Telling a customer how a problem will be resolved is important. Telling them a “story” about how a problem will be resolved adds reassurance that the problem will be handled correctly.
This month in Customer Communicator, the training and motivation newsletter for frontline reps, J.N. Whiddon author of The Old School Advantage recommends story telling. He suggests that telling customers the story of a similar situation and how the problem was resolved will reassure the customer that you have the knowledge, skills, and ability to meet their needs.
“Stories help reps to gain attention by engaging the customer, they help to soften difficult situations, and they are often more persuasive than a promise that something will get done satisfactorily,” says Whiddon.
To introduce a storytelling solution, try language such as, “I spoke with a customer who had a similar issue last month. We solved the issue quickly by doing ….”
More techniques for building customer confidence appear in Customer Communicator.