Customer Service Training

When I worked customer service roles, I regularly had people screaming in my face. And I often kept a smiling face, but internally (and in private) I felt like crying. As a waitress, retail worker, cashier, bartender, and customer service rep — you deal with a lot of clients and stakeholders. Some are nice, some a little less. But you’re expected to always be kind, provide great service, and keep your cool, no matter how irrational someone gets. In fact, I think working in customer service while studying to earn some spending money taught me the most of out of all my more “corporate” positions. Those jobs were tough and contributed enormously to my personal growth. In those roles, you learn: - To manage difficult stakeholders - To work well under pressure - To communicate effectively in conflict - To be compassionate towards others - To juggle multiple tasks at once - To get stuff done, fast These skills stay with you and are beneficial for many seemingly unrelated careers. Because no matter what you do, you’re always dealing with people. 💡 Biggest learning? Don’t take things personally. It often has nothing to do with you. What do you think? #CustomerService #Career #PersonalDevelopment

[Career Pivots, Unexpected Lessons] Every customer visit started with one key skill, listening. Not just to the sounds of the machine, but to the people using it. Their frustrations, their workarounds, their daily pains while all told a story about what they really needed. I spent my days servicing copier machines back in 2007. Routines like fixing jams, replacing parts, and helping office staff get their workflows back on track. At the time, I thought it was purely a technical job. But looking back now, it was something much deeper. Little did I know, that skill would become a cornerstone when I moved into a desk job. Years later, I found myself in product marketing where I was task in managing machine lifecycles, creating training materials, and presenting to marketing teams and sales. The same ability to listen and empathize with user pains became crucial to how I wrote, explained, and positioned solutions. The seven years I spent in the field taught me how to translate technical pain points into business language. And that made all the difference when it came to building awareness, trust, and understanding with my audience. Sometimes, the lessons that shape us most come from places we least expect. What’s one early career skill that’s proven unexpectedly valuable later in your journey? (Picture taken in 2007 at Esplanade while in work uniform 🤣 has to be blue, indicates service)

Why Every Company Should Require Employees to Spend 1 Day a Year in Customer Service or Retail: I’ve had 3 pivotal experiences working directly with consumers: 1. During college, I worked at Gap & Abercrombie & Fitch (yes, the days of pumping perfume into the store & rolling up shorts). This experience gave me firsthand exposure to retail operations & customer interactions. 2. Later, I partnered with cultural anthropologists, conducting in-home visits to observe how consumers used products. This process not only validated or disproved our hypotheses but also uncovered new insights. 3. At Estée Lauder, I was required to work a day in retail. My shift was December at Macy’s Herald Square. Clinique alone could generate over a million dollars in sales that day. It was an eye-opening experience that offered invaluable lessons. Through these experiences, I learned several key lessons about consumer behavior: 1. Personalization Drives Engagement Consumers are more likely to make a purchase when they feel understood—whether they prefer being assisted or left alone or have style preferences. Building rapport & customizing the experience leads to increased sales. 2. Promotions Influence Purchases Many consumers are motivated by discounts & deals. Learning to up or cross-sell by leveraging promotions or bundling products taught me how these tactics can drive conversions & traffic. 3. Speed is Crucial Customers want efficient service. Whether it's finding an item, completing a purchase, or getting assistance, speed is essential. I learned the importance of reducing wait times & ensuring all areas of the store/site were staffed for prompt service. 4. Visual Merchandising Impacts Buying Decisions Store layout, window displays & signage (simple=better) have a powerful effect on attracting consumers & influencing their purchasing choices. Adapting visual merchandising to trends & promotions can significantly boost sales. 5. Product Knowledge Builds Trust Consumers expect employees to be well-versed in the products they're selling. Proper training equips staff to answer questions confidently & showcase key product benefits. 6. Customer Loyalty is Earned Through Consistency A great product alone isn’t enough to secure customer loyalty. Consistent service, inventory & transparent pricing all contribute to a positive experience that keeps customers returning. 7. Handling Difficult Customers Teaches Problem-Solving Dealing with challenging customers & situations taught me the value of patience & conflict resolution. I learned how to diffuse tense situations while maintaining a calm environment so that other customers weren’t affected. Cumulatively, these experiences have shaped me as a leader. I firmly believe that beyond an outstanding product & resources (your team & financial capital, etc.), the key to long-term success lies in understanding and serving your consumer. The closer you are to your consumer, the more value you can create. #consumercentric #brand

A few takeaways that left me awe-inspired by Mindy Williams, our Rockstar Service Manager at CMA's Colonial Subaru. "She’s a service advisor turned service manager who brings breakfast for customers and cries at their funerals." Build Comebacks; The Good Kind Mindy’s not afraid of the close. She loves selling the big job. But what makes her different is how she sells before the customer ever walks in. She listens. She builds trust. She uses her calendar like a CRM with a soul. Daughter heading to college? That goes in the notes. And six months later, she follows up with a “good luck” message, not a coupon. When that same customer needs a $5K job? They say yes. Because they already trust her. SALES TIP: Stop selling like a server reading from a laminated menu. Start selling like someone who remembers their last visit, and gave a damn. Mindy’s not just managing a team; she’s running a relationship factory. From knowing each tech’s "appreciation language" to filling in as an advisor when short-staffed, she leads by showing up fully. Being a Mom Made Her a Better Manager When her son got sick, Mindy didn’t just balance work and life, she combined them. Sick kid in the playpen. Reports done at 2 a.m. Daycare germs, snow days, service lane chaos, she handled it. Because that’s what moms and managers both do: they improvise, adapt, and make it work. Leadership isn’t about control. It’s about flexibility wrapped in commitment. LIFE LESSON: You can be both: a mom and a manager. A leader and a listener. A closer and a caretaker. Take a moment to listen to her story, her leadership and the future of leading a service department! #proudtobeCMA #MovingLivesForward

𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐕𝐏 𝐚𝐭 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐛𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐩𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫? 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐚 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐧, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 Here's what happened: The company was in the final stages of a major deal that could transform their quarter from good to great. Everything seemed lined up: The equipment fit, financials made sense, and delivery timelines worked. But the customer hesitated: "We're concerned about downtime and maintenance costs," That's when the Sales VP made a brilliant move. Instead of sending another brochure or discount, the Sales VP brought in their veteran service technician for the final meeting. This wasn’t just any technician. With grease-stained hands and 15 years of hands-on experience, he spoke candidly about: 👍 The common maintenance challenges they'd likely face 👍 The specific steps their dealership had in place to minimize downtime 👍 The exact response times they could expect when issues arose No jargon. No BS.  Just straight talk from someone who understood what keeps equipment managers up at night. The result? The customer signed the deal that same day. Their exact words:  "Your technician's presence was the deciding factor. It showed us you're invested in our long-term success, not just making a sale." That day, the technician was the MVP on the sales team. The takeaway is clear: Expert service technicians are powerful sales enablers. Their real-world knowledge and commitment to solving problems build trust no slick presentation can ever match. Involve your best service people in sales. It shows prospects you’ll be there when things go wrong. And in equipment sales, that’s worth more than any discount you could ever offer.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲! 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁  𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗵𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 $𝟴𝟬𝟬𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗰𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱𝗻'𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘀! An associate of mine met with a dealer exec recently (over coffee, I think?). He told me something that made me stop and think. Their most unlikely revenue generator wasn't their star salesperson with tons of training and years of experience. It was a service tech. Let that sink in for a minute.  Crazy, right?!? A guy who spends his days covered in grease and solving problems brought in more business than anyone else on the team. While the sales team was busy doing what salespeople do, this tech was: 👍 Spotting equipment issues before they became disasters  👍 Actually LISTENING when customers mentioned challenges  👍 Noticing aging machines that were costing more than they were worth  👍 Casually suggesting solutions that made operational sense No hard selling. No pressure tactics. No closing techniques. Just genuine expertise and honest recommendations. He was practicing the “Golden Rule”, not complicated sales tactics.  It was natural for him. And the customers 𝘕𝘌𝘝𝘌𝘙 felt like they were being sold to. They saw him as the trusted advisor with a whole lot of common sense. The results were eye-opening…impressive really! $800,000 in influenced sales over 12 months. That's not a typo. All from a guy who'd never spent a single day in sales training (and probably never will). 𝗣𝗢𝗩 𝟭: 𝘜𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧𝘪𝘴𝘩, 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦'𝘴 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳, 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘤𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘳. 𝗣𝗢𝗩 𝟮: 𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘠𝘰𝘶’𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵’𝘴 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴.