The April issue of Customer Communicator, the training and motivation newsletter for frontline reps, focuses on creating a positive work environment. To do that, you may need to give up old habits, says author JoAnna Brandi — let go of the urge to dramatize, awfulize, and catastrophize. "A lot of people will say, ’OMG, that is…Continue reading
Poor listening habits can lead to misunderstandings, errors, missed opportunities, wasted time, and damaged relationships. On the other hand, active listening helps to identify deeper customer needs, it enables a more comfortable relationship with the customer, reduces the likelihood of misunderstandings or tension, and makes problem solving easier. That’s the level of listening that customers…Continue reading
Seventy percent of customers say they prefer to communicate about customer service issues via phone. That’s one of the many findings from the recently published 2024 State of Customer Service and CX report. The April issue of Customer Communicator, the training and motivation newsletter for frontline reps, included highlights from the report including details on how…Continue reading
Most frontline reps will only face a truly rude or insulting customer a handful of times in their career. But it’s important to be prepared, say the editors of Customer Communicator, the training and motivation newsletter for frontline reps. Many organizations use the three strikes approach. This involves giving the customer two polite but firm warnings,…Continue reading
Speaking from prompts or scripts, or at the end of a long day, can leave customer service reps sounding mechanical and disinterested. The solution, say the authors of the frontline training guide, Sounding Great on the Phone, is to add interest to the voice by focusing on the three Ps: Pitch, Pace, and Pause. Pitch refers…Continue reading
In an effort to keep calls brief, many reps are tempted to use short one word questions and answers. But that can come across as cold and unfriendly. Instead, the editors of Customer Communicator, the training and motivation newsletter for frontline reps suggest warming up the conversation with a few extra words. Here are three examples…Continue reading
The human ear is very sensitive and needs a little time to adjust to new sounds and voices for communication to be effective. The February issue of Customer Communicator, the training and motivation newsletter for frontline reps suggests starting each conversation with the words, "Good morning" or "Good afternoon." This simple step is not only a…Continue reading
Listening is the single most important service skill. And while everyone assumes they know how to listen, the truth is that listening is a technique, which must be practiced and refined. In the training guide, Effective Listening, the authors provide eight techniques for effective "Service Listening." One important technique is to show the customer that you…Continue reading
Saying "no" to a customer is a sure fire way to trigger negative feelings. Fortunately, there are proven ways to avoid a hard "no." In the February issue of Customer Communicator, the training and motivation newsletter for frontline reps, service expert Richard S. Gallagher, shows readers three ways to say "no" without saying "no." In situations…Continue reading
Internally you probably use technical jargon when discussing service issues. But to customers, those words and phrases may be unclear and off-putting, creating a wall between you and the customer. The January issue of Customer Communicator, the training and motivation newsletter for frontline reps discusses how to cut down on unwanted jargon. The first step is…Continue reading
