How to Improve Offering Customer Service On the Telephone

Starting each call with a smile goes a long way.

Customers expect excellent service and will often refuse to do further business with a company where the service is bad. Conversely, when customers feel respected, they will return to that company when a similar need arises. How well your customers are treated depends on the attitude and training of your customer service representatives. Because excellent customer service is vital to your business’ lifeblood, you must ensure that your representatives are highly trained in some basic principles.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

1. Smile before picking up the phone. It may sometimes initially feel forced but has a way of becoming genuine. It will make you feel more positive, which the customer will hear in your voice.

2. Greet customers with an introduction and give them a chance to write down your name and identification number. Ask how you can help.

3. Ask the customer for name and phone number. Having this information enables you to call the customer by name, helping personalize the conversation and further thaw any complaint issues. Also, you will better document the call in case of a lost connection or the need to do more research and call back.

4. Never take criticism personally, because the customer is only reacting out of previous dissatisfaction. Remain calm and ask questions to get to the root of the issue. Whenever possible, be empathetic and identify with the customer’s feelings.

5. Never lie and make up an excuse because this will only lead to future problems for the customer and for the next representative fielding that call. Instead, take three to five minutes to do some research, if you know this will likely lead to an answer.

6. Inform the customer how long the wait will be when you need to do research or when your computer system is down. If it will be more than a couple minutes, give the customer the option of holding or arranging a callback. If the latter, be sure to call back in the stated time frame, even if it is only to say you are still researching. Lack of communication is often more frustrating for a customer than having to wait a little longer for results.

7. Find the best way to resolve the problem and satisfy your customer's needs without having to go through multiple levels of approval or breaking any rules. If you must get an approval before resolving an issue, let the customer know the process and the likely wait time. Provide a date and time when to expect a result.

8. Ask if you can be of further help after you have met the customer's needs. Be sure to thank the customer for calling before saying goodbye.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember the golden rule is the best rule of thumb for customer service: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

References

• Business Know-How: How to Improve Your Telephone Skills