Overwhelmingly, the focus of “good customer service” is on the service provider. But, lost in the all-consuming drive to make and keep customers happy is their responsibility to return the favor.

Why should a customer need, or want, to keep customer reps happy? There are a variety of reasons, most notably the company’s employees – many of whom also deserve a break.

Recent stories about the lagging morale of IRS workers reinforce the point.  Many spend their days listening to angry, frustrated, confused callers – a substantial percentage of whom are venting their disdain on the most readily available target.

Obviously, this doesn’t do the employee any good. But, it also can hurt the caller because there are many ways for disgruntled employees to retaliate quietly. A “misplaced” keystroke or notation on an account could wreak havoc and create all kinds of problems for a customer down the road.

Aim for win-win instead of lose-lose
While customers may enjoy venting, the most likely outcome is lose-lose. Switch the outcome to win-win by training customers to be more knowledgeable, engaged and respectful.

In a 2014 Inc. Magazine article by Donna Wells, the CEO of Mindflash.com, she notes, “Want To Retain Your Customers? Try Training Them. Why customer training isn’t a close-the-sale ploy but a business and growth imperative…Customer training should directly impact your company’s revenues and costs, you simply cannot afford to overlook it. 93% of companies responding to a TrainingIndustry survey reported that they saw increased customer satisfaction – and 88% reported increased customer retention – as a result of customer training.”

This article targets educational training, an important part of the equation. Along with that is behavioral training: enlightening customers how their behavior can improve positive resolution.

Optimally, training your customers to achieve better interactions, outcomes and bottom lines will involve both educational and behavioral components. Following are a couple of recommendations:

1. Begin the conversation before they do. Using social media, mainstream media, one-on-one interactions and any other pertinent forms of communication, explain clearly what you need from them to provide the best service.

This gives your company an opportunity to create, in essence, a document detailing expectations of the customer. (It’s also a good idea to pair this with a statement confirming what customers should expect from you – a “customer bill of rights” of sorts.) Make no mistake, this should be positive and welcoming, yet firm and clear. Make sure to provide adequate feedback mechanisms (and reminders), so that customers can weigh in.

One example of this expectations-of-customer document is to emphasize that effective problem resolution requires all parties to remain calm and focused on the issue at hand. In a professional way, this lets the customer know that outbursts and anger will hinder the process. In return, the company should commit to a customer service experience that is as fulfilling as possible.  As a show of good faith, offer the customer upfront the option to go up the food chain if a suitable outcome can’t be found – but that first you want to attempt resolution. This sets a positive tone from the outset and helps assure customers that they’re not being subjected to the infamous “customer loop” that discourages escalating issues to supervisors and other higher-ups.

This may prove unpopular with companies dedicated to getting customers off a call or online chat as quickly as possible (and without going up the ranks) in the name of cost-saving. That mindset, however, can be counterproductive and warrants rethinking.

2. Make your knowledge base all it can be. Develop a comprehensive library of topics that customers can access for basic training and education. Where feasible, create both print and video versions. The key here is to create a knowledge base that truly can address customer concerns in a reliable, user-friendly way.

Often, in an effort to divert customers from calling or online chatting, companies offer their FAQs, articles and the like. This only works if the information is complete and understandable enough to handle a substantial share of the requests. Otherwise, it typically compounds frustration, as the information seeker has spent time and effort trying to get answers that aren’t readily available. 

When customer responsibilities, as well as their rights, are detailed clearly and consistently, most people will respect them – resulting in more productive interactions. The key is to train early and often


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. She has been in the printing industry for 21 years and with Lightning Labels for more than nine years. Find Lightning Labels on Facebook for special offers and label printing news.