Working in the Customer Service industry for more than 10 years has not made me immune to the charms of a good customer service rep. There is a certain magic in what they do.
I remember when I first started working at a call center, I would listen in to calls, and get nervous by the sudden disgruntled tone of a customer. However, this is where the magic starts.
It is mesmerizing how customer service people can smoothly smile their way into the conversation and end up with great 5 star product or service reviews from clients who had started out irate or angry. I remember seeking tips from everyone around me to ensure I can get that magic flowing within me.
Here, I have shared the top ones that I have tried myself and know works for sure:
Make your customers feel important. Call them by their name. Listen attentively to what they say and note down information that you might be able to use later. One thing you want to avoid is to make the customers repeat themselves. If they mention their accomplishments, acknowledge them, no matter how small.
Let them rant. Do not interrupt the customer when they are ranting about their dissatisfaction. But do not let their rants affect you either. Instead, take it as an opportunity to learn more about their problems and use the remaining time to devise a solution. The moment they take their breath, you might already have a solution to present which can turn their mood around.
Get to the root cause of the problem right away. Customers would usually complain about multiple things which are actually end products of just one problem. Learn not to be entangled by webs and instead catch the spider. However, it is also important to know which problems you can and cannot solve and focus on those that you can fix rather than spending a lot of time apologizing for those you can’t.
Treat each customer as an individual. One of the biggest mistakes when one stays long in the field of customer service is filling out the blanks of one customer experience by our own experience from other customers. You might find yourself wasting precious time trying to solve a problem that never existed in the first place by making such assumptions. Therefore, regardless if the signs tell you that the problem is exactly the same as the one you have encountered before, still collect all details. You will find out that there are usually a lot of details that separate one customer from another. So do not miss out on addressing them differently.
Don’t waste the customer’s time. Get right into the heart of the problem. If there was an error on your part, give a swift apology then focus on solving the problem. Hearing a long winded apology is just as agonizing as saying one. Make sure to pay careful attention to what the customer says every time so you have a complete understanding of their problem, and only ask relevant questions.
Be completely knowledgeable of the product/service. Sweep the customers off their feet with your knowledge. Make them feel confident that you are the expert and that they are in good hands. Nothing can turn around a customer’s mood more than meeting a reliable partner who they can trust. This is especially important when you cannot solve the problem right away. Ensure that you are able to show off your expertise in a subtle manner and boost their trust in you, so they feel confident that they can leave you to fix the issue.
Take ownership. It might be because of the last customer rep’s fault and we are now stuck with the problem, still it is completely useless to point out this fact. Since both of you work for the same company, pushing someone else to blame for a problem will just lower the customer’s confidence in the company as a whole which will include their confidence in you. So instead, briefly apologize for the mistake as if it was your own, and promptly focus on what you can do to resolve it.
Be patient but firm, tone is everything. Be understanding to your customer, however do not cross the professional line. You might end up wanting to do something that is prohibited by the company you represent just to make the customer happy. Never fall into that hole. Be nice yet firm and convey this with your tone of voice. Do NOT express that you would have done it differently if you could; this a terrible idea. Instead take your time to explain the policy and stand by it. Believe me, you will gain more integrity this way. Offer other possibilities and focus their attention on what you can do for them.
Do not make promises you cannot keep. Making false promises might let you get away temporarily, but it will come back at you with a vengeance. By then you will have closed any possibility of trust between you and the customer. Thus, never offer something just to get the customer out of your back. Instead, use the tips above to turn the customer’s mood around, especially tip #8 if the customer wants something you cannot give
Do not take anything personally. When all else fails, know that the customer is usually unhappy with the situation or the problem and not at you. Even if you get the brunt of their anger, do not take it personally. Allow it to bounce off of you and do not let negativity win over your emotions. You might bring this negativity to your next customer and worsen an experience that could have been great. Learn to shake off all negative feelings by taking a deep breath with a smile. Suddenly that bad experience will just be something you can laugh about later. Remember, it is pointless to dwell on things we cannot change. So instead let us direct our energy into making the next experience a success.
About the Author
LOURVIE IANNE SABIJON Lourvie is a graduate of Business Management and Computer Application with more than 10 years of customer service experience in different fields including accounting, telecommunications, and medical insurance.
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