--- title: "Social Media Roundup: The Golden Rule of Customer Service" id: "19583" type: "post" slug: "social-media-roundup-the-golden-rule-of-customer-service" published_at: "2013-09-24T23:00:45+00:00" modified_at: "2013-09-24T23:00:45+00:00" url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/09/24/social-media-roundup-the-golden-rule-of-customer-service/" markdown_url: "https://associationsnow.com/2013/09/24/social-media-roundup-the-golden-rule-of-customer-service.md" excerpt: "\"Your issue is not my problem.\" Come again? That's blasphemy to a member's ears and a big no-no when developing effective customer service and smooth business rapport. Plus: Collaboration starts with trust, backed by value." taxonomy_category: - "Membership" taxonomy_post_tag: - "AssociationsNow" - "Communications" - "customer service" - "Membership" taxonomy_content_format: - "Article" taxonomy_role: - "Employee (Non-Manager)" - "Manager" taxonomy_persona: - "Association Professionals" --- [Home](https://associationsnow.com/) » [Articles](https://associationsnow.com/format/article/) » Social Media Roundup: The Golden Rule of Customer Service Flip through the customer service manual to the big, glaring DO NOT EVER TRY header, and you might find something like this: Never tell customers you can’t handle their problem. Let them know you’ve got it, whether it’s up your alley or not. That’s really all the customer—in your case, the member—wants to hear. More info in today’s Social Media Roundup. ### A Customer Service Sin > 5 Words That Customers Absolutely Hate [http://t.co/lJDn31V6zK (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/lJDn31V6zK) > via [@Inc (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/Inc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) > Keeping your customers happy is everyone’s responsibility. > > — Shep Hyken (@Hyken) [September 24, 2013 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/Hyken/status/382514896489177088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **Do not say this at work:** “That is not my responsibility.” Huh? Utter the phrase-that-must-not-be-said and you could have one less happy member on your roster, [writes Inc.com‘s Geoffrey James in his article, “5 Words That Customers Absolutely Hate.” (opens in a new tab)](http://www.inc.com/geoffrey-james/the-5-words-that-customers-hate_1.html) Staffers understand how your organization functions and who relays problems to whom. Members, however, see you as a representative for your association as a whole. Failing to follow through only shows the customer that “your company’s internal structure and organizational politics are more important than the customer,” writes James. The minute a member lays an issue on you, it’s up to you to ensure a happy customer leaves problem-free. As James says, that’s the rule, not the exception. *(ht [@Hyken (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/Hyken/statuses/382514896489177088) )* ### The cornerstone of trust > How ‘Feel-Good Questions’ Lay the Foundation for Success [http://t.co/P3aAgN0vvt (opens in a new tab)](http://t.co/P3aAgN0vvt) > > — SocialMarketing (@InfoSocials) [September 24, 2013 (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/InfoSocials/status/382498742223372289?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw) **10 steps to feeling good:** Professional collaboration starts with trust, backed by value. To build a collaborative relationship with a new colleague, make him or her the “focal point of your interactions,” suggests [U.S. News and World Report’s Ben Weiss (opens in a new tab)](http://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/2013/09/24/how-feel-good-questions-lay-the-foundation-for-success) , citing business author Bob Burg’s “10 feel-good questions.” Ask new contacts how they got started in the business and what they enjoy most about what they do. These discussion-prompters put the conversation on an upbeat track and leave the respondent feeling positive about the interaction. But there’s a caveat: Conversation requires more than just talking. Ask the questions well—and listen to their responses better. *(ht [@InfoSocials (opens in a new tab)](https://twitter.com/InfoSocials/statuses/382498742223372289) )* What links are you sharing today? We’d love to hear, in the comments below. (iStock/Thinkstock) [Emma Beck](https://associationsnow.com/author/emma-beck/) Emma Beck is a contributor to Associations Now. 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