Smile and the World Smiles With You – Unless It’s Fake
One of our faithful viewers sent me a story. He was at a store, and the employee was friendly and engaging. But when he saw her later—when she was off duty—she acted indifferent toward him, almost rude. She wouldn’t even smile, which made him wonder, “Shouldn’t people greet you as warmly outside of their work environment as they do while on the job?” When you hire someone for a job, you should understand their personality. Do they come to the job with the positive attitude you want your customers to experience? Or do they have to “fake it”? The old cliché of “hire for attitude and train for skill” comes to mind, but I think it’s more than that. You do want to have someone with the right attitude, but more importantly, they need to understand and fit in with the culture and personality of your organization. Just hours after I heard this viewer’s story, I was at the airport standing in front of the check-in desk at the gate. The gate agent was busy pecking away at the computer’s keyboard. He never once looked up at me. (Was I invisible?) He then left to go down to the plane. He came back a few minutes later and continued to work, never once looking at me or the other passengers that were now lining up behind me. Finally, I asked him, “Are you the gate agent working this flight?” He responded, “Yes, but this gate is closed until one hour before the flight.” Good explanation… but it would have been nice for him to tell me that five minutes earlier. A nice friendly smile along with that explanation would have gone a long way. I walked away and found another agent who was not “officially” on duty or working my flight, but who was almost overzealously willing to help me. She was very friendly, so I complimented her. I then told her the story about the grumpy agent who wouldn’t even acknowledge me. I could tell that frustrated her, and she confided in me that he always comes to work with a sour attitude. She even said, “I can’t imagine why he keeps this job. He must hate it—having to be friendly to everyone. It’s not who he is.” When it comes to hiring people who have to work with others, especially customers, trust me on this. If the job requires friendliness and an outgoing personality, you don’t want to hire someone who has to fake it. It’s just a matter of time before they flip back to a different personality. They may want to put forth their best effort, but if it really isn’t part of their personality, they will eventually revert back to who they really are. People can only adapt for so long. It’s important to remember that customers don’t know whether an employee is on-duty or off-duty. But they do know how they are treated. Your best people should have the people-focused gene. It’s about who they are all the time, not just when they are at work and on duty. That’s who you want working for you—and that’s the company reputation you should strive for.
Season 2 Episodes
Closing the Customer Experience Gaps
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Today’s Economy Is All About The Customer – Season 2 Episode 7
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The Influence of Generation Z – Season 2 Episode 6
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Three Successful Business Strategies You Must Do
Shep discusses three strategies successful organizations must do this year to separate...
The Post-pandemic Customer Experience – Season 2 Episode 4
Shep discusses 3 strategies for delivering a better customer experience during and...
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Season 1 Episodes
The Difference Between Repeat Customers and Loyal Customers
“We love our customers, and they obviously love us. They keep coming...
The “Always” Concept: What We Must Always Do For Our Customers
One of the big concepts we teach in our customer service training programs is...
The Shortest Customer Service Keynote Speech Ever!
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Would You Rather Go to the Dentist or Call Customer Support?
Here is a stat that’s hard to believe: Forty-eight percent of Americans...
How to Handle Difficult Customers
Not long ago I covered six ways to handle angry customers. Often...
Companies’ Responses to COVID Provide Insights into Handling a Crisis
One of my viewers asked me the following question: What is your...
Customer Service Versus Customer Experience … What’s the Difference?
It is one of the most common questions I’m asked in interviews:...
There Is No Excuse to Not Respond to a Customer
Let me put it to you in the simplest terms possible. When...
Six Ways to Handle Angry Customers
Everybody has angry customers. Some customers are angry because they have a...
How to Compete with Amazon
Amazon has changed the way customers think. It has pushed customer service...
The Customer Service Ritual that Takes Place at Every Meeting
Every Monday morning – or at least the first day of the...
The Unexpected Stands Out – Especially if It’s Bad
In the customer service world, people have an expectation. They want to...
How to Get Your Customers to Say, “I’ll Be Back!”
Many companies think they have to compare themselves to their competition. They...
Avoid Customer Confusion
Today’s customers are smarter than ever. The online world has given customers...
The Most Important Measurement in Business
This is the first of several lessons I’ll be sharing from my newest book, I’ll...
Care More About Your Customer Than The Sale
It seems that most of the companies that customers love to do...
Reducing Friction Makes You Money
Reducing friction is all about creating an easier experience for the customer....
How to Handle Lost Luggage: A Lesson From the Airlines
It’s been almost a year since my last business trip due to...
Easy Ways to Improve Your Customer Service Skills
Not long ago I wrote about how small improvements can make a...
The Problem Isn’t the Employee, It’s the System
Here’s a true story shared by a friend of mine in the...
How to Deal With Negative Customer Service Interactions
I was recently asked what three traits I think are most important...
Small Improvements in Customer Service Create Big Wins
Small successes add up. You don’t need, to put it in baseball...
Empowerment Lessons From the Ritz-Carlton
If you’ve been following my work, you know I’m a huge fan...
Customer Service Lessons From the Best Unknown Companies
I’m often asked what the best way to disrupt the competition is....
The Story Tells the Story
What’s your story? What reasons compel your customers to do business with...
How to Be a Customer Service Hero: The Mike Moment
We’ve all heard the old adage: “It’s better to give than to...
Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner! The Versatility of Customer Service
This is a crazy idea, but hear me out. When I was...
The New Executive Position: CLO, Customer Love Officer
The word love is not used that often in the corporate or...
Compare Yourself to the Best
Stop comparing yourself to the competition! It’s okay to ask yourself, “What...
Ritualize the Customer Experience
I love hanging around smart people, and my friend Todd Hartley is...
A Recipe for Amazing Customer Service
As we approach Thanksgiving, I can’t stop thinking about turkey and stuffing—and...
How Much Does It Cost to Give Great Customer Service?
I recently wrote an article in Forbes about how to get customers...
When Surprise and Delight Becomes Surprise Without Delight
We’ve all heard this expression. The intention is that we surprise our...
Does it Matter How You Refer to Your Customers?
Let me ask you: What do you call your customers? Do you...
Customer Service Week: A Time to Celebrate Customers AND Employees
It’s my favorite time of year… the leaves change from green to...
Be Nice – It Doesn’t Cost You Anything
What does it cost to be nice? Some would say, “Nothing.” When...
How to Avoid Roadblocks to Great Customer Service
What gets in the way of creating a great customer service experience...
A Boring Customer Service Experience – That’s What Our Customers Want
You may call me boring, but I want the same thing every...
Would You Fight to Make Your Customers Happy?
First, a little background. I was having a conversation with a colleague...
How to Really WOW Your Customers
I recently talked about taking the extra step to deliver amazing service....
How to Get Customers to Leave Positive Reviews
Getting customers to review their experience with you is powerful. Before they...
You Can’t Automate Your Customer Relationship
I recently wrote an article for Forbes about how three out of...
How to Calculate Your Customer Retention Rate
Get ready to do a little math. While not my typical lesson,...
The Incomplete Answer
I recently talked about the expected experiences gap, where the customers’ expectations—based...
The Peace of Mind Call
My friend Stacy Sherman, head of customer experience at Schindler Elevator Corporation,...
There’s Magic in Managing the Details
“Detail is no detail.” I’m not sure where I heard this first....
How to Put Some Fun into Serious Business
The other day I was talking to my friend and fellow customer...
How Do You Really Know If You’re Doing a Good Job?
I could have titled this video “Box of Donuts Research,” but you...
The Boss Can Kill the Customer Service Buzz
Back in my high school and college days I worked at a...
The Problem Didn’t Start When Your Customer Told You About It
Imagine this: The phone rings. A customer service representative answers the phone...
The Employee Experience Starts with the Hiring Process
Every company wants to have good employees. More importantly, they also want...
A Reason to Smile During the COVID-19 Pandemic
My buddy and fellow professional keynote speaker, Joey Coleman, is one smart...
How to Transform the Customer Experience
Want to engage and connect with your customers more effectively? Then listen...
Customer Service Training is Not What You Think it is
Many companies have a great focus on providing an excellent or, as...
Your Emergency Response Plan–Be Prepared
One of our viewers, Tom Korff, sent in an important question: how...
Smile and the World Smiles With You – Unless It’s Fake
One of our faithful viewers sent me a story. He was at...
Four Lessons from The Cult Of The Customer
It’s almost here… the updated and revised edition of The Cult of...
Do You Take Responsibility When Things Go Wrong?
In a recent video, I talked about the concept of giving recognition...
A Dramatic Change Doesn’t Have to be a Traumatic Change
The word dramatic is a great word. When you use it to...
20 Ways to Improve Your Customer Service Part 2
Last week, I shared the first ten ideas to drive a better...
20 Ways to Improve Your Customer Service Part 1
With all the focus on how technology—including AI, data, personalization and more—can...
New Year’s Reflections: Celebrate Your Accomplishments
It’s that time of year when we make New Year’s resolutions that,...
Five Ways To Prepare For Your Busy Season
If you’re watching this the day it comes out, it’s the day...
Do Your Employees Get the Recognition They Deserve?
There are some pretty important people in your organization, and I bet...
The Survey Shouldn’t Be the Last Thing the Customer Remembers About You
I’m all for getting customer feedback. There are different ways to go...
Live Up to a Higher Standard of Service
How do you live up to your standard for customer service? A...
Simplicity Leads to a Convenient Experience
Shep Hyken explains how simplicity leads to a convenient experience. Dr. Jason...
Customer Service vs. Customer Experience
Shep Hyken explains how three iconic brands are delivering the complete customer...
That “Something Extra” You Offer to Make Customers Love You
In the realm of business—and especially customer service—we often talk about how...
De-evolution of a Business – How to Stay Relevant to Your Customers
Is your business de-evolving? Or do you have growth? If you want...
How Do You Drive Toward Customer Success?
What do golf and customer service have in common? Want to know...
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