After a long hiatus, the Customer Service Carnivale is back in action! I've been going back and forth - trying to decide whether or not to continue with this bimonthly carnivale. I've had other projects (and a pregnancy!) take priority these past couple months, but now that I have my energy back, I'm ready to continue with my mission. Thank you for your patience!

So take some time out today to improve your knowledge about customer service! Thanks to everyone who contributed their tips, stories, and expertise.

Customer Service Tips

Do you blame your customers when something goes wrong? If so, you may want to read The Importance of Managing Your Customers' Expectations.

Yes, you only have one chance to make a first impression. Kathy of The Thriving Small Business offers 6 Customer First Impressions. Kathy also shares a few great examples of customer service guarantees.

Charles Chua C K of All About Living of Life shares tips on how to Be F.I.R.S.T. in Customer Care.

I'm convinced that a leader affects the quality of customer service a company offers. Find out How to Caffeinate Your Leadership Repertoire.

Steve C. of My Wife Quit Her Job offers some great tips in How We Handle Angry Customers and Potential Customer Disasters

Customer Service Stories

Airline customer service is one of my favorite topics, and John Hunter lets us know that Southwest Not Delta or United offers the best service. I agree!

Think that all DMV employees are the same when it comes to customer service? Think again. Sig shares an interesting story in The DMV, Part Deux - Logic's Revenge.

Customer Service Tools

Does your company record calls for quality assurance? Make sure you're in compliance with state and federal laws. Read Call Recording: A Great Tool As Long As You Know the Law.

That concludes this edition. Submit your blog article to the next edition of customer service carnivale using our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.