The Masters are happening at the time of this month’s recording… which got us thinking: how is handling customer complaints like scoring in golf? Ed Gagnon with Customer Service Solutions (www.cssamerica.com) and Alan Jackson with The Jackson Group (www.thejacksongroup.com) tackle this question and help you see how the two are related. Handling customer complaints takes planning, collaboration, and forethought… much like playing a good round of golf. Ed shares his top suggestions for handling customer complaints, and along the way teaches Alan a few things about what many consider to be one of the toughest game you can play… all in this month’s episode of “Stepping Up Service”.

The topic of the month is mystery shopping, known to some as secret shopping. While many perceive mystery shopping as a practice involving retail specific organizations, the idea of mystery shopping has transformed into a practice that allows for many types of industries to take advantage of the service gauging technique. In this episode of Stepping Up Service, join your hosts Alan Jackson and Ed Gagnon as they discuss the practice of mystery shopping and how it can aid in stepping up your service.
For more information about Ed Gagnon and Customer Service Solutions, visit www.cssamerica.com, and for information about Alan Jackson and the Jackson Group, visit www.thejacksongroup.com
Running Time: 54 Minutes

In light of the recent Super Bowl, Stepping Up Service hosts Alan Jackson and Ed Gagnan ask the question, “What can we learn from football?” Hailed the ultimate team sport, this episode ties the methods used in the world of football to the methods used in today’s culture. From setting goals to satisfying a market, there might be more similarities between America’s favorite sport and the way we handle our services that ever imagined. Find out how this metaphor can help you step up your game… only on Stepping Up Service.
Running time: 46 minutes
The Jackson Group is a management consulting firm specializing in customer and employee satisfaction surveys as well as leadership development. Learn more about them at www.thejacksongroup.com.
Customer Service Solutions is a consulting firm specializing in customer retention and growth strategies, training and research. Learn more about CSS at www.cssamerica.com.

As we start a brand new year, Alan and Ed talk about the trends they foresee affecting the customer service world in 2012. How are customers and their expectations changing? What role will technology and social media play in this coming year? What do businesses need to be prepared for as they plan to enhance their customer service experiences in the coming months? All of these questions are discussed, along with Alan and Ed sharing their “Customer Service Story of the Month”. All of this on the first “Stepping Up Service” for 2012!
Running time: 55 minutes
The Jackson Group is a management consulting firm specializing in customer and employee satisfaction surveys as well as leadership development. Learn more about them at www.thejacksongroup.com.
Customer Service Solutions is a consulting firm specializing in customer retention and growth strategies, training and research. Learn more about CSS at www.cssamerica.com.

You want to make your customer happy… but sometimes you have to say that dreaded word: “NO”. This month’s episode discusses how to handle those “NO” situations with the best customer service mentality possible. Show hosts Alan Jackson (The Jackson Group, www.thejacksongroup.com) and Ed Gagnon (Customer Service Solutions, www.cssamerica.com) talk through some ways to smooth out tough situations when customers are not able to get what they need due to unrealistic expectations or a limitation of your business. Also, as always, Alan and Ed share their “Customer Service Story of the Month”.
Running time: 39 minutes
The Jackson Group is a management consulting firm specializing in customer and employee satisfaction surveys as well as leadership development. Learn more about them at www.thejacksongroup.com.
Customer Service Solutions is a consulting firm specializing in customer retention and growth strategies, training and research. Learn more about CSS at www.cssamerica.com.

This month’s episode discusses the importance of Social Media in the Customer Service experience. Show hosts Alan Jackson (The Jackson Group, www.thejacksongroup.com) and Ed Gagnon (Customer Service Solutions, www.cssamerica.com) explain why organizations are looking at using Social Media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to enhance or supplement their existing customer service processes. Along the way, they also discuss some of the challenges and potential pitfalls to watch out for when going this route.
Running time: 56 minutes
The Jackson Group is a management consulting firm specializing in customer and employee satisfaction surveys as well as leadership development. Learn more about them at www.thejacksongroup.com.
Customer Service Solutions is a consulting firm specializing in customer retention and growth strategies, training and research. Learn more about CSS at www.cssamerica.com.

This month’s episode of “Stepping Up Service” discusses the importance of customer service in – of all places – the world of professional sports. Ed Gagnon (Customer Service Solutions) talks with Alan Jackson (The Jackson Group) about how organizations like the NFL, NBA, and other pro sports leagues have their own special challenges when it comes to customer service and how we can all gain valuable lessons from their experiences. And, as always, Ed and Alan share some recent customer services experiences of their own.