If you work in customer service you would know by now how important words really are! They can literally make or break a deal. What you say has a huge impact on your customers depending upon the context and their state of mind or mood. Even things said with the best intentions can somehow be mis-interpreted if the situation isn’t right.
Did you know that even hearing the word “No” just puts your stress hormones to work and alarms your brain? Similarly, positive communication leaves its impact too! It is powerful and can drastically improve sales. Positive customer service phrases can increase customer delight, boost engagement, and reduce customer attrition. Moreover, working the magic of words is not that difficult and you can follow suite with a few simple tips and tricks. I have listed down the proven ways in which you can inculcate positive communication within your customer service teams.
Start the Conversation Right
Handling various customers in a day can surely take a toll on you. But if you carry forward the bitterness of one conversation to another, it will only do you more harm than good. Customer service is all about putting the customers first and you need to start every conversation with the same enthusiasm. When you start talking with the right frame of mind, you easily steer clear of any communication hurdles.
You will feel that communicating with positive words will naturally follow. So, when you begin your conversation on live chat or call, introduce yourself and ask the customer for their name. Use solution building lingo which shows that you are here to help. For instance, you can say things like “Hi, my name is X. How can I help you?”; Hi Y! Great to meet you. How may I assist you?; Good morning! What can I do for you today?
What you don’t want to say to your customers is along the lines of: “What is wrong?”; “Are you not happy with our product?”; “What is your problem? These words would just reinforce the bad experience that the customer may be having. So while talking with your customers, look out for any positive thing that the customer is saying. When customers are highlighting the good part while telling their complaint you can respond positively to it. It is a great way of forming connections with them. No matter how the query resolution goes, always end the conversation on a happy note. The quality of your conversations will reflect your exceptional customer service. Click To Tweet
Acknowledge Customer Concerns
When customers are explaining their problems, it’s important to rephrase the question to them before taking any action. This makes them feel heard and understood. Confirming the concern from your end also makes sure that you take accurate follow up steps. It is necessary because not all customers are used to chatting online. However, you certainly have to know when to use this technique because if misused it can be offensive to your customers. For instance, if a customer exclaims something vague like “I want my order”. You can respond with.
“Thanks for contacting [Brand Name]! Can you tell me your order number so that I can check the delivery status for you? Just to be clear, you have placed an order with us and wish to know its delivery status, is that right?”
These answers help because they take the customer’s vague dialogue and derive meaning out of it. Moreover, you are also summarizing the customer’s statement whereby you get to justify your interpretation. This is a great way of including positive communication in your customer service efforts. In general, you should avoid responding with something like this:
“Do you have a problem with shipping?”; “I can’t understand what you said, can you be clear please?; “I am not able to get you, please rephrase the question?”; “Do you mean we failed to meet your expectations?”
Bid Adieu to Negative Words
Including positive customer service words in your chat script is crucial. And so is eliminating the negative words! At times when you use negative words even with utmost empathy, it can still come off as though you pity the customer. And let’s be honest! It’s not a great feeling to have. Imagine how you would feel if someone said this to you:
Ah! That’s bad!
You don’t deserve that at all!
Terrible to hear that!
We are sorry for the bad service!
It must be feeling pathetic right now!
While you might have a noble intention, the negative words can make customers feel helpless and self-loathed. Remember that you want them to feel that they can rely on you. And that you do have a solution for their problems. The negative words can make them go into a downward spiral and they might not feel great about your brand. Analyse your customer service script and proactively prune any negative words and phrases. The Perfect phrases for customer service are sans any unpleasant terms.
However, at times you have to say no to customers due to practical reasons. For instance, when a customer insists you to process a refund months after your two-weak policy is over. So how do you react to such questions? You can always respond with the following answers.
I would love to assist you, but (the reason why you can’t help them). Here is what I can do instead (followed by support you can provide). Words like “unfortunately” and “but” can work well here. Even though they aren’t entirely positive, they do direct the conversation in a promising direction.
Exude Confidence in Your Interactions
We all know how crippling it can feel to run into questions we don’t have answers of. It may happen that we come to a point where we don’t know what to do next. It could be because of lack of information or experience in that particular problem. Whenever you face such a situation you can use the following phrases to show that you have it all under control.
- Calm the customer by telling them:
Let me take care of this for you….
Be assured that you will get the right support….
I understand how it might feel like….
- Response when feeling doubtful:
Give me a moment please.
I will find that for you in a moment.
Let’s forward you to our specialist for your concern.
- To exude professionalism:
Thank you so much for bringing that to our attention!
We would love to help you with that.
Thanks for your patience, allow me to assist you.
You may not always know everything, but you certainly know more than the customer. Embrace your role of a customer service agent and use the right phrases and words to display your confident conduct.
Final Take
Positive communication can transform the entire customer experience! You can implement it in various situations to deliver consistent customer service. Follow the aforementioned tips and convey solutions to concerns seamlessly. Frame your telephonic conversations and chat scripts to create happy experiences so that customers can recommend you for many years to come.
Incorporate positive communication with Hybrid.Chat chatbots and automate all conversations. Connect with us today!
