Picture this: you're in the middle of a heated email exchange with a client. Your jaw's clenched, your fingers are hovering over the keyboard, and you're crafting a response that's going to set the record straight once and for all. Sound familiar? Here's what I've learned after teaching de-escalatio...

Picture this: you've just delivered the news a customer didn't want to hear. Maybe it's a policy they can't get around, a service you can't provide, or a fee they have to pay. You've explained everything clearly, but they're still on the line. And they keep asking the same questions, hoping for a di...

Picture this: you're listening to a call where your team member is doing everything right. They're following the script, using the proper tone, and offering solutions. Yet somehow, the customer is getting angrier by the minute. Sound familiar? Here's what most leaders don't realize - when customers ...

Picture this: you're handling a customer call, and suddenly you feel that familiar knot in your stomach. The customer's tone has shifted, their questions are becoming repetitive, and you're thinking, "I really hope this doesn't escalate." Sound familiar? Here's what most people don't realize - that ...

The landscape of customer service has fundamentally shifted, and if you're still measuring success by how quickly problems get solved, you're missing the real reason calls escalate. After two decades of studying high-pressure conversations and interviewing thousands of frontline professionals, I can...

When I uploaded my very first YouTube video, I didn’t have a fancy mic.
I didn't even show my face on camera.
I didn’t even think it was a good video.

But the message was strong:
“Top Six Ways to Get an Angry Customer to Back Down.”

I filmed it because I wanted to help people navigate tough c...

The landscape of customer service has fundamentally shifted. While AI handles the straightforward stuff—password resets, shipping updates, basic policy questions—your team is left dealing with what technology can't touch: the emotionally charged, complex, deeply human conversations that require far ...

This is the week when many of us step out of our routines.
Some people travel.
Some host. (This year I'm hosting Thanksgiving for the first time in a long while.)
Some recharge.
Some brace themselves.

And whether we’re talking about a packed airport, a busy store, a family gathering, or a tense cus...

Every day, your customer service team faces emotional customers, long handle times, and stressful escalations. One frustrated caller can disrupt not only the customer experience, but also the emotional state of your employees for the rest of the day.

As leaders, we want our teams to stay calm, take...

Picture this: an angry customer is on your phone, voice raised, cutting you off. Your heart starts racing, your shoulders tense up, and before you know it, you're matching their energy. Sound familiar? We've all been there, and it's not fun for anyone involved.

But what if I told you there's a simp...

Picture this: a customer calls in, voice shaking with frustration, speaking faster than usual, and you can practically feel the tension through the phone. Their logic has left the building, and you're face-to-face with what I call limbic hijack. This is the moment when a customer's emotional brain t...

Every leader today is focused on how AI is transforming customer experience, communication, and team interactions with customers. However, there is one thing that even the most advanced AI cannot accomplish: calming emotions.

AI can analyze language and predict behavior, but when a customer is e...