In a customer service environment, the language that we use can have a huge
impact on how the customer perceives the service. In a sales environment this
is even more critical. Here Pinaz Hansotia has pulled together the top 25
positive words and phrases that we can use to improve our customer
interactions.
Good things DO come in small packages
These little words should win medals, as adding any one of them into your
conversation has the potential to transform average customer service into great
customer service.
Positive Words
1. Definitely
2. Surely
3. Absolutely
4. Certainly
5. Fantastic
Example Use
I definitely will make sure that it gets sorted
You will surely be able to enjoy
I absolutely agree
I can certainly help you
That is a fantastic alternative
If you want to learn more about the power of word choice, follow our links
below:
Best words to use for building rapport
The right words and phrases to use with an angry customer
The right words and phrases to use on a sales call
The top 25 words to use on your CV
Everyday phrases
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As a call centre representative, it is your job to make the customer feel at ease
from the minute you say hello. Good use of these phrases will help to reassure
your customer that you are the life-saving, sympathetic ear that they hoped for.
6. Rest assured Mr
7. I do understand the inconvenience you have faced
8. I will be more than glad/ happy to assist you.
9. I completely understand the reason why / your situation.
10. I will ensure that
11. What I will do for you right away is
12. I assure you I will try my best..
13. What I can do for you right now is .
14. Im sorry for the inconvenience that you have faced, what I can do for you
is .
For some phrases dos and donts, follow our links below:
The five phrases a call centre manager SHOULD use
Five phrases a Call Centre Manager should never use
Advise dont patronise
It can be difficult to tell a customer what they need to do without coming across
as patronising, especially when dealing with technical complaints. Yet
incorporating these phrases into your vocabulary can help you to overcome this
and create a more positive customer experience.
15. I would suggest / I recommend..
16. To avoid a similar inconvenience in future I request you to.
From A to B with a smile
When giving out over-the-phone instructions, it is your job to make the process
as easy as possible. Try weaving the following phrases into your conversation
to help your customer get from A to B with a smile on their face.
17. All you need to do is to just.
18. A simple way / method to change it will be to..
19. As soon as you receive
Smooth Selling
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Whilst dealing with a customer complaint, it may also be part of your job to sell
up other areas of the business. Here are some useful phrases to help you seal
the deal.
20. You will ONLY be charged..
21. We have a variety of ..
22. Its a wonderful service where instead of _______, you can ____________
..
23. This is the best plan/scheme for your requirements..
24. For just _____. you can..
25. For Special customers like you..
When it comes to calming angry customers, a skilful use of language by your
agents could be very important. Here, we look into the words and phrases most
likely to defuse the situation and bring about a mutually agreeable
reconciliation.
Read on for our analysis of the four main customer personality types, and our
list of suggested phrases for tackling these most difficult of characters. Of
course, every customer is unique, and some may show traces of two or more of
the profiles below. In these cases, a calculated mix of the phrases listed could
help to pacify the caller.
The Offloader
More often than not, this interesting caller will have no legitimate grievance
against your enterprise. Rather, he or she will have suffered a recent personal
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strain and, without anybody else to vent to, will turn to taking their grievance out
on your staff. This frequently involves amplifying the most minor of complaints
right out of proportion.
This type of caller is among the most frustrating for a contact centre agent; he
or she will likely have encountered legitimately furious customers in the past,
and may feel that to mollycoddle their Offloader is a waste of time and energy.
Even so, the caller should be taken as seriously as possible, and formally
empathetic language should be used at all times.
The following is a list of phrases best suited to this type of customer; note that
the words of particular importance have been highlighted for best results,
these should be repeated at various points throughout the conversation.
Words and Phrases:
Im so sorry that you feel this way, Mrs Brown
As a solution, may I suggest that?
What Ill do right now is
We really do appreciate this feedback, Mrs Brown
May I arrange for an update call, at a time most convenient for you?
The Legitimate Grievance
Mistakes happen; its a fact of life, and its forgiveable. But, from time to time,
corporations miss their service level agreements by such a margin that even the
most experienced of inbound agents has difficulty believing the magnitude of
the failing.
The Legitimate Grievance is far and away the most important item discussed on
this list. You have severely failed your customer and, should the case be
publicised in the media, the ramifications for your business could be serious.
Agents who encounter this sort of complainant should, of course, escalate the
call to their nearest team leader without delay. But in the interim, it would do no
harm to offer some words of empathetic reassurance
Words and Phrases:
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Thank you so much for letting us know about this, Sir/Madam
Im so sorry to hear about this, Mrs Brown
I completely understand how you feel, Sir/Madam
Thank you so much for your patience/understanding, Mrs Brown
I will action this for you right away
The Vulgarian
Ah, the Vulgarian: a fascinating specimen, easily identifiable through its
signature high pitch and generous use of profanity.
Paradoxical as it sounds, many agents look forward to receiving calls from this
sort of customer. The reason? Well, since corporations duty of care towards
their employees includes protection from client abuse, the rare emergence of
the Vulgarian appears to present a good opportunity to terminate the call.
Though no employee should be expected to put up with personal insults, it is
industry standard for agents to warn abusive customers at least three times
before ending the conversation. Still, there are a series of phrases which can
help to restore calm.
Of course, even more important than the language used is the ability of the
agent to hold his cool under pressure; needless to say, there can be no excuse
for insulting a customer such an act would constitute gross misconduct, even
if done in retaliation. So, along with encouraging professional lingo, school your
staff in the emotional side of dealing with obscene callers.
Words and Phrases:
I truly understand your concern, Sir/Madam, but unfortunately we cannot
tolerate the kind of language you are using right now
Im going to do my very best to help you, Mrs Brown
You seem very upset, Mrs Brown. Would you prefer to continue this
conversation through email or post?
Im sorry youre so upset, Sir/Madam. Would you like for us to call you
back when you feel a little calmer?
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I apologise, Mrs Brown, but if you continue to use this language, I will be
forced to end this call.
The Threat-Maker
Easily confused with The Vulgarian, The Threat-Maker is, in fact, a different
kettle of chips altogether. Whilst the formers intention is to insult the call
handler into cessation, the latter seeks to obtain appeasement through
emotional or even physical intimidation.
Of course, most agents have dealt with enough Threat-Makers to know that,
despite their dogged self-conviction, the vast majority of threats levied are as
empty as a church on Monday morning. Even so, many telephone staff find this
complainants tactics the most provocative of any irate caller. As such, its
important again to remind staff not to react to intimidation; to do so would just
give the caller further ammunition, and add weight to a grievance that was,
perhaps, formerly spurious.
Sticking to ones guns is the key to success over the Threat-Maker; offering
inappropriate compensation will serve only to encourage future complaints.
Moreover, its important to remember that, regardless of how unpleasant he or
she might be as a person, each and every one of your customers is an essential
source of revenue for your business. Agents should strive for a golden mean
between level-headed formality and empathy for the customers condition.
Words and Phrases:
I do understand the inconvenience youve faced, Sir/Madam
Let me see how I can fix this, Mrs Brown
I recommend that you (insert action here), Sir/Madam, so that I can take
further action without delay.
I am more than happy to help you, Mrs Brown
For the quickest resolution, I would request you to
George Dixon
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