Make Customer Service Your Superpower with Expert Insights from Sheryl Mays

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Turning Kindness into Profit: A Conversation with Sheryl Mays How one customer service expert is revolutionizing the way businesses think about service

I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Sheryl Mays, and let me tell you she's not your typical customer service expert. Calling in from sunny Orlando, Florida, Sheryl kicked off our conversation by sharing her love for scuba diving and beach life. But don't let that laid-back Florida vibe fool you she's on a serious mission to transform how businesses approach customer service.

When Being Nice Makes Dollars and Sense You know how people say "nice guys finish last"? Well, Sheryl's proving them wrong. Here's what caught my attention right away: she's showing businesses that kindness isn't just about feeling good it's about making money. As she puts it, "Kindness is not just being nice it's profitable."

The Shocking Reality Check Here's something that blew my mind during our chat: Sheryl shared a study from Bain and Company showing that while 80% of CEOs think they're crushing it at customer service, only 8% of customers agree. Talk about a wake-up call!

More Than Just Books and Talks Sheryl's not just talking the talk. She's written six books (including "Silencing the Chatter Monsters"), runs the Master to Sale Academy, hosts "The Customers T" podcast, and works directly with businesses through Rising Shine Consulting. But what really makes her different is how she breaks down customer service into something tangible and actionable.

The Five Ways Good Service Pays Off During our conversation, Sheryl laid out five ways that great customer service directly impacts the bottom line:

1. Customers Keep Coming Back: Pretty straightforward, right?

2. They Spend More Often: Happy customers don't shop around

3. They Buy More Services: They trust you with more of their needs

4. They Tell Their Friends: Free marketing, anyone?

5. They Become Brand Champions: Better than any paid advertising

The Training Gap Nobody Talks About Here's something interesting Sheryl pointed out think about every job you've ever had. Customer service was probably part of it, right? But here's the kicker: how many times did you actually get proper customer service training? Probably never. That's the gap Sheryl's working to fill.

Making It Stick One thing I really appreciate about Sheryl's approach is how practical it is. She's not about those one-off training sessions that everyone forgets by next week. Instead, she pushes for making customer service part of daily conversations, performance reviews, and company culture. As she told me, "It's not a campaign, it's a way of life."

The Human Touch in a Digital World What's really cool about her academy is how she tackles online training. Instead of just throwing some pre-recorded videos at people (which, let's be honest, we all struggle to finish), she does live sessions. It's all about keeping people engaged and making the learning stick.

Real Talk About Customer Service During our chat, Sheryl dropped this question that really stuck with me: "Would you like to have a one-time transaction, or would you like to have that customer for 10 years?" It really puts things in perspective, doesn't it?

Every Role Matters One of my favorite parts of our conversation was when Sheryl talked about working with valet parking staff. Some might think, "They just park cars," but Sheryl sees it differently. They're often the first and last impression a customer has. That's huge!

What's Next? Talking with Sheryl Mays reminded me of something we often forget in business: sometimes the simplest truths are the most powerful. Want to make more money? Be genuinely good to your customers. Want to keep customers longer? Train your team to actually care.

If you're thinking about upping your customer service game, Sheryl's happy to connect on LinkedIn or through her website. Trust me, it's worth reaching out.

The Bottom Line After spending time with Sheryl, one thing became crystal clear: great customer service isn't just a nice-to-have anymore it's a must-have for any business that wants to thrive. And maybe, just maybe, making business kinder could make the world a little better too.

#CustomerService #BusinessTransformation #CustomerExperience #Leadership #ServiceExcellence #BusinessGrowth #IKnowAGuy

If you would like to know more you can find the full interview here!

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