Occasionally, everyone has to deal with the delicate situation of disengaging from a chatty customer who simply doesn’t want to hang up. “We’re in the habit of waiting for permission to terminate a conversation,” says Richard Gallagher of Skills Development International. However, “there are some people who will never give you that permission.” To get…Continue reading
If the language you and your coworkers use to talk about customers and your work is predominantly negative you’re probably contributing to your overall stress levels as a result. What can you do about it? JoAnna Brandi of JoAnna Brandi & Company offers this solution: Spend a week paying close attention to the language that…Continue reading
In the book Loyalty for Life, author John Tschohl outlines a process for handling mistakes and regaining the customer’s trust after an error has occurred. In addition to acting quickly, taking responsibility, apologizing, fixing the problem, and following up, he also recommends thanking the customer. This last step, "thanking the customer" is extremely important, he…Continue reading
Voice trainer Jay Miller, encourages frontline reps to focus on voice quality for greater clarity and improved customer service. One of the most common problems that he sees is rapid-fire speech. "Some people feel that speaking quickly makes them sound knowledgeable and that it moves the conversation along quickly, says Miller. "Unfortunately, the exact opposite…Continue reading
Empathy builds a relationship between the customer and the rep that can enhance customer service, increase customer satisfaction, and boost loyalty. This week, service expert Maxine Kamin shares examples of how to respond with empathy to five common customer emotions: Anger: “I can hear that you are angry about ....” Disappointment: “You must be disappointed…Continue reading
While reps are often advised to project a high-level of energy when working with customers, there are times when this may not be appropriate. Chris Lynam, author of Choreography of Customer Service, stresses the importance of aligning your energy level with your customer’s. He says that you can think about energy levels on a scale of…Continue reading
