In Unusual Times, Replace the Usual Customer Service Phrases

April 6, 2020

On a typical day, most customers will understand what you mean even if you use less-than-graceful words when you speak or write. But these aren’t typical days. The usual customer service phrases can make your anxious customers even less patient and more emotional. These phrases can also make your company seem clueless. Here’s a list of six customer service phrases your team should probably avoid.

Yes, Writing to Customers in Social Media Does Require Special Skills

January 13, 2019

Customer service agents who respond on Twitter and Facebook, etc. must have social-media-specific writing skills. While you may have staffed your social channels with experienced agents who know how to write great emails or live chats, writing to customers in social channels is challenging and different. Read on to learn about the three social-specific writing skills agents need if they’re going to deliver excellent customer care.

How to Write Automated Texts That Sound Human, Not Robotic

May 5, 2016

If your customers have opted-in to receive texts from your company, they probably understand that some texts from your company were sent by an automated system. However, your automated texts to customers shouldn’t sound mechanical. Here are 10 tips to help you write automated texts that sound human and build rapport with your customers.

Hotel Allegro, Get Your Customer Service Act Together: When Multichannel Goes Wrong

March 20, 2015

Last week, I stayed at the Hotel Allegro in Chicago. My stay was OK, maybe a C-. The hotel’s under construction, the wi-fi was sketchy, you have to leave the hotel to go to its 312 Chicago restaurant, and the room was really small. I might stay there again, but probably not. Why am I telling you all this? Because my post-stay experience as an Allegro customer presents an object lesson in how not to do multichannel customer service. Here’s what happened.

Why a 280-Character Customer Service Tweet is a Bad Idea

April 26, 2013

Read this tale of social customer service in which Bluehost sends me, the customer, a 280-character response that’s broken mid-sentence into two 140-character tweets. Read my explanation of why writing to a customer in this fashion is the opposite of a good idea.