My Customer Service Voice vs. What I'm Really Thinking
Nine days before Christmas, neither host has finished her shopping, and Lori has fully embraced her new scrolling addiction: other people's Christmas trees. (Her verdict: there are no ugly Christmas trees — every homemade one has a story, and any tree with lights is pretty at night.) From there, with absolutely no segue, comes an article Lori found and immediately sent to Vonda: "My Customer Service Voice vs. My Real Voice." Because every florist in December knows exactly what that gap sounds like. As Vonda's old Illinois friend Kay Hood used to put it, "this is what I would say if it didn't count."
The two voices, holiday edition
The list gets funnier the truer it gets. Your customer service voice is so glad you called; your real voice regrets not letting it go to voicemail. Your customer service voice slept eight and a half uninterrupted hours; your real voice was up until 3 a.m. watching frosting tutorials on TikTok. Your customer service voice is ready whenever you are; your real voice needed ten more minutes, fifteen minutes ago. And the winner — the one the hosts agreed should be screenshotted and taped up in the back room where no customer can see it: "My customer service voice is so sorry for the inconvenience and knows how frustrating it can be. My real voice is pretty sure this is a you problem, and it's starting to inconvenience and frustrate me." Walk past it, tap it, keep going.
Then there are the floral-specific ones: the 10 a.m. caller who needs a delivery this morning for under $40 (real voice: sure — pine cones and a little foliage, pickup only). Or the classic "I don't care what it looks like, you decide," followed by twelve details and a Pinterest screenshot. Real voice: I love that you care so much. And the customer who opens with "I know it's last minute…" Real voice: yes. Yes, it is.
Lead with choices, not open questions
The laughs turn into training, because customer service is one of Flower Clique's pillars, and the busy season is when it can make or break you. First tip: once you know who the flowers are for and what the occasion is, don't ask "did you have anything in mind?" — they don't. Lead with two choices you can actually execute from what's in stock: "Do you want traditional reds, or something fun and contemporary with pops of pink or silver? Based on that, here's what we can do." Let them pick. And be ready to move the gift line you're excited about — candles, gift baskets, ornaments. Members in a recent marketing meeting mentioned pulling out cool Christmas vases from years past and offering them as upgrades; some are back in style anyway. A "spend to this level and pick something from this basket" offer works too, because in this economy customers aren't looking for cheap — they want to feel like they got a deal.
Confidence is the product
Swap hesitation for leadership. Never "hmm, I don't know" — if you genuinely need a minute, say "hold tight, I've got a great idea, let me check one thing," then come back energized: "I just checked with the designer. I've got a plan. Here's what we're going to do." Warm, proactive, decisive: that's what holiday customers want. Repeat the details back (non-negotiable), and set your shop's expectations kindly but clearly — delivery windows, "we're currently booking Tuesday deliveries only," and substitution policy. When the 11 a.m. caller needs a 2 p.m. delivery you can't do, offer a solution instead of a flat no: "I can look at sending it in an Uber — it'll probably be about a $32 fee. How important is the timing to you?" They can decline, but you offered, and they're part of the decision.
Substitutions, smiles, and a signature send-off
Don't assume anyone read the substitution policy on your website — people look at pictures, they don't read. Explain the why: you substitute for quality and freshness, you'll keep the style and feel, and you're not swapping red for purple without a call. That one conversation is the difference between an angry "it looked nothing like the picture" review and a gracious reply you can actually stand behind. And the oldest advice is still the best: smile when you talk on the phone. People hear it, even through exhaustion — fake it till the caffeine kicks in. Lori closes with a memory from chaperoning youth-group mission trips to Cincinnati, where the highlight every summer was a CiCi's Pizza with an employee whose whole job was waving at the door and calling out "CC later!" Kids planned the return trip around him. That's the power of a signature phrase — find your shop's version for the holidays and say it every time you hang up.
Key takeaways
- Keep the real voice inside your head (or on a sign in the back room) — and keep the customer.
- Don't ask what they have in mind; offer two concrete choices based on what's in your cooler right now.
- Replace hesitation with confident, decisive language — and if you need a minute, set up the hold as good news.
- Set expectations early: delivery windows, booking limits, and why you substitute. It prevents the bad review before it's written.
- Smile on the phone, offer solutions (even an Uber delivery with a fee), and hang up with a signature send-off customers remember.