Customer service agents often make certain statements and say things, either out of ignorance or out of negligence, that leave the customers unvalued and angry. Effective training of the call center agents is essential when it comes to increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty. Ongoing coaching on “what to say” and more importantly “what not to say” when a customer calls, is really critical. By replacing displeasing phrases with professional and positive words, one can improve customer experience to a considerable degree.
Below, I have listed out 15 phrases that a customer service representative must avoid when having a conversation with a customer:
We Prioritize You
It is not possible to prioritize each and every customer as a call center receives thousands of calls each day. Your customers know that an agent is saying this just to make them feel good. So, I would recommend not to tell your customers about priorities. Instead, simply furnish details on when their issues are going to get resolved.
Please Hold for a Moment
Nobody likes to wait. It’s better to be specific and direct and say “Please hold for a minute so that I can speak with my supervisor and get back to you with an answer”. The process is surely going to be lengthy but very much satisfying for your already frustrated customer.
That’s our Policy
This indeed communicates that you are completely insensible to the value of customer retention. The primary purpose of using this phrase is to close the conversation. The truth is that a company’s internal policies have nothing to do with your customer’s expectations. Companies should learn to go beyond that extra mile to serve their customers and build customer loyalty.
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There’s Nothing I Can Do
Never say this to your customer after discussing the matter for long and wasting their valuable time. Make sure that your customer service team focuses on problem-solving rather than diverting it. Give your reps the freedom to be creative and find alternatives or innovative solutions to attend to the requirements of the customers in a better way.
Just go to our Website
This is just another way of saying “I can’t help you”. In fact, you need to assume that the customer has visited the website before giving you a call, as it is a faster way to find the answer to a query. Instead of making your customers search around the website, email them the link which would take them directly to the right page.
That’s the Manufacturer’s Responsibility
This would indicate that you are happy to extract your customer’s money while selling a product but not willing to assist them in a crisis. As your customers do not have a first-hand relationship with your partner or supplier, it becomes your responsibility to fix their problems because you took the money from them.
I don’t Know
This phrase does not help your customer at all and showcases that your employees are not knowledgeable. Train your staff such that they are equipped to tackle with almost every customer query that comes their way. And when they really don’t know an answer, teach them to say “I’ll find out the answer for you”.
That’s not my Department
The customers are not bothered about whose job it is to solve the problem, they want nothing but to get their problem solved. Being not able to resolve the customer’s request does not make you free and be out of trouble. Instead, let your customer know what will be done to handle the transactions and mention a time frame for when the solution will be put into action.
You will have to speak with…Can I transfer your call?
One of the top reasons for customer dissatisfaction is that they are constantly transferred to different people and they need to explain their problems again and again. In place of this, educate anyone answering the call to be able to respond to 90% of the customer’s concerns. And for the rest 10%, record their name and contact details and get back to them in some time.
I don’t set the Company Policy
Customers don’t differentiate between departments and levels, they treat everyone representing the company as one entity. As an alternative to using this phrase, say “Although this is our company policy, let me see if I can work something out for you.
You did that Wrong
Customers very often do things a wrong way and it can be really frustrating for the customer service agents. It is imperative to instruct the agents that what seems obvious to them may not be as apparent to customers as they are not thinking about your product all day long(especially in case of a technical product). Instead, encourage the customers to walk you through what they have been trying and then make an effort to teach the right method slowly and step-by-step.
Can you please give me your info again?
Having to repeat the details all over again would definitely annoy your customer to a great extent. Always ensure that you save the information in your CRM system when told first so that you don’t need to ask more than once.
Sorry
To be honest, most support people aren’t genuinely sorry for things. So, avoid inauthentic apologies as the customer is smart enough to recognize a fake sorry and can get more infuriated. Instead, focus on offering fast and effective solutions.
I’ll have Mr.X call you back in 5 minutes
Do not make promises that you can’t keep. Unless you are completely sure and positive that the other person will call the customer in 5 minutes, never offer a specific time to the customer.
Thank you for your Feedback
This sometimes sounds very robotic and insincere as almost every rep is using this phrase after the end of a conversation. In place of this, encourage the agents to thank the customers in their own way that sounds authentic.
