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Customer Service Training Archive

How Many Times Should I Apologize?

Monday, February 14th, 2011

Angry customers expect apologies, right?  Certainly, at least one time.  Many agents apologize three, four and five times on a call.

So what is the best way to handle this?

The best way to handle an apology is to provide the client with a single, genuine apology.   Well I do apologize for your frustration, is not genuine.   Mr. Jackson, I am really sorry that happened to you, is a genuine apology.

Next, apologize specifically.   I­m really sorry that you had to wait on hold so long, will tell this client that you truly understand his/her grief.  After that, do not apologize again.  Multiple apologies will frustrate a large percentage of customers and remind them of the original problem.

Apologize genuinely and only once, and your customers will calm down and start having a real dialogue with you.

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Your Voice Determines How Every Call is Going to Go

Friday, March 12th, 2010

If you are an agent, you are probably thinking,  Maybe my voice makes a small difference, but it doesn­t determine how every call is going to go. Your voice has more power than you think. It is true that some callers are going to be upset when they dial in. Some callers are going to be friendly. Your voice will impact both of those calls, and every other one you take today.

Your voice can either express that you are interested in hearing what the client has to say, or it can tell the client,  Let­s get this over with. What­s your problem? It is up to you. If a client is upset at the start, a friendly voice will not change that, but it will begin to calm the client down. As you shift to a more empathetic voice, most clients will have relaxed quite a bit more. As your voice shifts to proactive and confident ( Let­s take care of this for you right now, Mr. Jackson) you will have a calm client who is on the verge of being another satisfied customer.

Never forget how much influence your voice has on a call. They cannot see you. If they could, your voice would lose up to 70% of its power. On the phone, a client has only your voice and its vocal variety.

Here are three quick tips for improving your voice before your very next call. Read More »

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Proactive Statements Calm Angry Callers

Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010

Success in customer service is contingent on two areas, competence and care . A service associate must be proficient at processing customer requests and at expressing a natural sense of care and compassion for the caller’s situation. Studies show that most buyers switch companies due to a lack of interest from the current vendor when they are on the phone. Far fewer customers leave their current vendors when they have been handled well. We realize that being handled “well” is far short of a raving fan or having your socks knocked off by service quality, but it really is enough to maintain your customer base.

There is no substitute for well-trained, competent service associates. We will focus on competencies in an upcoming newsletter. Many callers, however, leave the phone incensed, even when their problems were resolved. This is due to a general lack of caring by the telephone associate. Read More »

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