10 Major Do's & Don'ts of Customer Service

10 Major Do’s & Don'ts of Customer Experience

Horatio Training Team

You know what it takes to offer good customer service and you know how to make a good first impression. However, everyday customer service reps face situations when what they say makes or breaks a service interaction.

Welcome

The quality of our customer service depends on our customer service team having great communication with our clients. A lot of resources are dedicated to teaching representatives what to say during an interaction. But it’s equally important to know what not to say. We will go over ten statements that should never be used because instead of helping, they may frustrate or anger customers.

What not to say

Everyone hates the word “no”. The word is demotivating, discouraging, and disinteresting. Throughout your life as a customer service professional you will hear this word a lot. And on any interaction, “No” is unproductive and negative – it means failure. In customer service, it’s the one we always want to use but we shouldn’t. Yes, there are times when we have to say “no,” but what we must do is focus on what we can do for the customer, accentuate the positive and not the negatives of the situation.

1 - Don’t say “No”

It's better to say “What I can do is...” in order to demonstrate that you care and want to provide quality service despite your current limitations. Try to accentuate the positive and not the negatives of the situation.

Instead of saying “No”…

2. Why is it important to provide a positive statement and other options?

1. How would you inform a customer thats is not possible to do a procedure?

ACTIVITY

Excellent customer service requires strong listening skills to understand the customer’s needs and concerns. Avoid simply saying that you don’t know the answer because this might suggest you are unwilling to help. Good service means never saying, “I don’t know.” When a customer hears “I don’t know,” they hear, “I don’t feel like finding the information you need.”

2 - “I don’t know.”

Do your research

It’s completely fine if you don’t know the answer, just show the customer that you will make an effort to find out and help them.” Better to use a statement similar to the following :

• “I’ll find out”
• “Let me check that for you”
• “Let me look into this and get back to you ASAP.”
• “I’ll be glad to look into that for you.”

3 - “That's not my job/department.”

This expression makes your customer feel like they are being passed around from one person to another and that you won’t answer their question. Even if the question is outside of your area expertise, do your best to assist the customer. Do your research and find the answer they are looking for, or connect them with someone who can help.

When a customer asks you to do something that you don't know how to do or do not have the authority to do, take initiative by leading the customer to the person or department who can help him or her solve the problem. Instead of stating, “It’s not my job,” you can ask, “How can I be of assistance?” If you have to transfer the interaction, it’s better to say, “Let me connect to the person who can immediately help you with his problem.”It makes the customer feel important and shows enthusiasm and willingness to help.

You can still be helpful

ACTIVITY

4 - “You are right – that is bad.”

Many customer service representatives would think that by sympathizing with the customer’s problem, he or she will win over the customer rather than actually doing something to solve the customer’s problem. It’s nice to sympathize, but what about the customer’s problem? If a customer expresses annoyance or frustration, do not make it worse by commiserating with him or her. Empathize with the customer, but seek to solve the problem.

If it’s bad, don’t play blame game

Furthermore, it does not do your company or organization any good to criticize co-workers or other departments within the company, to the customers. Rather, try your best to accommodate the customer. Do not promise anything you cannot deliver, but do try to serve the customer well. It’s better to say, “I understand your frustration, let’s see how we can solve this problem.”

When customers are upset or angry, let them vent to help them calm down. Instructing them to “calm down” is condescending, and often serves only to infuriate them further.

5 - “Calm down.”

It’s better to apologize first for their inconvenience. This helps to placate the angriest of customers and allows you to begin the process of solving a customer complaint or request. Apologizing does not mean you agree with the customer, but it is a means to empathize and move beyond the emotion of the moment. Try the following expressions: “I would be frustrated too if I were in your shoes” or “I can see why you are upset. I would feel the same way.” Another example “I understand your frustration and I’m really sorry about that. Tell me what happened, and I will do my best to help you.” This way, you are allowing them to express their emotions without being judged.

Instead of “calm down”

Before we continue...

Let’s talk about diffusing anger and the Partnership Method.

Which sentences should we use and should use to provide an empathy statement?

I understand your frustration

I can see why you're upset

"I'm sure you'll figure it out.

"I'm sorry you're going through this.

That's unfortunate

"It's not my fault.

DO'S

DON'T

A customer should never be blamed for an issue. Even if it feels like the customer is at fault, avoid language that comes off sounding rude and judgemental, that sounds like a correction or is in direct contradiction to what the customer is saying. It’s best to avoid those phrases and instead acknowledge a customer’s feelings without blaming them.

6 - “You’re mistaken.”

Thread carefully

Avoid any variation of “You’re mistaken.” “You’re wrong.” “That’s wrong.” “Incorrect.” They are ALl off limits. The customer can be as wrong as the day is long. These phrase should never be uttered from your mouth. For example, you can say: “I appreciate your feedback” or “I can hear what you are saying.” These sound more empathetic and respectful. Acknowledge the customer’s feeling and where they are coming from and work on finding a resolution.

This expression conveys little interest on the part of the customer-relations employee for the needs and wants of the customer. You should always call the customer back because you want their business and should take responsibility for their requests. Being proactive is part of good customer service.

7 - “Call us back.”

Make the time

Stating that “It’s doing to take time” , or “It’s very busy right now.” and the customer should reach out at a later time, might make customers think your company does not value their time or satisfaction. Nothing frustrates customers more than not receiving immediate customer service when they need it. Instead, use customer service statements such as “I’m sorry to keep you waiting” or “I apologize for the wait.” These expressions acknowledge that the customer’s time is valuable and that customer service is one of your top priorities.

When something goes wrong with the product or service, the customer might take their frustrations out on you. If an angry customer accuses you of creating a problem, rightly or wrongly, the natural reaction is to defend oneself. However, this is not the best course of action. The customer has a problem that needs to be solved.

8 - “That's not my fault.”

It’s not personal

Stating “that’s not my fault” will only aggravate them more. Becoming defensive could even escalate customer complaints when the customer realizes that you are unwilling to help them resolve their issues. Even if you are not the one responsible for the problem, you should still show that you are willing to help. By resisting the need to defend yourself, and focusing on the needs of the customer, you can resolve the problem faster and with less stress and confrontation. It’s better to state, “Let’s see what we can do about this problem.”

Customers often ask for things outside the scope of your work or authority – maybe even outside the services and products provided by your company. Stating that they need to go higher up, removes you from the conversation and renders anything you would say later worthless. While you might not be able to make an exception, you can personally reach out to your supervisor for an alternative solution.

9 - “You need to talk to my supervisor.”

You are in control

While passing off these interaction to your manager is a tempting option, it is better if you attempt to solve the problem yourself or directly go to the supervisor yourself and get a solution. You can use customer-centric language such as “I can understand why you would want to do this. I’d be happy to check with my manager on the best way we could approach this.” In some cases, you could offer other solutions to requests that fall outside your customer service policy. Thus, becoming a service hero for the customer and the supervisor.

This sentence is frustrating and disappointing for customers, as it implies they are not important enough for your company. You should be willing to go the extra mile for customer satisfaction, even if the customer issue seems minor.

10 - “There’s nothing else I can do…”

There is always something we can do

Customers often make unrealistic demands, especially when it comes to time. Your first reaction may be annoyance, and you may want to make a snide or sarcastic comment. It’s better to state, “I will reach out to you after I find out if that is feasible.” or “I want to make sure that you have a positive customer service experience. Let me reach out.” This statement shows customer concern and reassures them they matter to your company, which may lead to future business from this customer.

Listen to this customer service call. Write down 7 statement that the customer service representative used, and how you would have phrased it instead.

Before we finish… Let’s Practice

Language is powerful and directly affects how people feel and think. Using negative statements like the ones above can make customers feel unheard, unimportant, and frustrated. Choose your words carefully to show empathy and concern. Communication is a skill that can be improved with practice and by being aware of the words you use. Learning what not to say is just as important as knowing what should be told!

Conclusion

Do you have any questions?

THANK YOU

CREDITS: This presentation template was created by Slidesgo, and includes icons by Flaticon, infographics, images by Freepik & contents by Swetha Tandri

With this feature...You can add additional content that excites the minds of your audience: videos, images, links, interactivity... Whatever you want!

With this feature...You can add additional content that excites your audience's brain: videos, images, links, interactivity... Whatever you want!