Have you ever found yourself caught in a game of email tag? It’s like phone tag, only it involves more people and more confusion. Several times I’ve had a tag email land in my box. When I open it, I find the email is a long string of one line comments from several members of our team – from developers to strategists to network support – as well as from the person who started the email. At that point, I know I’m “it!”

The email is usually started by a client who needs support for a problem they have, and they’ve written to ask the best way to solve it. In technology, it’s hard to clearly state what you need, and that can lead to a little understanding and a lot of speculation. So, the email is forwarded around and around with one line comments added by every recipient trying to analyze what the problem involves. By the time the email reaches me, no one knows what is going on and we are all standing like statues in the frozen tag game.

Now that I know the game, I try to be proactive when I’m tagged. I pick up the phone and call the client! During the phone call (yes, actually talking to someone!) I can discover exactly what the client needed with his original email. Assessing needs becomes so much easier when there is a conversation with give and take and a time for questions. This makes determining who really needs to be involved much easier. At that point, the client and I usually set an appointment for follow-up with the right people on our team. All the tagged players are no longer frozen statues, and the problem is able to be addressed efficiently and correctly.

Customer service involves more than a friendly word or knowing your clients. Sometimes you have to find a neutral medium – like a phone call – to help work out solutions to problems. After all, tag is just a game and I sure don’t want to be “it” permanently!