There’s too much going on – for all of us. From the daily deluge of emails and other in-the-moment communications to an information-packed internet, many of us are overwhelmed and exhausted trying to keep up with, and make sense of, the massive stream of data needing to be dealt with on a daily basis.

Customer service should provide an oasis from this experience. Typically, people engage customer service to resolve issues and get clarification – not add more confusing, confounding information to their already data-saturated craniums.

Digital label printing is an excellent example of an industry where people easily can get overwhelmed with information. Technology has opened up vast new digital printing options and added many new bells and whistles. Label substrates, inks and special effects can combine to create looks never before seen or even imagined.

Information contained on or accessible from the label also has become a technology-enhanced forum. Increasingly, through the use of such scannable elements as QR codes, consumers can rapidly gain access to detailed digital information about the product. So, the once seemingly straightforward world of label printing itself has become quite complex. Here are some do’s and don’ts for customer service excellence that can simplify consumer decision-making while also providing useful education:

Do ask, don’t sell. Too often, customer service departments are tasked with trying to sell or upsell customers. Think about your own customer service experiences. How often have you been barraged by sales pitches while on hold for a customer rep, only then to be greeted by someone clearly wanting to sell and solve at the same time? Don’t confuse (or confound) the customer with the daily deals, requests for surveys, and other promotional gobbledygook.

First, seek to understand the customer’s concern, pain, challenge – whatever. Then, plug in to provide useful feedback that can address the immediate situation. Where legitimate, it’s okay to introduce offers that can be integral to the needed solution. Otherwise, however, leave the selling/upselling for another day. By helping the customer deal with the situation at hand without appearing sales-obsessed, you’re already building trust.

Do set the stage for future offers. Listen carefully to what the customer is saying (and not saying). From this, the discerning customer service rep can gather valuable intelligence for future consideration. If, for example, a customer expresses interest in being kept abreast of new label special effects, substrates, inks, and/or other advances, find out how to best communicate information as it becomes available.  There’s a vast industry of automated marketing that provides protocols so that recipients of emails and other communiques can declare what they do and don’t want to know about, and when. This way, the communication becomes something the recipient has requested versus just something else clogging the daily communications channel.

Customer service reps have an opportunity to do the same while engaging with their customers. Remember, it’s not about selling, but rather inquiring about preferences,­ so that you can give them only what they want and be considerate at the same time.

Do speak their language. Everybody has a level of understanding. Before wading into resolution or solution mode, ask defining questions about knowledge and experience in the area being discussed. This can be done in a polite way, without sounding condescending. One major key to clear communication is to plug in at the appropriate level.

Just as we’ve all been regaled with tech-speak when we really needed plain English, the reverse also occurs. Consumers with a sophisticated and current understanding of digital label technology likely will want to be addressed in a different way than a complete novice.

Speaking the right language also extends to the customer’s communication style. Effectively engaging an enraged customer typically requires an approach much different from a timid customer just trying to acquire information.

Don’t let ‘em leave unresolved. Obviously, you can’t please everyone. There are unreasonable customers who will be angry and frustrated no matter what you do. But, in the vast majority of cases, proper treatment of a customer will lead to a productive outcome. Ultimately, the job of an effective customer service rep is to achieve a solution or resolution that’s acceptable to the customer.  But, don’t try to be a mind reader. At the appropriate point, confirm what you believe has been decided, and ask if there are any other issues or concerns that need to be addressed. Do this in a conversational way if possible, versus the obviously scripted Q&A employed by so many mega-corporations.

By providing solid, competent and caring customer service, you can help alleviate—to some degree at least—the frustration, confusion and sense of overload that we contend with on a regular basis.


Tammie MacLachlan contributed to this report.

Mark Lusky is a marketing communications professional who has worked with Lightning Labels since 2008. Tammie MacLachlan is the customer service manager of Lightning Labels, an all-digital custom label printer in Denver, CO, USA.