Breaking the Ice Episode #1: The Best Customer Service Advice We’ve Ever Received


We are pleased to introduce you to a new segment on Customer Service Life, but first, let me give you some background. When Jenny and I worked together we would frequently begin our staff meetings with icebreaker questions. It’s a great way to, well break the ice, help us get to know each other better, and inject a little positivity into our day.

It’s with that in mind that we thought we’d roll out a new segment on our blog. In Breaking the Ice, we’ll start with a short icebreaker question and follow it with a customer service or customer experience question, keeping it to a few minutes so you can go about your day.

Here are the questions for Episode #1:

  • Icebreaker Question: Have you ever broken a bone? If so, which one?
  • Customer Service Question: What’s the best customer service advice you’ve ever received?

Watch the video to hear our answers. Your assignment is to leave us a comment answering these questions so we can get to know you better. While you’re at it, subscribe to our mailing list so you never miss a segment of Breaking the Ice. Oh yeah, and if you have any questions you’d like us to answer on future episodes, share that as well.

Share this post:

13 comments

  • Cool song! I’d love to hear the second verse.

  • Love the new series, team! Especially the length! 60 minute or even 30 minute webinars are such a commitment these days!

    OK my answers:
    Have you ever broken a bone? If so, which one?
    No, never a break. Maybe a fracture here and there from playing basketball in my youth.

    What’s the best customer service advice you’ve ever received?
    A great way to get people to think about things from the customer’s perspective is to get them to answer this question: “once its complete, what would you want the customer to say about this interaction?”

    Looking forward to Ep. 2!

    • Jeremy Watkin

      Thanks Ben! I love your customer service advice. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how to get our agents to think about NPS, CSAT, or Customer Effort as they’re serving customers. Such a great idea.

    • Thanks so much for watching, Ben! I appreciate your advice – it is realistic and genuine – and I love how it challenges the customer service team to think more in depth about their daily interactions. Thinking with the end in mind mentality! Oh yeah, and get ready for episode 2 coming up soon 🙂

  • Q1 – Yes, broke my ankle in college and wore a pink cast for months. The person who drove me to get the cast on made the ride conditional on them choosing the color!

    Also, currently limping around on a broken pinky toe after kicking something!

    Q2 – this may not sound like much and isn’t necessarily CS specific advice but someone explained to me – relationships matter. People aren’t things to “deal with” or “navigate”. Your colleagues and customers provide an opportunity to develop genuine and lasting relationships and those relationships will become extremely important for a multitude of reasons.

    • Jeremy, great answers! The cast is hilarious. That’s so college.

      And I love your advice. Relationships are complex and it’s important that we remember that even in a professional environment and not try to fit them into neat little boxes.

      Thanks for sharing. Hope you’ll be a guest on one of these!

      • Yep, the cast was so college. I’d be happy to be a guest anytime! (I don’t have an angelic singing voice like you and Jenny though…)

    • I LOVE that you wore a pink cast, Jeremy. That makes me smile! I also really dig your perspective on how important relationships are with customers. Thank you for sharing and let’s definitely have you on as a guest! We’ll be in contact 🙂

  • Kelly McFadden

    Broken bones: yes. Collarbone and wrist (at the same time) after falling off a rope swing.

    Best customer service advice: I have two pieces I go to regularly. 1) shut up and listen and 2) how can I make their day better or even great?

  • Vital Lokossou

    Have you ever broken a bone? If so, which one?
    No, never a break.

    What’s the best customer service advice you’ve ever received?
    People buy from people they know, like, and trust.

    • Thanks so much for the comment, Vital! I total agree that relationship and trust are critical. I hope you’ll stop by our blog again in the future.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *