Unfortunately, there are customers who try to dominate service calls. They want to control the situation and intimidate the rep into giving them what they want. They can be rude and manipulative — and they assume that the only way to get results is by threatening. What can you do? According to communication expert Robyn…Continue reading
No one wants to hear the word "No." And with service consultant Richard Gallagher’s can-can approach you can say "no" without ever uttering that dreaded word. Here’s how it works: The can-can is a two part response in which you acknowledge what you can acknowledge and offer what you can offer. For instance, if you were working in a retail setting…Continue reading
Have you ever done everything a customer asked - yet they don’t seem satisfied? Unfortunately, it’s a common problem. The cause, say service consultants Karen Leland and Keith Bailey, is that customers don’t tell you everything they need. "Customers do ask for what they want, but they have basic needs that they don’t ask for.…Continue reading
It was once widely accepted that a customer’s opinion of a service provider was formed in the first four minutes of their interaction. "Not true," says Lillian Glass, Ph.D., author of Attracting Terrific People. "Forget the first four minutes — now it’s the first four seconds." How can you use those first few seconds to make…Continue reading
2020 is finally in our rearview mirror. One year ago no one anticipated the way that life would change for all of us just a few short weeks later. If there is one thing that we have learned from the past year, says Patrick S. Malone, Ph.D. it is "the importance of compassion and gratitude."…Continue reading
Have you ever been provoked into letting your emotions loose on a customer? Getting defensive may be an automatic, human reaction to a caller who pushes your buttons, but it’s not a professional one. "As soon as you start taking it personally, you’ll mishandle the situation," says customer service trainer Joan Fox. "You can say…Continue reading
Over the past 12 months, Customer Service Bulletin has brought you dozens of tips for service professionals. They have covered everything from at your desk exercises, to managing empathy fatigue, to techniques for service recovery. If you’ve missed any of them during this hectic year, they are online now. You’ll even find our five most…Continue reading
The holiday season, for many organizations, means peak call volume, hectic schedules, and high stress levels — and prolonged sitting makes it difficult to release tension.Following are four easy-to-do "desk-ersizes" to try when stress levels rise.Sitting upright, raise the top of your shoulders to your ears. Hold for a few seconds, then relax your shoulders…Continue reading
Spending eight hours a day listening to frustrated, confused, and sometimes angry customers is a tough task for service professionals, even in the best of times. Today, those same customers may be struggling with the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, regional wildfires, and hurricanes. They may be juggling work, virtual schooling, caring for aging parents,…Continue reading
The best agents know how to extend genuine, sincere concern to callers whether they have a major problem or a minor issue. To be sure customers know that you respect them as individuals with legitimate issues and feelings, keep these dos and don’ts in mind.Do:Stay in control of your own emotionsUse empathy to reflect the…Continue reading
