the extra time to make it shine.

More practical tips for service professionals appear in the June issue of Customer Communicator newsletter.

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Today’s training selection

Yoga at Your Desk: A Guide to Reducing Stress

The stress of working in customer service can spill over into interactions with customers, coworkers, and others.

Now you can give your reps the tools they need to reduce stress with timeless yoga techniques adapted to the modern office.

Yoga at Your Desk includes 23 exercises that your staff can do right at their desks in just one or two minutes each, often while on the phone.

These simple exercises will help your team:

• Feel more in control as they talk to customers,
• Ease tension in their shoulders, neck and lower back,
• Ease the effects of repetitive motion tasks such as keyboarding, and
• Increase focus and attention.

The guide is written by noted yoga instructor Michaeline Kiss. Her work has been covered by the New York Times and featured in Young Miss, Elle, Glamour, and Oprah magazines.

A Complete Package

The booklets may be used on their own, or use the leader’s guide to introduce the booklets and the benefits of yoga to your team. Your training package includes 10 student guides, plus a downloadable leader’s guide, and certificates of participation.

Special Savings

Save 20% when you order two or more packs by May 4.

Order Today

Learn More

Read Samples

Yoga at Your Desk: A Guide to Reducing Stress is part of the Service Success Guides series of training packages.

Today’s training selection

Effective Email Communication

Keep email skills sharp with ready-to-use training for frontline reps. Now in hard copy or digital format.

This four part package will help your staff avoid embarrassing errors, increase efficiency, and make a positive impression with every email they send.

Your package includes a student guide for each member of your team, a leader’s guide with engaging discussion topics, a quiz, and certificates of participation. It’s everything you need to engage your team in keeping email skills sharp.

The original package has been used by thousands of frontline reps. Now, it is available in both hard copy and digital format so that your team can improve skills no matter where they are working.

In under an hour, your team will learn how to:

• Make a positive impression with email
• Use a professional greeting and closing
• Use formatting to make messages easier to read
• Create email templates, and more.

Choose hard copy or digital booklets and start improving email skills right away!

Order Today

Read a Student Guide Sample

Read a Leader’s Guide Sample

Learn More

Effective Email Communication is part of the Service Success Guides series of training and motivation materials.

May 28, 2020

Tips for Service Teams

Service Recovery the Disney Way

When customers experience a problem they want to be heard. So keep in mind the Disney Institute’s five-step process for service recovery. They call this the H.E.A.R.D technique.

Hear: Let the customer tell their entire story without interruption.

Empathize: Show that you understand how the customer feels. Use phrases like "I’d be frustrated, too."

Apologize: Even if you are not responsible for the problem, apologize for its impact on the customer.

Resolve: Find the best solution for the customer.

Diagnose: Get to the bottom of why the mistake occurred and how it can be avoided in the future.

More practical service tips appear in the May issue of Customer Communicator newsletter.

Learn More >

Subscribe Today >

April 9, 2020

Tips for Service Teams

Controlling Fear is Crucial in Trying Times

As the coronavirus pandemic disrupted everyday life and roiled the U.S. economy, coach Mike Staver was reminded of the importance of understanding human neurology.

Much like the coronavirus, fear is a highly contagious state of being, Staver says. With restaurants, stores, and offices closing down, it’s all too easy to be infected with fear. And the illogical impulse to stock up on toilet paper spreads from one shopper to another.

To maintain productivity through a crisis, Staver says, make a plan for the what-ifs in your life. What if there is no food? What if you need to work from home with small children underfoot? What if this lasts longer than expected?

Acknowledge the worst-case scenarios, and then come up with a sensible plan for managing through those situations.

Having a plan can calm your brain’s production of cortisol, a hormone that acts as the body’s alarm system. Once you’ve alleviated your anxiety and fear, you can be more productive.

"The plan is the cure," Staver says.

More tips for staying productive in trying times appear in the April issue of Customer Communicator newsletter.

Learn More >

Subscribe Today >

Today?s training selection

Guide to Handling Difficult Customers

We are pleased to present the Guide to Handling Difficult Customers.

In its pages, your staff will learn how to transform angry or upset customers into satisfied, loyal, long-term customers.

Perfect for both the experienced rep and the novice, it shows your staff how to handle virtually any customer with poise and professionalism. They will learn:

• Seven ways to calm angry or upset customers
• Six steps to successful problem resolution
• Nine ways to remain calm and positive throughout the process.

Guide to Handling Difficult Customers is a practical tool for self-study or in a classroom setting.

A Complete Package

Your training package includes 10 booklets and 10 glancers, plus a downloadable leader?s guide, quizzes, and certificates of participation.

Special Savings

Save 20% when you order two or more packs by May17.

Order Today

Learn More

Read Samples

Guide to Handling Difficult Customers is part of the Service Success Guides series of training packages.