Recently I had the opportunity to visit the Australia Zoo, which is owned by the family of the late Steve Irwin. Irwin’s documentaries on wildlife and conservation helped make the zoo a popular tourist destination. As they describe it, “the Australia Zoo is a team of passionate conservationists working around the clock to deliver an animal experience like no other.” …
    
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There are many technologies that can support and enable customer service. Many. A ton. And there are myriad decisions to be made around suppliers and solutions. Sometimes, the less you know, the better you are at asking the right “dumb” questions. The ones that really matter. “How does that make things better for our customers? Easier for our employees?” Don’t …
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On a recent trip to the Bahamas, I was reminded of the importance of an effective service strategy. As a customer service professional, it’s easy to get caught up in the daily details and lose sight of what ties it all together. There are many ways to approach strategy, but there are some common characteristics among organizations that have the …
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As 2017 comes to a close, it is a great time to reflect and consider plans for the new year. This past summer, I had the opportunity to spend time with four NFL quarterbacks, and hear their perspectives on leadership. These discussions reminded me of what Jim Collins refers to as “level 5” leadership—the highest level impact you can have. …
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Customer comments matter. Positive or negative, they definitely have an impact. A past Edge of Service Newsletter includes the following numbers to ponder: 1% to 5%. Typical percent of customers who complain to companies when there are problems—for every 10 complaints, there are anywhere from 200 to 1,000 customers you don’t hear from. (John Goodman, Customer Experience 3.0) Word of mouth …
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Customer advocacy is one of those terms that can be confusing. Does the customer advocate for us, the business? Or is it the other way around? One of the past issues of The Edge of Service® Newsletter suggests the answers to these questions is both! Take a few minutes to read this issue (The Edge of Service® Newsletter Issue 21: …
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Need some inspiration? How about inspiration for your next team meeting? Check out the Edge of Service Newsletter archives for 20 brief articles on some of the most pressing issues facing customer service professionals today. They also include statistics and an action-oriented “To Do” section. Enjoy! Be sure to subscribe to receive the next issue in your inbox.
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We are well into 2017. How’s it going? Take a minute to reflect on how customer service continues to evolve at your organization. If you missed the December issue of my Edge of Service™ Newsletter, you might enjoy reading about three predictions that I have for 2017. The Edge of Service® Newsletter Issue 19: Three Predictions for 2017 By any …
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The Edge of Service® Newsletter, Issue 20: TEDx: Thriving in an Always-On World Being always connected…is it a blessing or a curse? Are we in charge, or are we slaves to our smartphones? For the past three decades, I’ve been privileged to work with a diverse range of organizations—from small startups to national governments and multinational corporations—in shaping their customer …
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The Edge of Service® Newsletter, Issue 17: The Stunning Stats Behind Employee Engagement I believe there are three categories of statistics any leader needs to know about employee engagement: First, employee engagement is strongly tied to customer experience. If you’re into statistical correlations, you’ll get a kick out of this: the ISS Group found that frontline service employee engagement correlates …
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