How to Provide Great Customer Service Over The Phone and Get Rated Well as a Customer Service Agent

Providing customer service over the phone can be very difficult, since you're dealing with dozens of people every day who may not be in the best mood. However, by following some basic tips, you can improve your customer service skills. You will get rated well as a customer service agent and hopefully end up with a promotion. These tips are from my personal experience as a customer service agent.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• patience - lots of it
• the ability to be able to express yourself easily over the phone
• a "people person" personality
• a "can do" attitude
• the desire to improve a little every day

1. Take a breath and get "in the zone" before each call. It helps make you feel calm and confident which is essential. You have the ability to make someone's day go a little better, and that makes a difference. Start off each call with the genuine desire to make the customer's experience positive. If you sound bored and tired, that will be noticed.

2. Listen. Many customers ramble on for ten to twenty seconds at the beginning of the call, which may make you feel frustrated since you need some information (an order number, for example) in order to help them. Do not interrupt the customer. Let them talk, then empathize and explain how you can help. For example: "I'm sorry that your order hasn't arrived yet. I understand how frustrating that can be. I'm going to ask you for some information so that I can assist you."

3. Understand the customer's concern. If you're not sure what the customer's question is, clarify. Say something like "Okay, so you received your order but it was not the correct item. Is that correct?" This may sound obvious, but it will save you a lot of time in the long run.

4. Explain. Tell the customer how you are going to resolve their concern, and explain what you're doing. For example: "Okay, I'm looking up your order in our system to check the status." If you need to put a customer on hold or transfer them, explain what you're doing and why. Ask them for their permission and wait for a response before putting them on hold or transfering the call.

5. If you have a customer who is very upset about the way your company handled something, try to give them something extra. Even if it is as small as a discount code or free shipping, it is a gesture of good will that will not go unnoticed. Explain that you're sorry about what happened previously, and that going forward you will do everything you can to make their experience positive.

Tips & Warnings

• Smile! Even though you're on the phone, your customers can tell.
• If you're having trouble hearing the customer when you take a call or only hear silence on the other line, do not just hang up. Say something like "I'm sorry, I'm having trouble hearing you. It must be the connection. Please call back because we do want to assist you."
• Remember that most of the people you speak with are good people. Even the mean ones are probably nice for the most part but just frustrated.
• If you can not give the customer what they want, that's okay. It happens sometimes, and you can still offer excellent customer service by being courteous and professional.
• Do not take anything the customer says personally. They aren't yelling at you - they're yelling at the company. I have had customers who started off yelling and screaming and ended up calm and thanking me by the end of the call.
• Never assume anything about a customer, particularly their gender or relationship status. A person might sound like a woman and be a man or the opposite. They might object to being called Mrs. if they are single or divorced.