Let’s be honest: most customer service training programs sound great in theory… and fall flat in practice.
They’re filled with scripts, buzzwords, and team-building exercises that don’t actually solve the real issue: your team might not know they’re making costly service mistakes. Even your most seasoned employees.
In Scott Deming’s 30+ years of working with companies across every major industry, he’s seen it all — and he’s boiled it down to the five biggest customer service training mistakes that companies think they’re not making… but are.
Why “Good Enough” Service Isn’t Good Enough
It’s easy to assume your customer service team is performing well. Maybe your numbers aren’t alarming. Maybe complaints are rare. But as Scott explains in this breakdown of service mistakes, the real damage often happens below the radar — in moments that frustrate customers, even if they don’t speak up.
Silent churn. Missed referrals. Lost lifetime value.
It’s not always about big failures — it’s about the small, unseen breakdowns in communication, follow-through, and empathy.
The 5 Most Common Customer Service Training Mistakes
1. Listening Without Actually Hearing
Your team might think they’re listening — but are they listening to solve, or listening to reply?
Scott calls this out in nearly every keynote. True listening is active, not reactive. It requires slowing down, tuning in, and showing the customer that they’re actually being understood — not just processed.
2. Explaining Instead of Fixing
One of the worst habits teams pick up is over-explaining the cause of a problem instead of working the solution.
As Scott says in this article on internal culture, “Customers don’t care why it happened. They care that you fixed it — fast, and well.”
3. Disjointed Internal Teams
If your support team has to “check with billing,” and billing has to “loop in fulfillment,” and no one owns the outcome… the customer loses.
Customer service training often ignores the internal breakdowns that sabotage even the most well-meaning reps. When teams are disconnected, service is inconsistent — and customers feel it.
Want to fix this? Scott recommends breaking down silos and redefining service as a culture-wide priority.
4. Letting Ego Overrule Empathy
When your team gets defensive, your customer feels dismissed. And once trust is broken, it’s hard to recover.
Scott trains companies to shift the mindset from “who’s right” to “what’s right for the relationship.” Even if the customer’s wrong — empathy wins.
5. Avoiding Ownership
Too often, employees default to “That’s not my department,” or “You’ll have to call back.”
What customers want is simple: someone who takes ownership. Someone who says, “I’ve got this. I’ll help you get it fixed.”
Training should empower people to own the moment — not pass the buck.
Training That Sticks (Not Scripts)
Here’s the truth Scott shares on stage:
Training doesn’t work if it only teaches rules. It has to change how people think.
Real customer service training goes beyond “smile more” and “say their name.” It builds empathy. Creates internal alignment. Gives employees a reason to care — and a clear path to deliver.
If your team isn’t trained to think this way, they’ll never serve this way.
Book Scott Deming and Fix the Gaps You Can’t See
If your team is falling into these customer service training mistakes, you’re not alone. Most companies are. The difference is — some choose to fix it.
Scott Deming is a nationally recognized customer service speaker who helps companies move beyond scripts and create lasting change from the inside out. His keynotes don’t just motivate — they rewire how your team approaches service, culture, and accountability.
Book Scott now and build a team that delivers real service, every time.