Customer satisfaction matters to every business. While receptionists are dealing with customers, often they might come across customers that are having trouble with your products or services. It is of prime importance for the call agents to acknowledge the customers’ concerns and reassure them about fixing the problem. Customers are already frustrated by the caused problem; it will chase them away if the call agents fail to cooperate. We have a list of examples that can help agents start the conversation right:
- “I realize that this situation is tough, but let us try and find a solution.”: This is a statement that acknowledges the customer’s concern without indulging personally and giving them a sense of surety.
- “In your situation, I would feel the same, but we will solve this…”: If you are looking for something that turns negative to positive, this statement is your best option. It expresses concern for the problem on a personal level.
- “I apologize you are having this problem. Let’s see if there is anything we can do to help the situation.”: Saying sorry might sound synthetic and dishonest sometimes, however, when the agent uses “I’m sorry” instead of “we’re sorry”, it appears as the agent has taken personal responsibility for the issue.
Here is a guide on how to handle customers and reassure them while experiencing problems:
Start off with Personal Recognition:
Customers might be unprepared to hear that the call advisor understands how they are feeling. However, personal cognizance of the problem can reassure the customers and they feel like you have taken the responsibility for the issue. It is vital to use the pronoun “I” rather than the company “we”. This helps the customer build a perception of being helped from inside and being recognized personally.
Finish off with a Sense of “We”:
Although using the pronoun “I” helps in recognition of the problem by the advisor, it is important to close the conversation with a sense of teamwork and inclusion of the customer as well. To let customers feel included instead of left out, give them a notion of teamwork by using “we”. Keep in mind that this “we” refers to the teamwork between the agent and the customer.
Establish a Sense of Action:
While recognition of the issue might calm the customer down it will mean zilch if there is no course of action shown afterward. Agents are required to mention a course of action for the customers to assure them about having a solution. Create a sense of haste by guiding them through the process, it helps the customers realize their problems are being addressed and prioritized.
Authenticity is Must:
Repeating phrases without the slightest of concern can backfire sometimes. The vitality of being genuine while interacting with the customers cannot be taken lightly.
For instance, if a scheduled delivery for a disabled person is late and the agent states that they know how the customer feels, it can come off as offensive and inappropriate. Remembering and using the aforementioned sentences and phrases word to word might prove tiresome and inauthentic. The right course of action is to take the gist of the sentence and generate one that has a similar tone and reassures the customers.
