Michael D. Clark’s Post

Fourth and final tenet for Oxbow. Being responsive shows that you value the needs and concerns of others. Whether in customer service, relationships, or leadership, being responsive fosters trust, satisfaction, and effective communication. It demonstrates reliability and care, ultimately enhancing relationships and productivity. When you're not responsive, it can lead to frustration, misunderstandings, and a breakdown in communication. It may create the perception that you're indifferent or unreliable, damaging relationships and trust. It can result in lost opportunities, decreased satisfaction, and ultimately, negative impacts on reputation and success. I recognize I’m not everyone’s cup of tea but if there’s one universal truth among everyone who knows me it’s I respond. Sometimes it’s with the exact thing someone is looking for and other times it’s just a simple acknowledgment of receipt. Either way, I hate leaving people hanging. To me, being responsive is being dependable and I strive to be a person everyone can rely on.

Tope had always believed in one simple yet powerful quote:  "𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝗺 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗵."This mantra shaped how he approached both his customer service role and his creative projects. One day, while handling a difficult customer complaint, Tope found himself facing a particularly frustrated caller. The customer was upset about a delayed order, and his tone was harsh. Tope could have easily dismissed the complaint or reacted defensively, but instead, he remembered his guiding principle: 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘆. With patience and understanding, Tope listened closely to the customer’s concerns. He acknowledged their frustration and worked with them to find a solution that exceeded their expectations. By the end of the call, the customer was not only satisfied but deeply appreciative of Tope’s kindness and professionalism. This encounter left Tope feeling inspired. He realized that whether solving a problem or brainstorming new ideas for a project, the heart of great work lies in serving others with genuine care. It wasn’t just about meeting expectations, it was about creating moments that truly made a difference. 𝗧𝗼𝗽𝗲’𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘆, 𝗱𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲, 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸, 𝗻𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲. #CustomerServiceExcellence #CreativeWork #EmpathyInAction #ServiceWithHeart #Leadership #CustomerSatisfaction #CreativeInspiration #WorkWithPurpose #Motivation

𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 – 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗔𝗿𝗲 Customer service is not just about solving problems; it is about treating every individual with respect and professionalism. This story highlights how poor treatment of a customer can have serious consequences. A team treated a customer poorly, unaware that the person was actually the Minister in charge of their ministry and their superior. The outcome? The team lead was suspended, and the staff involved were penalized for their actions. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀: 1. Always approach every customer interaction with kindness and respect, regardless of who they seem to be. 2. Your actions can impact not only your reputation but also your team and organization. Remember, every customer interaction is an opportunity to leave a positive impression. How would you handle a situation like this? Share your thoughts or similar experiences in the comments. Let’s learn from each other and strive for excellence in customer service! #CustomerService #RespectMatters #Professionalism #LeadershipLessons #Engagement #sales #CEOs #Businessowners #Founders

𝗣𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗕𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗔𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙀𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙎𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. When a customer expresses a 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, it's natural to want to jump in and provide a solution immediately. However, taking a moment to 𝗽𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 can make all the difference. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗼: 𝘼𝙘𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙡𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙧'𝙨 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨: By showing empathy and understanding, you create a safe space for the customer to open up and share their concerns. 𝙂𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: A pause gives you the opportunity to clarify the issue, ask questions, and gather more details, ensuring you provide a more effective solution. 𝙍𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨: Taking a moment to collect your thoughts helps you manage your own emotions, ensuring you respond professionally and calmly, even in high-pressure situations. So, the next time you're faced with a customer concern, 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲, take a deep breath, and 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡𝙮. Your customers will thank you for it! #EQ #Emotionalintelligence #salescommunication #sales #Pause #Salesdevelopment

Customer service or sub-optimisation? What’s your take on doing more than agreed, always good or a lack of quality control? Remember that time when you turned yourself inside out to help that customer? The customer where very happy and you felt really good. To put in that extra effort once in a while is good for you and your organisation. It turns the light on areas of improvement and keeps you on your toes. Then imagine doing that for every customer, day in and day out. Not that appealing, right? The sugar on top treatment is like priority boarding, if you put all travelers on priority you will end up with a long line of unhappy middle age men in suits. Before you can promise your customers that you will solve everything, you need to work with them so that they ask for what they really need. Hand them an extra cake and they will be like spoiled kids after a while. Honesty and transparency is key when it comes to customer relations. So, educate your customers on your operations and make them understand the consequences of their actions. And for those who systematically are playing the VIP priority boarding card, kindly explain why you can’t help them and make them get in line. #CustomerExperience #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #CustomerRelationships #Transparency

Cleaning out my inbox yesterday led to an embarrassing discovery... A 2018 email from my team lead when I was a telesales agent at Access Bank Contact Center. Yours truly needed to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against her for chewing gum while talking to customers. Let's just say, that Wednesday, 31 October 2018, I wasn't exactly setting the best customer service example. Taking a deep breath and reflecting, here are 3 things I learned to do better: 1️⃣ Professionalism in All Interactions: What I Learned: Maintaining professionalism is crucial in every customer interaction. Actions like chewing gum can come across as disrespectful or inattentive. How I Improved: I ensure to present myself professionally, understanding that my behavior directly impacts the customer's perception of the company. 2️⃣ Appreciate being called out: What I Learned: While the mail stung that year, I realized that my team lead wasn't out to get me; he was looking out for both me (by ensuring I followed company protocol) and the customer experience. His feedback was essential for my growth. How I Improved: I learned to appreciate constructive criticism and actively seek it out. This guidance became a cornerstone for my professional growth, teaching me to welcome feedback and use it to continually improve my performance. 3️⃣ Setting the Right Example: What I Learned: As a representative of the company, it's important to set a positive example in all customer interactions. Unprofessional behavior reflects poorly on the entire team. How I Improved: I strive to be a role model for my colleagues by consistently demonstrating best practices in customer service. And guess who bagged the Customer Whisperer award? Yes, yours truly! 🏆 Look, we all have made mistakes and will probably still do in our careers, but it’s how we grow and learn from it that matters. Embrace feedback, learn from experiences, and keep striving for excellence! What lessons have you learned from past mistakes? Share your story in the comments. #ProfessionalGrowth #CustomerServiceExcellence #LearnFromMistakes #CareerDevelopment

🌟 Tip Saturday: Mastering Review Responses 🌟 Responding to reviews is an art that can significantly enhance your business's reputation. Here’s how to handle both praise and criticism like a pro: -𝗔𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱: Whether it’s positive or negative, every review deserves a thank you. It shows you value customer feedback. -𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹: Keep responses polite and professional. Even with negative reviews, maintain a calm and helpful tone. -𝗕𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹: Address the reviewer by name and tailor your response to their specific comments. It shows personal attention and care. -𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗺: Express gratitude for positive feedback. It reinforces good relations and encourages continued support. -𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: For negative reviews, apologize for the experience and offer a solution or invite them to discuss it further privately. This can turn a negative into a positive opportunity. Remember, effective review responses can turn customers into loyal advocates and improve your business image. Let’s make every word count! 🚀 #CustomerService #BusinessReputation #ReviewResponses #TipSaturday

“I would be (insert emotion) too.” This is a tip I learned from Tony Robbins. He calls it framing. This technique is powerful when it comes to trying to calm an angry customer and here’s why: --> It validates the customer's feelings. --> It diffuses any tension. --> It conveys the fact that you value the customer. --> It makes the customer feel understood, which reduces feelings of animosity. --> It builds common ground from which you can start reasoning with the customer from a place of rapport. Most importantly, those words help you manage your emotions and stay in empathy (a huge part of Positive Intelligence’s teachings). In the process, it puts you in the driver's seat in as far as influencing the outcome is concerned. This also helps you remain thoughtful and considerate throughout the interaction. PS: Have you tried this when faced with an angry customer? Or has anyone used this phrase on you when you were the angry customer? How did it play out? I'd love to know... Hi, I’m Hannah Karanja. Follow me for customer service and Positive Intelligence tips. #customerservice #positiveintelligence #rapport

"How Can I Help You? Context is everything, and I'm not convinced he's right in customer service, but I'm confident that in a conflict, you should ask this question because. Asking, "How can I help you?" Shows empathy: You're acknowledging the other person's feelings and needs and listening to them. If you truly seek to solve the issue, you can immediately shift the conflict from aggression and disagreement to problem-solving. The question is not challenging, threatening, or judgemental. What do you think of the question in both scenarios? www.safeinternational.biz #conflictresolution #customerservice #violenceprevention #selfdefense

Handling complaints is not how most people want to spend their day at work, but if you do need to do this I'm here to help. Check out this blog post which contains useful phrases to use at each stage of handling a complaint. https://lnkd.in/eftUZt4n