A whopping one-third of contact centers have laid off employees in the last 12 months, reducing their headcount by about 33%. Despite fewer resources and fewer employees, contact centers are expected to achieve the same or better results.  With customer expectations rising and budgets tightening, contact centers are under pressure to deliver excellent service while reducing costs. But how can they achieve this? In Do More with Less: 3 Effective Strategies to Maximize Your Contact Center’s Potential, you will learn three effective strategies to maximize the potential of your conta ..read more

Breaking bad news is one of the most challenging aspects of customer service. It’s always challenging to tell a customer that their product is out of stock, their order is delayed, or their service is canceled. However, as a contact center representative, it’s your responsibility to deliver this news in a way that’s sensitive, empathetic, and effective. This is particularly true when it comes to chat support, where you don’t have the benefit of reading body language or tone of voice. In this guide, we’ll explore the best practices for breaking bad news in a chat setting, including how to p ..read more

After three years, I’m back on set with my team at LinkedIn Learning to record two courses! My mornings start in the chair with celebrity makeup artist/makeup artistry career educator Tania Russell, who makes me feel like a queen! Following that, I’m in the green room to fluff out my fro and pray, and finally, I’m on set with my talented director and content producer. Learn more about my LinkedIn Learning courses here. If you already have a LinkedIn Learning subscription, you and your team can take my courses at no additional cost!! Learn about my LinkedIn Learning Courses ..read more

Controlling phone calls; getting your average handle time down, known as AHT, comes down to emotional intelligence. You must understand your customer’s experience and relay that understanding to them. Knowing how they feel and how they see things is crucial.  Why Calls Get Beyond Your Control  When customers feel like you don’t understand their issue, they’ll over-explain and vent unnecessarily. You probably understand them and are already working on the next steps. But if your customers don’t feel you get it, it will be harder for you to manage the call. So, you must make custome ..read more

Every week, I invest 3 hours in myself. And I want you to do the same. Every week, I invest three uninterrupted hours in myself or my business. I do not respond to emails or perform any routine business tasks during this time. The focus is strictly on professional/personal development. I’m taking a LinkedIn Learning class today. I’ve used this block to read, craft new stories, brainstorm new content, and shop for advanced technology.  What about you? Are you intentionally developing yourself personally and professionally? Tell me about your rituals. I’m always looking for new ideas.&nb ..read more

When you want to end a circular conversation with an upset customer, I want you to say: “We realize this is frustrating for you.” {Then explain why you can’t honor the request and offer the next steps.} Example: “We realize this is frustrating for you, and I’d like to explain. Not only is an unplanned stop not feasible with scheduling, but regulation also doesn’t allow it. We’re regulated by the State of Washington and the Utility Transportation Commission and must abide by planned routes. What we can do is pick up your recycling on June 19th.” “We won’t be able to _______.” Example ..read more

Happy New Year, friends! I’m coming to you live from my recording studio (where I’m recording courses for multiple clients) with one of my best tips for controlling calls with venting, friendly, or upset customers. The tip is signposting. It used to be difficult for me to wrap up coffee meetings and lunch dates.  Now, I signpost graceful, swift exits. Whenever I’m ready to leave, I pick up my phone, glance at it, and put it in my purse. After that, I’ll lean back in my chair to detach from the conversation.  Finally, I’ll say something like, “Jamille, what are your plans for ..read more

Customer service calls can sometimes get out of control. Upset and overtalkative callers take time and energy away from other customers and tasks. This is where practical call-control strategies come into play. In this course, I explain why customer calls get out of hand and introduce a simple process to get you back in control. Learn how to use a limited response, take control with close-ended questions, assert your way out of a bad conversation, and practice proactive call management, so customers feel heard. You’ll leave the course with actionable tips to turn long, problematic phone cal ..read more

Have you ever visited my LinkedIn Learning classroom? In this supportive, interactive digital classroom, I teach my students call control, de-escalation, rapport building, empathy, and more. If you already have a LinkedIn Learning subscription, you don’t pay anything for my training! You should check out my classroom. Head to my LinkedIn Learning portal and see the awesomeness for yourself! One of the best things about my LinkedIn Learning courses is that I co-produce the courses, write scripts for scenarios, and coach professional actors to play out my skits! It is the skits ..read more

Some things are just too good to be kept to yourself. That’s how I feel about my new webinar, 9 Tips to Politely Control Difficult Customer Calls. Between my “ask three closed-ended question tactic” and the “Topic Grab” approach, it’s meant to be shared! So here I am… sharing exactly what agents must do to control conversations. Meet me at my brand-new webinar: 9 Tips to Politely Control Difficult Customer Calls  Wednesday, November 16 at 2 pm EST Reserve your spot here ..read more