Carrying on a great conversation in a service setting is a fine art — and one of the most underestimated disciplines in Customer Service.
Welcome to our Customer Service Series — reflections and lessons on how service is designed, delivered, and experienced, from frontline conversations to leadership choices.
Conversations Shape Emotion — and Emotion Shapes Perception
As a conversation unfolds, a Customer often moves through multiple emotions — uncertainty, relief, frustration, reassurance.
That’s why the goal isn’t simply resolution — it’s how the Customer feels by the end of the conversation.
We Visited an Appliance Store
This past Christmas, the dishwasher at my mother-in-law’s house in Germany broke down. So we spent a few days visiting appliance dealers.
Not to be critical, but I didn’t have high expectations of service finesse at a big box appliance store.
At one store, a young woman approached us to see if she could help.
While she was speaking, I realized that her competence went well beyond product knowledge and politeness.
She was able to carry on a conversation with us.
Full sentences. Clarity. Thoughtful responses. A calm, unrushed demeanor.
By the time we made the purchase and left the store, I knew a lot more about dishwashers than I had expected. And surprisingly, it had been interesting.
Best of all, I felt confident that the dishwasher we chose was going to be exactly right for my mother-in-law.
That’s reassurance.
And reassurance feels good.
The German Apprenticeship System
That positive experience raised a broader question for me.
Was her competence a one-off (we got lucky) — or was it systemic (we could have expected this level of conversational competence from anyone in the store)?
Germany has a tradition of vocational education and apprenticeships, combining classroom learning with practical, on-the-job development.
What struck me was the underlying idea: a service role can be treated as a profession — with competence that is deliberately developed over time.
That idea becomes especially interesting when you look at how some service functions develop their people.
In many Contact Centers, training for new Advisors lasts a few weeks. Then they are put on the phones — perhaps with a buddy at the beginning.
But once the buddy process ends, the emphasis often shifts quickly from developing professional competence to meeting operational requirements.
Get those calls picked up and answered.
And eventually, it just becomes a job.
Competence in the Service Industry
Farmers grow things, tailors make clothes, bakers make bread.
In service, we make conversations.
Whenever I run courses in quality or service, I remind participants that every day frontline team members produce conversations.
The conversation is their product, and conversational competence is part of their profession.
So in the same way we expect a tailor to make a well-fitting suit, or a hairstylist to give us a terrific cut, it’s reasonable to expect a high level of conversational ability from a frontline team member.
Once you accept that the conversation is the product, training, coaching, and quality management can’t be limited to onboarding or basic compliance exercises.
Conversational competence deserves the same deliberate investment as any other professional skill.
When Compliance Gets in the Way
In some Contact Centers, conversations are heavily scripted.
Or Advisors must adhere to a strict list of compliance behaviours, in the hope that those behaviours will somehow coalesce into a real conversation.
Advisors who fear going off-script — or getting something wrong — can struggle to sound natural.
Their attention shifts from the Customer and the conversation to whether they’re following the required process.
The conversation becomes an exercise in ticking boxes rather than creating a positive Customer perception.
The Conversation Is the Product
Yes, much of service has gone digital.
That reality has increased the importance of skilled human conversation, as the Customer situations that require human support become more complex and emotional.
The young woman in the appliance store reminded me that conversational competence can be a beautiful thing.
And she reminded me of something else: in Customer Service, the conversation is the product.
Customer Service Series Articles
Continue exploring Customer Service with these additional resources.
Conversations, Judgment & Perception
Too Sensitive? A Service Lesson from the Princess & the Pea
A reminder that dealing with difficult Customers is less about judging irritation and more about choosing a mature response.
Rushing to Give an Answer: What About Trust?
Build trust by listening first and earning the right to offer a solution.
What Australia and Greece Had in Common: A Customer Service Lesson
A simple question asked on two continents revealed a Customer Service lesson about professionalism, service, and being human.
When Clothes Changed the Service
Clothing influenced how airline staff treated passengers, revealing service bias that scores alone would never surface.
Want to Get Better at Writing? Start With Your Emails
Everyday email writing is an opportunity to develop a more effective writing voice.
I Can Hear Your Voice: Let Your Writing Sound Like You
A reminder that email writing tone of voice determines whether people hear your best self — or something you didn’t intend — in your words.
Customer Service Email Writing Tips
Clear email writing improves Customer experience when you design messages to be easy to read, sound human, and respond to both tone and content.
Email Writing Tips for Better Customer Experience: The Ritz-Carlton, Santa Barbara
A case study showing how thoughtful email writing can strengthen service recovery — and how scripted, impersonal replies can erode Customer trust.
Designing, Leading & Improving Service
From Compliance to Connection: Why Rules Alone Don’t Create Great CX
Why compliance standards alone don’t create great conversations — and what it takes to move from following rules to connecting with Customers.
What Makes a Luxury Conversation in a Contact Center?
How vision, materials and artisanship combine to create a luxury conversation.
The Customer Service Test I’d Give to a Customer Service Trainer
A practical way to evaluate a Customer Service Trainer by testing how well they analyze real conversations.
Lions, Tigers, and Bears: Navigating Customer Service Challenges
Explore three common challenges Contact Center leaders face — unclear visions, handling abusive behaviour, and over-reliance on industry standards.
How to Be A Better Customer Service Manager
Why better Customer Service management requires more than keeping operations running and meeting standards.
Why Your Call Quality Doesn’t Deliver on Customer Experience
Why strong Quality scores don’t necessarily mean Customers are experiencing great conversations.
When 100% Still Fails the Customer: A Mystery Shopper Lesson
Not everything that can be counted counts — an important lesson about how scores don’t tell the whole story.
What If You Did Sentiment Analysis on Your Own Company?
Apply Customer email standards to internal communications — that’s when people discover for themselves how internal communications need to improve.
That Won’t Work for Our Customers: A Common Mistake in Service Design
A practical lesson on why rejecting a service approach based on one behaviour is a common design mistake.
Thank You for Reading
I regularly share stories, strategies, and insights from our work across Contact Centers, Customer Service, and Customer Experience. If this resonates, I’d love to stay connected.
You can drop me a line anytime, or subscribe on our site.
Daniel Ord
[email protected]
www.omnitouchinternational.com
