Each time a customer makes the effort to complain, it’s a chance to make things right. Even those customers who are frustrated or angry often want to keep doing business with your company otherwise, they wouldn’t have bothered to complain. Knowing that can help you stay in the right frame of mind — positive, proactive,…Continue reading

 

As a service professional you’ve worked with all kinds of customers — some make quick decisions, while others take more time. Some want a lot of information, others need just an overview. Some want to socialize, others want to get to the point quickly. When you're dealing with a customer whose communication style is similar…Continue reading

 

No one is at the top of their game day-in and day-out. When you’re not feeling 100 percent, you’ve just got to fake it. Make your voice sound interested and enthusiastic, and the customer will come away from the call with a positive impression. And your mood and attitude will start to lift. Here’s how:…Continue reading

 

Everyone is familiar with the concepts of IQ and EQ but what about CQ? According to Nance Guilmartin, author of The Power of Pause, CQ or Communication Quotient is the ability to “speak clearly, listen closely, rephrase with an open mind, and take responsibility — up front — for being understood.” If you have a…Continue reading

 

There are two ways to paraphrase, says Dianne M. Durkin, a trainer and consultant. One is to listen for and repeat a customer’s key words and phrases. “We all have key words and phrases that we use on a regular basis,” says Durkin. “Listen for these and use them when you respond to a customer’s…Continue reading

 

While asking questions is often useful, it’s easy for customers to become annoyed if they think they are being asked questions that they have answered already, they are being asked too many questions, or they are being asked questions that they feel are personal or inappropriate. Your tone of voice — and the way you…Continue reading