Consumer minds of today are jaded. Discounts wait on every corner, the allure of a simple good deal has worn off. Still, no need to plunge into the price war. Let's look at the consumer’s softest spots, and how to play into them with clever incentives.

This post was written by Sven Riehle and is read aloud by Michael Morella from Userlike, the live chat software for web and mobile support.

Customer service reps are often taught to be empathic, to put themselves in the customer's shoes. But research suggests empathy isn't the skill you're looking for.

Customer service values prepare your team for the job's specific challenges. Also, whenever values guide actions, culture is created. Employees move on, culture persists. It’s reliable. Or, as Walt Disney’s son Roy said: “When your values are clear, your decisions are easy.” Here are 5 tips to find your own customer service values.

Chatting seems easy. For many, it’s the main mode of casual communication with friends and family. You just type away and mechanically hit the send button. Not so in customer support. Here, the stakes are higher and the terrain is more demanding. To make sure you don’t stumble, here are the seven most common mistakes in chat support.

While a phone call can feel like you’re talking directly to someone, it lacks the visual feedback of face to face contact. What’s more, you’re not able to reread what was said – as in, say, live chat support. Let’s keep these unique qualities in mind as we go through these 7 customer service phone tips.

For a profit-oriented mind, nearly any tactic that leads to a sale is justifiable. Who cares if you persuade or manipulate prospects that are free to decline? Well, they do. We drew a line between good and bad influence, so you can create happy customers whom you can always look in the eye.

Of all customer service tools, only chat and phone are suitable for instant support. Still, many companies choose to stick to email only, thinking it’s cheaper. This ignores human’s deeply rooted desire for instant gratification – one of the main drivers behind consumer buying behavior.

Can you remember the last time you were convinced by somebody you disliked? Without goodwill, it’s hard to convince anybody of anything. So, building up comfort and liking in the customer is a worthwhile and necessary investment. Here are 11 pro tips for building rapport – for breaking the ice – in sales and support.

We all want to do the right thing: look at every customer without prejudice and serve each of them to their satisfaction. The approach is morally sound, but it often dashes against the reality of customer service. Hard. To prepare you for what's out there, here are the 11 universal types of customers you need to know.

The digital birth of your online helper opens new opportunities to assist customers, but it needs the right alias. I’ve compiled some useful steps you can take to find a clever, memorable bot name that will help make your customer service team more approachable.