My first hands-on experience with a box of crayons and a coloring book at school provided a feeling of freedom and independence, not to mention excitement ~ right up to the point when my teacher looked at my masterpiece and said those creativity crushing words, "You need to work on coloring inside the lines."  Life and professional experience has since taught me that, while coloring inside the lines absolutely is quite often necessary, there are also big advantages to going outside of the lines.

This is the most wonderful time of the year, as sung by many, and customers are holding hope that in some small way your business can add to the magic of the season. Service, all year around, should be at its best, but during the holidays when people are distracted, frazzled, and looking for something merry and bright, make it your goal to meet and greet them with the "more" they are looking for. You have a special opportunity during this time of year to give your customers the gift of enhancing their experiences.

This week's customer service lesson is about reacting quickly.  It is something that I am very passionate about, and all service providers should share the same passion. Customer service doesn't just happen to someone else; it's a very personal and intentional action that happens to each one of us daily. We have a personal connection to the service we are providing as well as receiving. Quick reaction and timely responses should be a part of every company's core standards because these two actions help support a positive customer experience.

We have spent the last several weeks mastering the Customer Service Skills List so we can discover opportunities and know how to "wow" your customers. Let's reverse roles and have you remember when you were the customer and you were "wowed."  What did that feel like? Why were you "wowed"? I am willing to bet it was because the service providers and/or customer advocates went out of their way to make a connection with you. They did something to exceed your expectations, and they made the service exchange about you.

As we continue to improve and build on the Top 10 Customer Service Skills List, we now understand the importance of creating memorable interactions with our prospects and customers, and we know:

• the power of a lasting first impression.
• how to build rapport and create trust. 

But, where would we be without mastering our questioning skills? What are the appropriate questions to ask, and what is discovery? Discovery frames your conversations around solutions. As successful sales and service people, we solve and assist with tailored solutions, and we don't just blindly speak and randomly push products/services.