Did you cringe when you read that? Guess what your callers will too.
If you are in the business of solving problems and people call you when things go wrong (too hot, too cold, ran out of supplies, service person is not on time, didn't understand my bill, computer is not doing what I wanted...) then please don't ask "How are you?" because truly, the answer is NOT GOOD.
Try instead;
"How may I help you today?"
or "I'm glad you called, let me help..."
Humans like routine and rituals. Do you find yourself…
• Driving the same route to work every day?
• Grocery shopping, using the same path through the store?
• Wearing the same outfit or preparing the same snack items for the big game?
These rituals give a sense of order, comfort and in the customer service world, make us feel like we are getting served better.
What rituals can a customer expect when they call your company?
• A consistently friendly tone?
• That the same technician will come to their home?
• A delivery at the same time of the day, each time?
• Always ending a call with, “Is there anything else I can do for you?”
Today, think about how you provide comfort by the consistency and dependability you offer.
We take a moment today to remember all those who gave the ultimate sacrifice while serving.
If you are working today, thank you.
If you are free, thank them.
Last week, I shared some suggestions on better responses to a customer who wants to leave your service. Here's a few further thoughts on that theme.
Question:
If the customer says, "I'm switching to (insert your competition's name here)", how do you respond?
1. "Sure, let me just close your account"
2. "Good luck with that! Let me tell you all the things wrong with that decision..."
3. "You can't, you have a contract with us"
4. "I've heard their messages too, and agree it might sound like a good deal. Many of our customers say they choose to stay with us because they like the peace of mind we provide by..."
Answer:
1. Noooooo! This is not an option. SAVE them instead!
2. It's never good to talk negatively about the competition. It will make you sound defensive.
3. Remove "you can't" from your customer service vocabulary. Have a conversation and SAVE them!
4. Agree with them and get on the same side, then talk about the value your company has to offer.
Practice talking about the value of your company so that calls like this don't catch you off guard.
If the Customer says: "cancel my service", how do you respond?
1. "okay"
2. "account number, please"
3. "you can't, you have a contract"
4. "I'm sorry to hear that"
5. "Sorry, wrong number"
Answer:
1. 'Okay', in this case, is not an option. It isn't okay! You need to fight to keep every Customer.
2. The account number may be helpful to you, but it gives the call a robotic feeling. This response doesn't set the stage for a helpful conversation.
3. "You can't" should never come out of your mouth in customer service. The goal is to have a conversation about what can be done.
4. CORRECT! It's best to start with some empathy, a statement that demonstrates you care about them. Then find out their account number and ask a question to understand why they are considering a change.
Say it with me now.... "I'm sorry to hear that, I'm sorry to hear that, I'm sorry to hear that!"
5. Nice try!
This week, make a point to focus on empathy first, solutions second.
On-hold recordings are a great way for companies to spread the word about their brand, special deals or to simply play some nice music.
Do YOU know what your callers listen to while they're waiting? If your customer refers to the on-hold message, will you be able to respond in a knowledgeable, confident way?
Tip of the week: Call your office and listen to the message.
That way, should you need to put your caller on-hold, you won’t be surprised by the comments you hear, the deals they want to know more about or the song they're humming when you come back on line!
By the way, if your company message promises dynamic service and your greeting is ho-hum, you’d better step it up!
Sometimes short responses aren’t as helpful as you might have intended.
Have you ever replied to a query with a quick, efficient 'yes' or 'no'? While your callers may appreciate your speed, they expect more of an answer in a service environment.
It's as simple as:
Instead of just plain ‘yes’ say, “yes, we can certainly do that for you.”
Instead of just plain ‘no’ say, “we can’t do that, but we can do this…”
It’s friendlier to use a complete sentence, even in our fast-paced world. Don't you agree?
I’ve been training and coaching virtually every day for the past 20 years and I’ve cracked the code on how to engage customers, teams and coworkers through the screen. Would you like to know the secrets?
If you've got a presentation in your future - don't wait, email or call today.
Ward Certified Consulting, LLC