Let's make customer service fun. Why?  Because you do better when it's fun, and if you aren't having fun, it's time to evaluate why.  Now the "why" could be for a lot of reasons outside of customer service, but I just want to focus on service.  How exactly do you do better when you are having fun?  Many reasons, but the biggest are that it leaves a lasting impression on your customers so that they want to return for more, and you feel so good doing it that you want to do it more! 

A good hockey player plays where the puck is.  A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be.

-Wayne Gretzky

The start of a new year is a great time to think about looking ahead.  This usually means making fresh goals, which is certainly something we've talked about in the past.  But it can also mean thinking about the concept of anticipation.  Being proactive.  Seeing the future.  However you care to think about it, it's all about using what you already know to predict what will happen next.  

We have talked several times about finding the right "employee fit"  for the job. Why? Because there seems to still be several organizations that could use and apply some additional information on the subject. 

So here we have the formula for you in words- below you will get the comprehensive list of "must have or must develop" skills. To most successfully implement these, companies must have a people-focused culture and human resources hiring strategy that focuses on finding and developing successful employees who meet company goals.  The disconnect comes when the company's business strategies, company culture, and HR activities are not aligned.

Back by popular demand this holiday!  For your enjoyment during this wonderful time of the year, we want to give you some additional smiles. Is there anything sweeter than the innocence of a child's view on how the world runs? Their perspective and beliefs on subjects like customer service is so straightforward and simple. Children's thoughts are pure and non-complicated, and this is where the lesson comes in for the adults. 

Even the best well-oiled customer service machine can (and will) malfunction.  Follow our tips below to avoid the four key mistakes that can turn a basic malfunction into a full disaster.  We want to help you to keep your business safe and your customers happy.

“Did You Know? Over 90% of #business #marketing budgets are spent to get customers to call. Only 6% is spent to actually handle the call.” (Tweeted by @Conrecept.) Now if this is true, and I suspect it is based on what we witness and evaluate each day, think of the money that is wasted and the customers that are lost because focus is just on sales, marketing, and PR. Scary and sad. And to further shock you, according to the "2015 Global State of Multichannel Customer Service Report" published by Parature, from Microsoft and Microsoft Dynamics CRM, today's consumers have increasing expectations for customer serivce.  In fact, according to the report, which surveyed 4,000 consumers across the globe, 60% have higher customer service expectations than a year ago.  What you need to do is obvious- you have to step up your customer service game!