This is the 7-point call strategy I use when my work is to improve the telephone customer experience in a call center.
The lead-in, step 1, gets calls started on a positive note. Steps 2-6 are how to handle the body of the call in a friendly and warm way. The final step, end with a fond farewell, ensures you end calls positively.
If these 7 steps help you in any way, well that makes my day. –Myra
1. Open with a lead-in
“Good morning. Customer Care. This is Penny. How may I help you today?” (with a 🙂 in your voice)
2. Convey empathy and/or acknowledge emotions when appropriate
- “I can understand how frustrating it is when your rental car breaks down.”
- “I realize how complicated it is to …..”
- “I cannot imagine how upsetting it is to …..”
- “I know how confusing it must be when …..”
Short video on how to acknowledge a customer’s emotion:
3. Yield to Callers (Don’t interrupt or over talk customers)
- Allow customers to finish sentences
- If you accidentally interrupt a caller, apologize
- Even when you know within a second or two that the call will need to be transferred, allow the caller to finish their statement before making the transfer
4. Bridge into questioning
- “In order to determine what happened, I will need to ask you some questions.”
- “Do you mind if I ask you some questions so we can figure out what has happened?”
- “So I can assist you, may I ask you a few questions?”
5. Speak in complete sentences
Be friendly and conversational and always use a complete sentence:
- “May I have your zip code please?” – Not: “Zip code?”
- “Can I get your last name?” – Not: “Name?”
6. Ask “Is there anything else?”
- “Ms. Williams, may I help you with anything else?”
- “May I help you with anything else, Mr. Smith?”
- “Do you have any additional questions, Mrs. Jones?”
- “Is there anything else I can help you with today, Mr. Davis?”
- “Ms. Brown, how else may I help you today?”
7. End with a fond farewell (include some form of thanks)
- “Thanks so much for calling us today Julie.”
- “I enjoyed talking with you, Teresita. I hope you enjoy your new duffle bag.”
- “Well, if there’s nothing else, all that’s left is for me to wish you a great afternoon! Thank you for calling us today Tammy.”
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7 Soft Skills to Transform Your Telephone Customer Experience
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For more help in how to talk to customers, check out:
Customer Service Onsite Training Workshops – Fully Customized, Engaging, Fun Customer Service Training for your team
Customer Service eLearning– 10 courses to improve the way your employees talk to customers over the phone and email
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