Customer Service Tools and Techniques
Robert Bacal
There are tools and techniques for every trade and profession. Carpenters have their hammers, saws, and screwdrivers, and must know how to use them properly. Plumbers have their pipe wrenches, pipe cutters and benders, and the rest. Other professionals—accountants, doctors, psychologists, and so on—also have tools and techniques they need to master. Customer service reps are no different, although their tools are less tangible.The tools and techniques of effective customer service have to do with what employees say and do with reference to each customer.
Top-notch customer service employees can match each tool to the requirements of specific situations.When you understand the tools and the basics of customer service from Chapter 1, you can choose the right tools for each customer service “job.”
In this section,we will describe and explain each of the major customer service strategies at your disposal. Since customer service involves human interactions that aren’t always predictable, using these tools won’t guarantee the positive result we might want. However, use these tools and you’ll increase the chances of a successful interaction with each customer, whether that customer is currently happy or is angry and upset.
Since Part Two contains numerous examples of how to use the customer service techniques and tools, the descriptions in this section are relatively short.You’ll find that in real life it won’t always be easy to determine whether a “perfect phrase”is part of one customer strategy or another. Phrases can actually fit multiple strategies.Don’t worry about what a strategy is called.Try to understand how the strategy works and how you will use it or modify it to improve customer service.
Strategies are presented in alphabetical order.
Above and Beyond the Call of Duty
Going above and beyond the call of duty means doing something that you don’t have to do. It’s doing something extra. Customers, even difficult ones, often display extreme gratitude and loyalty when you demonstrate that they are so important that they’re worth going beyond what’s required. That’s one of the secrets to good customer service—demonstrating through your actions that your customer is important and special.
Acknowledge Customer’s Needs
When customers see you make an effort to understand their needs (even if you can’t meet them),it’s more likely they will view you positively. Acknowledging needs may involve rephrasing something the customer has said to you (for example,“I understand that you want to get the best value for your money”), or it may involve responding to something you observe about the customer (for example,“I can see that you must be in a hurry”).
Acknowledge Without Encouraging
When you deal with an angry or difficult customer, it’s important to prove to him or her that you understand the facts surrounding the situation and the feelings the customer is experiencing. The catch is that “what you focus on,you get more of”—and you don’t want to encourage the customer to continue difficult or angry behavior that interferes with helping him or her. “Acknowledge Without Encouraging” really involves the combination of two techniques.
The first set involves using both empathy statements and refocus statements together. First, you acknowledge the feelings in a short sentence, and without stopping, you refocus or steer the conversation back to the problem and away from the customer’s emotions.
Similarly, you can do the same thing around demonstrating your understanding of the facts of the customer’s situation by combining active listening with refocusing. Reflect back your understanding of the customer’s situation, and then refocus back to problem solving.
The important thing to remember is the principle.You need to acknowledge the facts of the situation and the emotions, but you don’t want to dwell on them. Focusing on them results in longer interactions that tend to be more emotional.
Active Listening
Active listening proves to the customer that you’re paying attention and that you believe the customer and what he or she has to say are important. It involves rephrasing the key points of what the customer has said and reflecting them back to the customer, often in the form of a question. For example: “So, you’re saying that you’re sure there are parts missing from the product and you want a complete refund. Is that right?”
Admit Mistakes
People in general—and, of course,customers in particular—tend to respect those who are honest and open about mistakes and who take rather than avoid responsibility. When mistakes occur, it’s often good strategy to admit to the mistake, whether you made it personally or the company you represent made it. Even if you’re not completely sure where the problem occurred and who caused it, admit to the possibility of a mistake. This avoids unnecessarily provoking a customer by representing yourself or the company as infallible.
When admitting mistakes,use very short sentences and then move on to solving whatever problem exists.
Allow Venting You’re probably familiar with the concept of venting.By allowing the customer to let off steam uninterrupted, the idea is that the customer will eventually calm down on his or her own.While this may work, you should know there are two types of people. Venters are people who will calm down if allowed to let off steam.Obsessors,however, will get angrier and angrier the more they talk about their upsets or grievances. If you allow a person to vent and find that she or he is getting more and more agitated, additional active measures are needed, such as empathy statements, attempts to refocus, neutral mode, and so on.
Apologize
A sincere apology can help calm a customer, particularly when you or your company has made an error. You can apologize on behalf of your company.Keep in mind that tendering an apology doesn’t necessarily mean that you’re admitting responsibility.As with admitting a mistake, your apology should be “short and sweet,” followed by refocusing on solving the problem or addressing the customer’s needs.
Perfunctory or insincere apologies are worse than saying nothing at all and tend to anger customers. Also, due to a general overuse of the words “I’m sorry,” apologies aren’t as powerful as you might think. They should always be used along with other techniques.
Appropriate Nonverbals
Nonverbals are body language. Customers decide whether you’re paying attention to them and want to help based on whether you look at them when you speak (or listen), and whether you stand or sit in an attentive posture. If you fidget, look away or at your watch, or seem distracted, they will believe you’re in a hurry to get rid of them.
Appropriate Smiles
Most customer service training stresses the importance of smiling. There’s no question that a warm smile is valuable.However— and it’s a big “however”—smiles (and other facial expressions) must fit the situation. For example, if a customer is exceedingly upset about how she has been treated, showing a huge smile and chuckling will be inflammatory and might even provoke violence. Smiles need to be appropriate to the situation and the customer’s state of mind. Smiling at the wrong time can send the message that you aren’t taking the customer seriously.
Arrange Follow-Up
Not all customer problems can be addressed right away. Many require follow-ups or additional communication. For example, if you don’t have an answer to a customer’s question, you might find the answer and call the customer back within a few minutes. Proper follow-up tells the customer he or she is important to you.
Arranging follow-up should include three things: (1) explaining what you’ll do between now and the actual follow-up, (2) giving a specific time by which you will get back to the customer, and (3) offering a choice as to the form and timing of the followup (for example, you call back, you send an e-mail, the customer calls you). Needless to say, when you arrange a follow-up, you must be able to fulfill your promise—and you must do so.
Ask Probing Questions
This technique refers to the use of a series of questions to clarify a customer’s needs, feelings, and wants and the facts of his or her situation. Probing questions are simple ones that cover an issue at a time so as not to overwhelm the customer.A probing question is directly related to the customer’s answer to the previous question.Probing questions invite the customer to clarify or add to his or her previous response.
For example,“What brought you in today?” is a question. An alternative is to break this down by first saying, “I see you are browsing the plasma TV sets. Are you interested in more information about them?” If the customer says “yes,” the employee probes deeper by asking,“Do you have an interest in a particular size of TV?” The interaction may continue this way, with the employee asking simple questions in a series, basing each question on the responses to earlier questions.
Apart from this being an important tool for getting good information from a customer, it shows that you’re listening, since you’re basing each question on the specifics of a customer response.
Assurances of Effort
As mentioned earlier, when customers don’t feel you’re making an effort, they get angry. On the flip side, when customers feel you’re making an effort
above and beyond the call of duty, they’re less likely to target you for angry behavior if they can’t get what they want.
An assurance of effort is a statement that tells the customer you’ll do your best to meet his or her needs. For example:“I can see you’re in a hurry and I’m going to do my best to get this wrapped up in a few minutes.”
Notice that an assurance of effort is different from an assurance of results.You can always assure the customer that you will try, even if you don’t yet know if you can give the customer what he or she wants.
Assurances of Results
An assurance of results is a stronger statement than an assurance of effort: it promises that the customer will have his or her problem resolved.An assurance of effort doesn’t promise results, so it can be used in almost any situation.Assurances of results should be made only when you can legitimately guarantee the results you are promising.
Audience Removal
Some angry customers will “play to the audience” in public situations where others are present. You can tell this is happening by observing whether the customer seems to be looking to other customers or bystanders for approval or talks to them. Removing the audience involves arranging for the customer to be served away from the audience, usually in an office space. Here’s an example of how to do it: “Mr. Jones, I’m sure you’d prefer that your privacy is protected, so let’s go to the office and we can continue there.”
Bonus Buy Off
This technique involves offering something of value to the customer as reimbursement for inconvenience or other problems. The offer need not be of significant monetary value, since the point is to be perceived as making an effort. It’s used primarily when the organization has made an error, but it can also be used when there is no error and the employee wants to make a goodwill gesture.
Broken Record
This technique is used primarily with customers who won’t work with you to solve their problems. Its intent is to send the message: we’re not going to continue the conversation until we deal with the specific issue that I want to deal with.
It involves repeating the message, but in different words, until the customer starts to work with you. For example:“You have several options. [Describe them.] Which would you prefer?”
If the customer ignores this, you repeat the message, but in different words: “You can [option one] or [option two]. Do you have a preference?”
The same message can be repeated four or five times, until the customer finally chooses one.
This technique can also be used for expressing empathy,with a customer who is too angry to engage in specific problem-solving.
Close Interactions Positively
A relatively simple technique to end conversations, “Closing Interactions Positively,” usually involves offering pleasantries (for example, “Thanks for coming in” or “I appreciate your patience and apologize for the delay”).You want to end each interaction, even if it’s difficult, on a positive note. Warning: No sarcasm is allowed.That will rekindle the flames of anger.
Common Courtesy
Common courtesy refers to behaviors based on consideration and politeness in your country or area. They’re basic and you probably know what they are, but it’s important not to lose sight of the importance of using “please” and “thank you,” creating an inviting environment for your customer/guest and using civil language. You can add your own ideas to what constitutes common courtesy for the people you serve.
Even with such simple techniques,there are important points to keep in mind.When you’re stressed or rushed you might tend to stop using common courtesy. It’s a natural mistake. In trying to address the customer’s needs quickly (being task-oriented), it’s easy to forget that how you interact with the customer is always important.You need to use common courtesy even when you’re rushing to meet the needs of your customer, unless it’s an emergency situation. A health emergency is one example where common courtesy may delay critical actions, such as calling 911.
Also, remember that you need to use common courtesy most in situations where you least feel like it.Difficult and obnoxious customers tend to push employees to respond rudely or at least curtly.Unfortunately, when you neglect common courtesy, problems escalate, so it’s in your interests to be polite and courteous, even with the people you feel don’t deserve it. It isn’t about who deserves common courtesy, but what will work and reduce the time you waste. It’s all about what works.
Complete Follow-Up
Obviously, when you arrange a follow-up, you need to complete the follow-up. This also applies when your boss initiates the request—following up on his or her behalf. In that situation you contact the individual, identify yourself, explain why you’re following up, and request any information you need. Respond to the customer’s problem/issue as needed. Then report back to your supervisor if required.
Contact Security/Authorities/Management
Most employees aren’t trained in security, self-defense, or other methods for dealing with a violent, highly disruptive, or potentially violent customer. If it’s not your job, it’s not your job. Don’t take on the responsibilities of security staff or the police. When faced with violent situations or security threats, contact security personnel, management, and/or the police. Do that first. If your company has a policy on this issue, follow it. Don’t chase customers or attempt to apprehend them.This strategy also applies in situations where someone has made some sort of threat to you personally or to the company. At minimum, notify your manager immediately. Remember that safety is your first priority—for yourself, your colleagues, and other customers.
Disengage
Disengaging is a technique most often used with a difficult or aggressive customer. It has several purposes: it serves to temporarily halt a conversation that’s getting increasingly emotional and unpleasant,and it’s used if a conversation is going around in circles.
Disengaging means taking a break from the interaction to allow both parties to calm down or think more clearly so that, when the conversation resumes, it’s more like a “fresh start.” In a situation where the conversation isn’t likely to result in success, offer a reason to stop and resume in a minute or two or after an even longer interlude. For example, you might say, “Mr. Smith, let me take a minute to check your file,” and then suspend the conversation while you go check.You can also take the more direct approach, as follows: “Mr. Smith,maybe we both need a break so we can approach this fresh.How about if we resume this discussion tomorrow? We can set up a time that’s convenient.” This technique can be used in person and on the phone.
Disengaging is similar to using “Timeout.”A timeout is used to allow the customer to calm down by giving him or her an opportunity to be alone. Disengaging is a conversation break that doesn’t require the customer to be alone.
Distract
Use this technique with angry customers to shift their attention away from their anger. It’s designed to break the anger cycle. It works like this: direct the customer’s attention to a physical object with words and a gesture, so the customer needs to break eye contact with you. Here’s an example:“If you’ll take a look at the computer screen [swivel monitor and point to a specific spot on the monitor], you’ll see that we have your policy expiration date as November 6.That’s where the problem is.”
Any physical object—brochures, forms, signs—can be used, but the object should have some relevance to the issue being discussed.
Empathy Statements
Empathy statements are used as the primary response to any situation where the customer is upset or frustrated or may get frustrated or angry in the future.They prove to the customer that you understand his or her emotional state and why he or she is feeling that way.You need not agree with why a customer is angry. Just show that you understand.The two things are different.Here are some examples:
■ It seems like you’re pretty upset by the delay.
■ I know it can be frustrating to have to complete these forms.
■ You must have been pretty upset that the product doesn’t work.
Here’s the key to effective empathy statements. Be specific. Name the emotion—anger, frustration, upset—and identify the source of the emotion—the delay, forms, product failure. Avoid general statements like “I see where you’re coming from.”
Expedite
Expedite means “making things go faster.” In other words, give the impression that you’re doing things to speed up whatever process the customer is trying to get done.You can convey this by talking more quickly and emphatically, while clearing away barriers that are slowing down progress toward getting what the customer wants.
Expert Recommendations
Customers don’t always know what they want or need.They may be confused about what to do next. Recent research indicates that customers want customer service people to simplify things for them. Providing expert advice or recommendations about products and/or simplifying things so the customer can efficiently accomplish what he or she wants is invaluable.
Before giving advice or recommendations,it’s always good to ask the customer if he or she would like you to provide it.Here’s a key point. When you give advice or make a product recommendation, explain why you think a specific product or action would be best for the customer. Provide pros and cons and a balanced recommendation,but highlight benefits of products and not just the fancy features or bells and whistles. Keep it simple unless the person shows a desire to have a more complicated explanation.
Explain Reasoning or Actions
It’s easy to assume that a customer will understand why you’re doing something or why you’re saying what you’re saying.That’s a mistake. The customer isn’t going to be familiar with your company, policies,and procedures, or at least not as familiar as you are.
Explain what you’re doing for the customer and why you’re doing it.Customers want to understand what’s going on and can get frustrated or even frightened when they don’t understand. Here’s a simple example: “I’m going to [explain action] so that you’ll be entered in the computer. Then next time you come in things will go much faster.”
Face-Saving Out
Embarrassing or humiliating a customer is always a bad thing, even in situations where the customer has made a stupid mistake or is angry and unpleasant. Providing a face-saving out is a way to avoid embarrassing a customer, blaming a customer, or pointing out a customer error or deficiency.
The best way to explain is through example. Let’s say a customer appears not to understand what an employee has told him, and,even though the employee has given him written material to help him understand, he’s still not getting it.The employee could say, “Well, if you read the material you were given, you would understand.”That has potential to show up the customer, particularly if that person has difficulty reading, which is not uncommon. Instead, the employee can offer a face-saving out as follows: “Perhaps the written material isn’t very clear or I haven’t explained myself well, so let me see if I can talk you through this, since it can get complicated.”This removes the blame component by moving responsibility to the employee, while trying not to point out any reading comprehension problems the customer might have.
Find Agreement Points
When the customer sees you as being “on the same side,”he or she is much less likely to strike out at you. One common technique often used in hostage negotiations to create a sense of “we’re in it together”involves looking for things the customer says with which you can agree. Even expressing agreements on small points, like the weather or other topics unrelated to why you’re talking to the customer, can create a better sense of rapport.
Finish Off/Follow Up
Related to “Arrange Follow-Up,” described earlier in this section, following up or finishing off is the process of getting back to a customer to tie up loose ends, confirm that a problem has been solved, or obtain feedback from the customer.When contacting a customer to follow up, it’s standard to introduce yourself, explain why you’re making the contact, and ask permission to continue or ask if this is a good time. Following up is an extremely important way to show the customer that he or she is valued and his or her opinions and satisfaction matter.
Isolate/Detach Customer
Isolating or detaching the customer is another name for removing the audience effect (when the customer plays to other customers or bystanders) and provides an opportunity for the customer to think more calmly about the situation and how he or she is behaving. The key issue is to provide time for the customer to think and reflect. See “Timeout” for more details.
Level
Level means being honest and forthright without blaming and strong emotion.It’s similar to what some call assertive communication. It may involve expressing your feelings about a customer’s comments in a calm way or pointing out a customer error in a nonblaming way. It’s not a primary customer service technique, except in situations where you have a long-term relationship with a customer that you want to both keep and build. It’s best used with customers you know well and you know will respond positively to open and honest communication. It’s not recommended for customers you don’t know well.
Manage Height Differentials/Nonverbals
This describes a family of actions you can take when a customer is intruding into your personal space or using a height advantage and/or body language to intimidate or put you off balance. If you’re standing and the customer moves into your space, pivot so you’re at a 90-degree angle and not face-to-face. If you are seated and the customer is standing, it’s best to stand. (Get up slowly and calmly.) Often coupled with the distraction technique, the idea is to create a comfort zone for yourself and to move the emphasis from a confrontational position (face-toface) to a more cooperative one.With customers who use height differentials and enter your personal space, it’s better to use these indirect techniques to manage the situation than to make it an issue by verbally focusing on the space issue.
Manage Interpersonal Distance
We all have comfort zones when it comes to our interpersonal space. When a person is too close, it can cause us to feel uncomfortable or even threatened and intimidated. All of those feelings make it more difficult to serve the customer.While customers will sometimes enter your interpersonal space intentionally (that is, get in your face) because they’re angry or frustrated,it may also be unintentional.
Interpersonal space boundaries are both cultural and individual. Some cultures tend to have small interpersonal space, and people get closer when they talk.Within cultures,individuals differ. What may be uncomfortable for you may be comfortable for the other person.
Be that as it may, manage interpersonal distance so you’re comfortable.Be aware of the space boundaries of your customers.
Don’t get too close. If the customer moves backwards or looks away for no apparent reason, you should increase your distance.
If the customer is too close to you,you can use the “90-degree angle” techniques outlined in “Managing Height Differentials/ Nonverbals.” You can increase distance by directing the person’s attention to something (a product or information) that requires the customer to move away from you. Or, of course, you can step away. If you step away, you should do so in a way that sends the message you’re stepping toward something and not away from the client.Walk toward a product you’re pointing to or to pick up a file. It’s a subtle difference.When you seem to be stepping toward something, it seems less obvious to the customer that you’re stepping away from him or her.That’s less likely to make interpersonal distance a focal point of your conversation.
Whenever possible, don’t make an issue of interpersonal space by referring to it directly and verbally.You really don’t want to spend time talking about who is standing where. There are exceptions; for example, when you’re concerned about your physical safety and nothing else works. However, if you do feel physically threatened, your priority would be to extract yourself from the situation immediately.
Not Taking the Bait
One of the simplest techniques, and one of the most important when dealing with an angry customer, “Not Taking the Bait,” means not responding to insults, comments, innuendo, or other angry or abusive comments made by a customer. Typically, you can respond indirectly (using empathy statements). The key thing to understand is that if you focus on or even simply acknowledge a customer’s unpleasant comments, you’re going to spend more time arguing and talking about those comments than you would if you simply ignored them or responded with empathy statements. An essential tactic, “Not Taking the Bait” requires some self-discipline. Remind yourself that the unpleasant customer shouldn’t be allowed to upset you or ruin your day. Don’t lower yourself to the level of an insulting customer.
Offering Choices/Empowering
One of the major reasons customers get upset is that they feel helpless in the face of policies, procedures, red tape, and other things they perceive are beyond their control. You can counter this feeling by offering choices to customers whenever possible. By offering them choices, you also show respect for their wishes and help them exert some positive control over the discussions, how and when they occur,and related issues.Even simple things, like offering someone a choice of coffee or tea, can create rapport and prevent conflict escalation.
Plain Language
It’s easy to forget that our customers don’t necessarily understand the jargon,acronyms, and terms that we use every day and take for granted. Using plain language involves translating our language into language that the customer can understand.
For example,a computer technician might use the termLCD to refer to a liquid crystal display computer monitor with other technicians, but this term may be foreign to most casual computer users.Some will know it,but some will not,so it’s good to anticipate this.The phrase “computer monitor,” is a much more familiar term. In addition, the technician should be prepared to explain even that term in simple language.For example,“the computer monitor is the device that you look at when you use the computer.”In this example, the technician would use the latter explanation only if the customer seemed to not understand “computer monitor,”so as not to insult the customer’s knowledge and intelligence.
Another example: A human resource professional might be comfortable using terms like 401(k), compensation, and spousal benefits, but those terms may not be completely clear to an employee. So, the HR employee could replace 401(k) with company retirement account, compensation with salary, and spousal benefits with medical insurance for your wife and children.The idea is to focus on clarity and simplicity without being patronizing and to remember to communicate for the benefit of the customer, not yourself.
Preemptive Strike
The term preemptive strike is borrowed from the military. In customer service, it means anticipating a problem a customer might have and addressing or acknowledging it before the customer brings it up. For example, if a customer has been waiting a long time, apologize for the wait or use an empathy statement before the person complains to you. This shows you understand and care about the customer’s frustration. By mentioning the problem first, you demonstrate that you understand and are concerned about the customer’s feelings. This technique can go a long way toward preventing interactions from escalating.
Privacy and Confidentiality
Customers are concerned about keeping their business and their conversations private. Be aware that this can be the case even when no personal information is discussed.When dealing with details a customer might want kept between the two of you, make sure you talk in an environment where you can’t be overheard. Make it clear to the customer that you’re taking steps to protect his or her privacy and confidentiality. Here’s a tip: Some customers want to ensure that their information remains private, even if the information is not what most of us would consider personal. Offer reassurance about privacy and confidentiality, even in situations that might not seem to demand it.If there is no private area, simply do your best.
Pros and Cons
Customers see you as more credible or believable when you present both the pros and cons of a product or service in a balanced way. For example, when describing a particular product, it’s much better to include both its strengths and its weaknesses relative to other products, rather than to present only its strengths or only its weaknesses.The same applies when explaining any options a customer might have to choose from. Keep in mind that when you present a one-sided view,the customer will wonder why you’re presenting what may appear to be an unbalanced perspective and will question or suspect your motives.For example, he might think you get a higher commission on one product compared to the other.
Provide Alternatives
Similar to “Offer Choices/Empowering,”this is a simple technique to present alternative products, services, or actions that might apply to the customer’s situation. For example,“You can contact me by phone or e-mail, whichever is more convenient”provides two alternatives to the customer.What’s the difference between offering choices, as described earlier, and offering alternatives? When you offer choices, you usually ask the customer which alternatives he or she wants to pursue. Providing alternatives demonstrates your interest in ensuring that the customer understands his or her options. It’s informational and doesn’t require an answer from the customer.
Provide a Customer Takeaway
“Provide a Customer Takeaway” involves giving something physical to the customer to take away, as a bonus or,more often,so he or she has information that can be referred to after your interaction. For example, you might provide a brochure, product information, a written phone number that a customer needs, or a list of steps for a customer to solve a problem,and/or a case number to refer to if the problem continues.Takeaways can also be brief summaries of a conversation. When you provide a takeaway, you’re not forcing the customer to rely on his or her memory. If you don’t have printed material available, you can jot down notes for the customer to take away.Customers see this as helpful and feel that you are going the extra mile.
Provide Explanations
You may be surprised by the idea that employees tend to take for granted that customers understand what they are saying. It happens all the time.Providing explanations means exactly this: you explain. Here’s an example. A customer wants to return some underwear, but your store does not accept such returns for hygienic reasons.You could assume this is obvious, which would be a mistake,or you could explain the reasoning by talking about why your store has that policy, referencing any laws that might apply or that the policy exists to protect every customer. When you educate a customer, that person usually becomes a better customer, easier to serve, and more loyal.
Question Instead of State
Questions can be used to soften a statement or command. Let’s say a customer has a complaint.You could say,“Go down the hall and speak to our customer service branch.” But that statement sounds harsh, because it’s a command. People don’t like to be ordered around. Instead, use a question to soften the situation: “Were you aware that you can speak to our customer service branch, and they’ll be able to help you?” In effect you’re saying almost exactly the same thing, but the question form comes across as more cooperative and avoids the impression that you’re ordering the customer around.
Refer to Supervisor
There are situations when you can’t help a customer because you lack the authority or information to do so.There are other situations where a customer, usually angry, will respond more politely if he or she can talk with someone perceived as having more status in the organization—a manager or supervisor.We know that when a customer talks with a supervisor or someone else with more status, he or she tends to behave more civilly than with someone seen as having less status.
Whether you can’t help due to lack of authority and information or whether you feel the customer will respond more positively with a supervisor, the techniques used are the same. First, ask or confirm that the customer wants to speak with the supervisor. Second, contact the supervisor and explain the situation to him or her.Normally you would provide the supervisor with the customer’s name, the problem or issue, and the customer’s general state of mind. This step ensures that the supervisor isn’t blindsided, eliminates the need for the customer to explain the entire situation, and allows the supervisor to take control of the interaction when he or she makes contact with the customer.
Finally, the supervisor “connects” with the customer. This might involve the supervisor introducing himself or herself as follows: “Hello, I’m Ms. Jones, and I understand you have some concerns about your billing.” Whether the supervisor initiates contact in person or on the phone, the procedure should be the same.
It’s imperative that you and your supervisor are on the same wavelength for referrals. Some supervisors don’t ever want customers referred to them. Some are willing under certain circumstances, and others are more open.You need to know what your supervisor expects—and the time to find out is not when you have an angry customer waiting. Ask your supervisor when it’s OK to refer customers and how he or she wants the process handled. Then abide by those wishes.
Refer to Third Party
This technique resembles “Refer to Supervisor” except that the person who receives the customer isn’t a supervisor, but someone else in the organization, often a coworker.Third-party referrals are useful when someone else may know more about the subject at hand than you do, or when you believe that someone else,because of his or her personal style or approach,might work more effectively with a specific customer. Referring to a third party can also be used when a supervisor is unavailable.
The process works the same way,except that you present the third party as someone who is expert or knowledgeable, to enhance his or her perceived status. For example: “You might prefer to talk to John Angus. He’s the person who knows the most about [subject of interest to customer].”Again, ensure that you inform the third party about the customer’s situation before he or she interacts with the customer.
Refocus
Refocusing a conversation means bringing it back to the original issue or topic. Let’s say an angry customer has a complaint about a product or service. He talks about the problem, but then sidetracks, making critical remarks about the company or about you personally. Those comments aren’t going to help the customer resolve his concern.Couple an empathy statement with a refocus statement as follows: “I can see you’re angry about the product problem. Let’s get back to what we can do to help you. I can suggest a few things that might work.”Shift the customer’s attention away from his anger and toward something more constructive.
Set Limits
You set limits in situations where a customer is acting in nonconstructive ways. The customer might be raising his or her voice, swearing, or making repeated nuisance phone calls. To help the customer (and keep your sanity), encourage the customer to stop the inappropriate or destructive behavior.There are several parts to setting limits.
The setting limits process uses an “if . . . then”statement.In that statement identify as specifically as possible the behavior you want to stop.You also identify the consequence that will occur if the customer doesn’t stop.It goes like this: “If you don’t stop swearing,then I’m going to have to end this conversation.” Here, the behavior is “swearing”and the consequence is “end this conversation.”
But you aren’t finished yet. The next step is to provide a choice statement. So after the “if . . . then” step, you add,“It’s up to you whether you’d like to continue.”
This step is included because we want the customer to understand that he gets to decide whether to stop swearing and continue the conversation, or continue swearing and end the conversation. By framing it as a choice for the customer, the consequence seems less like punishment and something the employee does to the customer.
Handle the entire process of setting limits and enforcing them calmly, to avoid personalizing the process.
If the customer agrees to the limit, then the conversation can continue. If the customer continues to swear or argue, then the conversation must be terminated. Here’s what you would say on the phone.“I’m going to end this conversation now. You are welcome to call back at some other time.” You include the last sentence to tell the customer that you’ll be glad to help at some other time—provided that he stops swearing. Once you’ve indicated you’re ending the conversation, you’ll do so unless the customer offers a clear apology or commitment to abide by the limit you set.
Before using limits to end interactions, you should be clear about your organization’s policies and wishes regarding what constitutes reasonable grounds for ending an interaction or refusing further service. Also remember that setting and enforcing limits should be a last resort.Use it only after other techniques have failed to encourage the customer to act more constructively.
Some People Think That (Neutral Mode)
“Neutral Mode” is an indirect way to acknowledge something a customer has said without agreeing or disagreeing with it. That’s why it’s called “Neutral Mode.” Because it’s an unusual, novel, or unexpected response, the technique tends to interrupt the flow of anger or emotion and causes the customer to stop and think.This provides the employee with an opening to use other techniques.
This technique has a specific form. If you change it, it doesn’t work as well. It goes like this: “Some people do think that [rephrase what the customer said in a straightforward way].”
Let’s say a customer is going on and on about how inefficient the government is.The employee, wanting to interrupt the flow, or rant, says, “You know, some people do feel that the government isn’t as efficient as it might be.”
Notice that the employee didn’t say “wastes money” or “squanders money” or any other stronger, emotionally laden words. That’s important. Always rephrase in a neutral, unemotional way.
When the technique works, the customer will respond with a short sentence or two, then stop.Then the employee uses other techniques to intervene and get control over the conversation. The two most important techniques to use following a “Neutral Mode” statement are “Empathy Statements” and “Refocus.”
Stop Sign–Nonverbal
Do you need to get an in-person customer to stop and listen? You can use the nonverbal stop sign to indicate you’d like to say something. The technique is simple, but you need to execute it correctly.Hold up your hand toward the customer, with the palm facing half toward the floor and half toward the customer. In other words, your hand should be at about a 45-degree angle. Ensure that you are far enough away from the customer that there will be no risk of physical contact. Keep your hand no higher than the customer’s chest level, not in his or her face.
This technique should not be used with any customer who appears potentially violent. Also, the stop sign should be raised slowly, not abruptly, and it can be coupled with a simple verbal request, such as,“Hold on a sec.”
Suggest an Alternative to Waiting
This technique is an extension of the “Provide Alternatives” technique mentioned earlier.When customers are waiting—let’s say in a doctor’s waiting room—the longer they wait, the angrier they get. One reason is they don’t know what to do. Do they have to stay in the waiting room or if they step out for a moment do they risk losing their places? Can they go somewhere and come back? Is there time to grab a cup of coffee?
If you are in charge of the waiting room, it’s good to explain the reasons for the delay and suggest things customers might do while they wait.Or, indicate they can reschedule if waiting is a problem. A very useful example goes like this:“For those of you with appointments after 3 o’clock, feel free to step out for a coffee break or snack in the restaurant next door. Just be sure to be back within a half-hour of your scheduled appointment and you won’t lose your spot.”
Summarize the Conversation
A simple technique used either in the middle or at the end of a conversation, this involves doing a quick recap of the critical parts of the discussion. Summarize the important details, particularly any specific commitments you and/or your customer have made during the conversation.
Summarizing shows that you’re paying attention, but there’s a more important reason to use it.It’s not uncommon during conversations for both parties to believe that they understand what’s being said in exactly the same way. If misunderstandings aren’t caught, serious problems can arise. Summarizing allows you to confirm with the customer that both you and he or she understand what has been said in the same way.
Summarizing verbally can be accompanied by providing the customer with a takeaway—a written summary of the conversation.
Telephone Silence
It’s sometimes hard to get someone on the phone to be quiet and listen to you, so you can offer help. Some people talk incessantly when they are upset, angry, frustrated, or frightened. One of the best ways to get a customer to stop talking over the phone is to say absolutely nothing.No words.No “Uh-huh.”Nothing.The customer will stop and ask,“Hello, hello, are you there?”and then wait for a response from you. That gives you an opening to use other techniques and get some control over the conversation.
If you have a mute button, that works even better because it blocks out all sounds, including background noise.Do not put a customer on hold in this situation. Putting a customer on hold means you can’t hear him or her or know when the person has stopped talking. You wouldn’t be able to jump into the gap to take some control of the conversation.The mute button lets you hear the customer, but the customer can’t hear you or any background noise.
Thank-Yous
One of the most obvious and simple techniques needs little explanation. Everyone likes to be thanked.Thank people. One tip: Don’t just say, “Thank you.” Be specific. For example, “Thank you for being so patient” or “Thank you for visiting our company.”
Timeout
You might be familiar with timeouts in relation to children who are acting out. The principles are similar for adults: the timeout can provide a cooling-off period for customers who are upset or angry, particularly if their anger is getting in the way of you helping them.Provide some sensible reason why the customer should wait on his or her own for a minute or two, preferably in a locale away from other people.For example, if you were in an office with a customer, you could say, “I need to check to make sure what I’m saying is accurate. Let me do that. It’ll just take a minute.” Then exit, leaving the customer alone.Return in a minute or two.
Most angry customers are regular people who are upset and act aggressively only temporarily. When you give them the chance to think about what they’re doing, they will often apologize to you and act more constructively.
It’s important to keep the timeout short. If it goes past a few minutes, that may provide an additional reason for the customer to escalate the anger. It’s important to understand that timeouts, at least for adults, aren’t punitive.They’re meant to provide time to think.
Use Customer’s Name
Another simple technique requires little explanation. Using the customer’s name personalizes the service you provide and indicates you think the customer is important enough for you to remember his or her name. There’s another advantage: It indirectly suggests that you know who he or she is.Anonymity tends to increase aggression.
It’s sometimes difficult to know how to address a customer. With a woman, do you use Ms., Mrs., or Miss? When do you use a first name? The best way to find out is to ask how a customer would prefer to be addressed.First names are best used with customers you know well. Also, forms of address are cultural.Ask.
Use of Timing with Angry Customers
We’ve included this technique because timing is so important when dealing with angry customers. It’s not a technique as much as something you should be aware of. Angry people are often not ready or even able to think logically or in an organized way. If you try to solve a customer’s problem when he or she isn’t ready, it won’t work.
First, deal with the customer’s feelings using various acknowledgment and empathy techniques. Only when the customer is acting less upset should you move on (refocus) to solve the specific problem.
Here’s a tip: you’ll know you’re problem-solving too early if the customer ignores your attempts and you have to repeat yourself because he or she isn’t hearing you.
Verbal Softeners
People don’t respond well to language that sounds absolute, authoritarian, or harsh.For example,“We never make those kinds of mistakes” is very categorical and likely to antagonize even mild-mannered customers. Here’s another way to put it: “It’s unlikely we’ve made a mistake.” The word “unlikely” is a verbal softener. Other softeners include “perhaps,” “sometimes,” “it’s possible,” and “occasionally.”
Here’s another example for a situation where the employee believes the customer has made a mistake.You could say,“Clearly, you’ve made a mistake.”That would be bad.You could soften the sentence by saying, “Perhaps you’ve misinterpreted something here.”“Perhaps” is the softener, but notice we’ve also replaced the word “mistake” with “misinterpreted,” a less harsh word.
Verbal softeners are valuable tools in helping you appear more cooperative and likable to customers and to prevent conflict.
Voice Tone—Emphatic
You can use an emphatic voice tone to convey that you’re strongly committed to helping the customer. For example, let’s say a customer has been telling you that he’s late for an appointment and is double-parked and needs to be served quickly. You can respond in a laid-back way, but it’s better to respond more emphatically—“I understand, I will get this done for you!” Note the emphasis on “will.” Emphatic voice tones work best when they match the tone and energy that the customer is using.
When Question
The “When Question” is a cousin of “Neutral Mode.” Its function is to force the customer to think, thereby interrupting the flow of angry or aggressive speech aimed at you. It works on the same principle. The “when” question is an unusual or novel question, and it’s closed-ended so it tends to elicit short answers.You want short answers. It has a specific form that goes like this:
“When did you start thinking that [summarize in a neutral way a key point from what the customer said]?”
When this works properly, the customer will respond with a specific time or incident and then stop.That gives you the opening you need so you can use other techniques.
Let’s say the customer accuses you of not caring. He says:“If you gave a damn about me, you’d take care of me properly.”
The employee replies, “When did you start feeling you
weren’t getting the service you wanted?”
The customer answers, “The first time I came in here,” and then stops talking.
The employee uses that opening to empathize and refocus the customer back to the issue and to more constructive behavior.
It’s very important,once again, to not repeat any hot or emotional words the customer uses. For example, it wouldn’t work if the employee said, “When did you start thinking I didn’t give a damn about you?”
You’re Right!
The “You’re Right!” technique is cousin to “Neutral Mode,” the “When Question,” and “Find Agreement Points.” It serves to surprise an angry customer, since the last thing he or she expects in the middle of a rant is for you to say,“You’re right!”You’ll find that emphatic use of this phrase will result in the customer not knowing what to say next. That provides an opening for you to use other techniques.
The “You’re Right!” method is more emphatic than “Find Agreement Points.”