The Compassionate Geek

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. Attention! (and Bad Customer Service) Word of the Week: Attention The word of the week is attention. As in, pay attention to what your customer is saying and doing. That's part of the difference between good and bad customer service. Quote of the Week: Customer Loss There's an often-repeated quote that says, “68% of customer loss is due to perceived … Attention! (and Bad Customer Service) Read More » Attention! (and Bad Customer Service) Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. How to Show Respect Word of the Week: Respect The word of the week this week is respect. Respect comes in two forms. Probably, the most common way of thinking about respect is in how you feel about another person, based on their words and deeds. We often say that someone must earn respect. It's internal, it's about your … How to Show Respect Read More » How to Show Respect Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. “Shoulding” All Over Yourself and Misguided Self-Help Myths Word of the Week: Should The word of the week is should, a popular topic in self-help circles. That probably seems a little odd, but here's why it's the word of the week. Janet, my wife, and I were talking about the direction of her professional life. Like millions of others, her life has been … “Shoulding” All Over Yourself and Misguided Self-Help Myths Read More » “Shoulding” All Over Yourself and Misguided Self-Help Myths Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. How to Be a Powerful Uplifting Presence: A Positive Point of View We're changing the format and the name of the Compassionate Geek blog starting with this post. You can think of the new format as a weekly motivational triple-play. In fact, that's what I'm calling it: The Weekly Motivational Triple Play. We'll publish one new post per week, reflecting a positive point of view. Each post … How to Be a Powerful Uplifting Presence: A Positive Point of View Read More » How to Be a Powerful Uplifting Presence: A Positive Point of View Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. A Solution for Poor Customer Service This is a story with a simple solution for poor customer service. I like word puzzles. The New York Times puzzles are an ongoing distraction for me, whether it's a crossword puzzle or their accursed spelling bee. There's even one called Vertex, which is a mindless connect-the-dots puzzle. Their puzzles are well-designed and thought-provoking (except … A Solution for Poor Customer Service Read More » A Solution for Poor Customer Service Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. How to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence for Great Relationships In a breakout session on how to improve your emotional intelligence at IT Nation Explore, an attendee commented, “You say to avoid saying things like, ‘You make me so happy' or ‘you make me so angry' because it gives power to the other person. Yet, you also say to be assertive and tell the other … How to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence for Great Relationships Read More » How to Improve Your Emotional Intelligence for Great Relationships Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. Prime Time Management The 4 Quadrants of Urgency and Importance How is your time management? Are you spending your time on activities that are important or are you wasting your time on activities that don't matter? Author Stephen Covey's urgency/importance four-quadrant time management model is a powerful tool you can use to prioritize how you spend your time. … Prime Time Management Read More » Prime Time Management Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. Technicians Checklist for Customer Support This technicians checklist is for anyone who responds to service tickets and requests. It's also for anyone who deals with end-users, other customers, and coworkers. When preparing to respond to a support ticket or service request, even an informal one, be sure to go through the following checklist. IT Customer Service is More Than Just … Technicians Checklist for Customer Support Read More » Technicians Checklist for Customer Support Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. When Clients Bypass Customer Support Systems Bypassing Customer Support Systems We build customer support systems to take excellent care of our customers, but some clients just want to go around them. Does this sound familiar? Terry, an owner of a mid-sized MSP wrote: “I'm wondering if you have anything on voicemail, specifically an outbound voicemail message on the owner's mobile or … When Clients Bypass Customer Support Systems Read More » When Clients Bypass Customer Support Systems Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. How to Handle an Angry or Abusive Customer For most of us, dealing with an angry or abusive customer is upsetting, even nerve-wracking. Still, sometimes it happens. When you know how to handle an angry customer, you can turn situations around, save relationships, and keep your stress levels under control. Here are five critical success factors in dealing with difficult customers (or anybody … How to Handle an Angry or Abusive Customer Read More » How to Handle an Angry or Abusive Customer Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. How to Deal with Inappropriate Behavior Two years ago, I had to deal with inappropriate behavior toward me by a colleague in my professional association. I found the experience demeaning, disrespectful, and confusing. It still weighs heavily on my mind. I did nothing to encourage the bad behavior by the other person, but it left me wanting to avoid attending meetings … How to Deal with Inappropriate Behavior Read More » How to Deal with Inappropriate Behavior Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. Inspiration and Perseverance in a Time of COVID Are you bombarded with promotions for webinars telling you how to deal with these crazy times? Yeah, me too. I could use some inspiration, so today, I'm taking a different approach with the Compassionate Geek blog and podcast. I'm offering uplifting stories about people, both ordinary and extraordinary, and their resilience in the face of … Inspiration and Perseverance in a Time of COVID Read More » Inspiration and Perseverance in a Time of COVID Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. Your Life Matters and Relationships Matter UPDATE ON RELATIONSHIPS: I just learned that my friend Reggie Watkins died of COVID-19 and that my friend Ray Benson is terribly sick with this awful virus. That news makes this week's blog post more timely than ever. Please, read on… My friend Roger is 87. He's in great shape, both mentally and physically. Before … Your Life Matters and Relationships Matter Read More » Your Life Matters and Relationships Matter Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. Coping with Stress When the Whole World is Upside Down Stress, when untreated, can kill you. That's why it's important to learn techniques for coping with stress. Stress can cause heart attacks, strokes, a compromised immune system, diabetes, and obesity. It can cause headaches, fatigue, sleep problems, anxiety, irritability, and anger. It can undermine relationships (personal and professional), and it can bring on depression. Many … Coping with Stress When the Whole World is Upside Down Read More » Coping with Stress When the Whole World is Upside Down Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. Customer Care Like Amazon Making Customer Experience Difficult For the past four months, I've gotten my prescriptions filled at Walgreens. I set everything up online and they mailed them to me as needed. One of my prescriptions ran out and the new package hadn't arrived yet, so I tried to use the chat feature on the Walgreens website. After … Customer Care Like Amazon Read More » Customer Care Like Amazon Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. Active Listening Skills: The Fine Art of Listening Well Listening Well It's 1970, I'm sixteen years old and in love with radio broadcasting. I even got a summer job as a d.j. at the local radio station in my hometown. Kansas City was about two hours away, but the powerful signals from its big radio stations would reach my hometown and I listened to … Active Listening Skills: The Fine Art of Listening Well Read More » Active Listening Skills: The Fine Art of Listening Well Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. How to Manage Your Own Emotions Emotional Intelligence can make the difference between having a successful career in IT and struggling in your career. Successfully managing emotions can also make the difference between having successful personal relationships and struggling in relationships. One of the four domains of Emotional Intelligence is Self-Awareness. Here are keys to recognizing emotions in yourself: Check your … How to Manage Your Own Emotions Read More » How to Manage Your Own Emotions Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. IT Customer Experience Like a Michelin-Starred Restaurant I'd heard about Le Violon d'Ingres, a Michelin-starred restaurant near the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. One of my foodie friends described his meal there as the best dining experience of his life. So my friend Shea and I agreed to meet there for lunch. We set the meeting time for noon. I planned to … IT Customer Experience Like a Michelin-Starred Restaurant Read More » IT Customer Experience Like a Michelin-Starred Restaurant Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. What Compassionate Customer Service is NOT In a recent corporate training session, I spoke with the group about compassionate customer service. Cindy sat on the front row. She was friendly and professional with me, but shortly into the session, she said, “I don't get it. I act professionally around my users and I'm efficient. Why do I need to be “buddy-buddy” … What Compassionate Customer Service is NOT Read More » What Compassionate Customer Service is NOT Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. How to Be a Better Listener (Three Types of Listening) One of the most common reasons companies ask me to speak to their teams is to help them improve their listening skills. In order to help team members improve their listening skills, I explain that there are three different types of listening, each of which requires different techniques to be effective. Here are the three … How to Be a Better Listener (Three Types of Listening) Read More » How to Be a Better Listener (Three Types of Listening) Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. How to Practice Gratitude: The Life-Changing Power of Sincere Gratitude The United States' holiday Thanksgiving is coming up shortly. It's a day when we express our thanks for the gifts we've been given, spend time with our families, watch American football, and eat ourselves into oblivion. This is also a time to reflect on how to practice gratitude. Sincere Gratitude It's also an opportunity for … How to Practice Gratitude: The Life-Changing Power of Sincere Gratitude Read More » How to Practice Gratitude: The Life-Changing Power of Sincere Gratitude Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. The Problem with “Not My Problem” My client was frustrated with team members who were brusque with end-users. These particular team members didn't support paying customers, they supported an internal engineering team. They didn't see their end-users as customers. In fact, their behavior toward their end-users was almost like older siblings would treat a pesky little brother or sister. They would … The Problem with “Not My Problem” Read More » The Problem with “Not My Problem” Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. How to be More Patient with End-Users When we ask about the important characteristics of customer service providers, IT or otherwise, one of the most common answers is patience. People who are receiving customer service want the provider to be patient. Similarly, one of the most common complaints is that customer service providers aren't patient with end-users and other customers. Hey, it's … How to be More Patient with End-Users Read More » How to be More Patient with End-Users Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. Career Roadblocks On Your Way to Success Note: This blog post on career roadblocks is a transcript of an excerpt from my keynote speech How to be a Compassionate Geek. As we talk about the five principles, are there some roadblocks that might possibly get in your way? And the answer is, of course there are. There are many, but I've observed … Career Roadblocks On Your Way to Success Read More » Career Roadblocks On Your Way to Success Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. How to Lose a Customer in 10 Minutes Here's how to lose a customer quickly! I recently changed health insurance plans. My neighborhood pharmacy is covered by my new plan. I like to support local businesses and I know the owner of the shop, so I was excited to get my first prescription filled. I stopped in to pick up my prescription and … How to Lose a Customer in 10 Minutes Read More » How to Lose a Customer in 10 Minutes Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. Poor Customer Service: Missing Appointments and Not Doing Your Homework This is a story about poor customer service. The salesperson left a voice message to tell me his assistant had given me inaccurate information and he wanted to correct what I'd been told about their service. He also sent an email, so I replied to his email with a time when I could talk. I … Poor Customer Service: Missing Appointments and Not Doing Your Homework Read More » Poor Customer Service: Missing Appointments and Not Doing Your Homework Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. Six Ways to be Sincere A viewer on my YouTube channel recently asked how to be sincere. Good question! Here are six ways to be sincere. #1: Be genuine. That means that you say what you mean and mean what you say without being nasty to the other person. #2: Always speak the truth, but that doesn't mean insulting others … Six Ways to be Sincere Read More » Six Ways to be Sincere Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. Why Things Go Wrong in Customer Service Support Sometimes, when we're working on customer service support or even helping a colleague, things seem to go off track unexpectedly. Of course, when you're dealing with other people, you will occasionally get a surprise reaction! Here are some common reasons why things go wrong, along with some tips for what to do when that happens: … Why Things Go Wrong in Customer Service Support Read More » Why Things Go Wrong in Customer Service Support Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. The Power of Proactivity My wife Janet needed a new rearview mirror for her car. We called the dealership to see about getting one. (You can probably imagine where this is going!) It was exorbitantly expensive. Even Stephen, the parts guy, was shocked when he found out how much it cost! He suggested that look into getting a used … The Power of Proactivity Read More » The Power of Proactivity Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. 8 Ways to Show People You Care Here are eight simple ways to show people you care. 1: Be on time. If you've ever said the words, “I'm sorry I'm late. The traffic was terrible.” or words to that effect, you were making an excuse for not leaving early enough. My sons had a football coach who told the boys, “If you're … 8 Ways to Show People You Care Read More » 8 Ways to Show People You Care Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. Making All the Parts of Your Business Work Together Like a Well-Oiled Machine Do all the parts of your business work together like a well-oiled machine? If you don't work in business, how about your school, government, church, or non-profit? Any organization is comprised of many parts. Think about your workplace. It's probably made up of various departments, perhaps including management, finance and accounting, sales and marketing, customers, … Making All the Parts of Your Business Work Together Like a Well-Oiled Machine Read More » Making All the Parts of Your Business Work Together Like a Well-Oiled Machine Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. How to Manage the Service and Sales Team Conflict Jared, the salesperson for a mid-sized MSP, had been working on a customer deal for weeks. Finally, it looked like the deal was going to close, but the customer wanted one more service included before she'd sign the contract. Jared agreed to the request without consulting with the service delivery team. Then, when the service … How to Manage the Service and Sales Team Conflict Read More » How to Manage the Service and Sales Team Conflict Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. Never Argue with a Customer Never argue with a customer. Here's why. I walked into the luggage store with my carry-on bag following dutifully behind me. I was the only one in the store…no customers, no employees. After a moment, an employee emerged from a back room. He looked at me, said nothing, and walked on. I scratched my head, … Never Argue with a Customer Read More » Never Argue with a Customer Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. The Benefits of Management by Walking Around You can't overstate the benefits of management by walking around. Janet, my wife, our friend Bruce, and I went to Duke's Chowder House in the South Lake Union area of Seattle for Sunday lunch. The views are of sailboat masts, looking out over a marina toward the Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI). The food … The Benefits of Management by Walking Around Read More » The Benefits of Management by Walking Around Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. The 5 Principles of IT Customer Service Success (The following is a transcript of a portion of a keynote speech I gave at Automation Nation in 2015. The five principles, covered in this post, are the foundation for all of my work in IT customer service.) I've had the privilege of working with IT people all over the world and I've observed IT … The 5 Principles of IT Customer Service Success Read More » The 5 Principles of IT Customer Service Success Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. Competence Charisma IT Career Success Model I want to introduce you to the competence charisma four quadrant model for IT career success. This is a model that I created to help understand the two broad skill families that are required for success in IT careers, and if you'll take a look at this model, you'll notice that in the lower left … Competence Charisma IT Career Success Model Read More » Competence Charisma IT Career Success Model Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. 3 Ways to Choose a Powerful and Effective Communication Style Communication is the process of one person sending a message and another person receiving and understanding it. Your communication style helps determine whether the receiver understands the message you intended. That puts the burden of responsibility for communication on you, as the sender. When you are responsible for communicating an idea, a policy, new procedures, … 3 Ways to Choose a Powerful and Effective Communication Style Read More » 3 Ways to Choose a Powerful and Effective Communication Style Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. How to Handle a Really Angry Person It happens every now and then. One of our customers gets really angry or a co-worker loses his or her temper. Our ability to successfully handle a really angry person is something that can make us into heroes in the workplace. It's important to think long-term when dealing with anger. Think about how what you … How to Handle a Really Angry Person Read More » How to Handle a Really Angry Person Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. IT Customer Service Fundamentals Kansas City Chiefs' place kicker Harrison Butker made a perfect 39-yard field goal to tie the recent AFC championship game with 8 seconds on the clock and send it in to overtime. It was a dramatic moment in a game filled with drama. That had to be an unbelievable amount of pressure on Butker, but … IT Customer Service Fundamentals Read More » IT Customer Service Fundamentals Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. Listening to Customers Successful businesses know the importance of listening to customers. I've talked before about my model railroading hobby. (In case you're interested in such things, I run O Gauge.) I had an electrical question and I couldn't find an answer online, so I decided to visit an area train store to see if I could get … Listening to Customers Read More » Listening to Customers Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. Best Team Building Exercises for IT Teams It's hard knowing what are the best team building exercises for IT teams. Many people say they hate team-building exercises. When I'm at a conference or a meeting and I hear there's going to be some sort of team-building exercise, I run from the room! Perhaps you feel the same way. Choose the Right Team-Building … Best Team Building Exercises for IT Teams Read More » Best Team Building Exercises for IT Teams Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. How to Retain High-Performing Tech Employees This is the third and final installment in my series on how to hire, manage, and retain top-performing tech employees. In this post, you'll learn five critical success factors to help you retain your best employees. You've hired a great I.T. team. You work hard to be a great manager. How do you ensure your … How to Retain High-Performing Tech Employees Read More » How to Retain High-Performing Tech Employees Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. I.T. Leadership: How to Successfully Manage High-Performing Tech Employees This is the second in my series of I.T. leadership and team-building posts for IT managers and supervisors. Once you've hired the right employee and you've got just the right staff to help your company excel, how do you successfully manage the team and retain key individuals? Ensure You're Providing Competitive Pay and Benefits On … I.T. Leadership: How to Successfully Manage High-Performing Tech Employees Read More » I.T. Leadership: How to Successfully Manage High-Performing Tech Employees Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. How to Hire High-Performing Tech Employees People who hire tech people tell me over and over again how hard it is to find the best people. No doubt, in the current competitive job market, that hiring is a challenging process, especially for critical tech positions. You've got to create just the right combination of pay, benefits, work environment, and company culture. … How to Hire High-Performing Tech Employees Read More » How to Hire High-Performing Tech Employees Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. Principle #3: Empathy The Third of the 5 Principles is the principle of customer empathy. Empathy is the ability to put yourself in the other person's position, to imagine what they're going through, to try to feel what they're feeling. Of course, there are times where you simply can't put yourself in the other person's position and, contrary … Principle #3: Empathy Read More » Principle #3: Empathy Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. Encouraging Words for Coworkers: A 7-Year-Old's Lost Home Run Never underestimate the power of encouraging words for coworkers. It's 1961, on the playground behind Robert E. Lee Grade School in Columbia, Missouri. I'm 7-years-old and up to bat in the P.E. softball game and I'm terrified. Let's just say that sports, or anything requiring grace and coordination, was not then (and is not now) … Encouraging Words for Coworkers: A 7-Year-Old's Lost Home Run Read More » Encouraging Words for Coworkers: A 7-Year-Old's Lost Home Run Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. How Not to Serve Your Customer (Bad Customer Service) Here's an example of really bad customer service. My next-door neighbor is 86 years old. She's in great physical shape and her mind is as sharp as can be. She's fun to be around and I'm lucky to have her as a neighbor. She doesn't understand modern technology, so she occasionally calls me for help … How Not to Serve Your Customer (Bad Customer Service) Read More » How Not to Serve Your Customer (Bad Customer Service) Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. Three Customer Service Fails I'm going to rant about a customer service fail, actually three customer service fails. I've been on the receiving end of three customer service fails within the past week. If you have these fails, you'll lose customers and credibility and, if you are part of an internal IT organization, you'll alienate your co-workers. Here goes: … Three Customer Service Fails Read More » Three Customer Service Fails Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. Understanding True Intent of End Users and Other Customers My audience member, Josh, was driving home from work when a speeding car came up behind him. The driver was aggressively dodging in and out of traffic. He tailgated Josh's car before an opening came up and he swerved around Josh. He was driving like a crazy person. Josh reached out the window gave the … Understanding True Intent of End Users and Other Customers Read More » Understanding True Intent of End Users and Other Customers Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. Volunteer as a Means to Enhance Customer Service Why is it that some people are always volunteering? They volunteer at the hospital, at the food pantry, the animal shelter, or the soup kitchen. They provide rides for people who need them. They help an elderly neighbor. They go shopping for a single mom. They help clean up litter in the park. The list … Volunteer as a Means to Enhance Customer Service Read More » Volunteer as a Means to Enhance Customer Service Don Crawley

Don R. Crawley, CSP, DTM. Self-Improvement: Honing Your Skills In his landmark book The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, the late author Stephen Covey identifies habit number seven as sharpening the saw. By that, he means working on self-improvement. More specifically, he means “having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of your life: physical, social/emotional, mental, and spiritual.” Self-Improvement One … Self-Improvement: Honing Your Skills Read More » Self-Improvement: Honing Your Skills Don Crawley