“Bad advice”: How to lose a customer or the 7 best farewell phrases
According to the Customers 2020 report , by 2020, customer experience will be a key factor in choosing a product in the B2B sector and bypass quality. Competent service allows you to transmit corporate values and increase customer loyalty. In some companies, the whole culture is built on this. For example, Jeff Bezos, head of Amazon, requires his employees and himself to devote at least two days to work in a call center annually in order to become closer to the client.
However, as Warren Buffett used to say , “it will take 20 years to build a reputation, and 5 minutes is enough to destroy it.” Therefore, in this article we have collected 7 dangerous phrases of the technical support department employees, as well as scenarios of correct behavior in difficult situations.
/ Flickr / CWCS Managed Hosting / CC
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The worst variation of this formulation can only be: "Actually, I should not waste time on this question." The client should not be aware of the difficulties encountered by the employee. Most likely, such a direct approach will disappoint the person, and he will have the impression of a general lack of information in the company.
In order to report the transfer of a call to another employee, experts advise first of all to ask permission for this, call their colleague by name and politely explain the reason for transfer - the best argument is the high qualification of another employee.
After that, it is important to prepare a colleague to take the call, informing him of the client’s problem. By warning the applicant that he will not have to explain again, apologizing for the inconvenience and finding out if there are still questions left, you can forward the call. This will give the client to understand that you are personally concerned about his situation.
There is also a reverse situation - for some reason the client can ask the client to switch him to the administration or to another department. It is likely that the employee, for fear of the management or because of his own confidence, decides to detain the applicant and try to explain his view of the problem to him. The result of such intransigence may be the loss of a client.
If the employee is confident that he should solve the problem, he should tactfully explain that the situation is directly within his competence, and he is ready to answer all additional questions: “I am here to help you. Could you tell me more about your problem? ”Perhaps a different wording or additional facts will help find the right approach, but if for some reason the client thinks that this is not enough, you should fulfill his initial request and transfer the call.
You cannot send a client to re-read the contract and license agreements. If the relationship between the consumer and the company is enshrined in the signature, this does not mean that the client has learned by heart the policy of using the product or at least freely guided it.
The customer service department is obliged to find solutions regardless of whether they are described in the instruction manual or not. When dealing with a typical problem, the employee should help the client, and after that, having made sure there are no additional questions, tactfully report that this and other problems are described in the manual or FAQ.
A service department employee may one day encounter a customer who knows more or makes this look. Of course, this can lead to distraction, therefore the first point to resolve this situation is to control oneself. If the client shows his awareness in every way, directly states that he is more competent than the employee, and gives instructions on how to do business, psychologists advise him to recognize his readiness - “It's nice to hear what you know about it” - perhaps this is what he is missing .
Honesty and professionalism can compensate for the lack of knowledge, so you can carefully recognize your mistake, thanking for the opportunity to further explore the issue. It is also important to promise to take into account all the recommendations for improving the service. If an employee is faced with a question for which he does not have an answer, he should not say “I do not know,” but promise to clarify the information and fix the problem as quickly as possible.
/ Flickr / HA0476-025 / CC
A situation may arise when the applicant will be indignant and demand a decision, and the employee will adhere to the concept of “the best defense is attack”. Of course, this is fundamentally the wrong reaction, because the client should never feel wrong.
In such a situation, a sensitive approach is recommended. The client should get the impression that the mistake made by him is a common occurrence. To smooth the corners, you can use the following wording: “We are very grateful that you have drawn attention to this issue. The problem seems to be related to [an explanation of the situation], which I myself got into. There is good news: I have already solved the problem. Hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions. ”
It may happen that the client intentionally tries to avoid the consequences of his mistake, using the inability of the employee to refuse him. For example, a customer tries to return a product after the time allowed for it to return. He asks to solve the problem, although in fact he created it himself.
If the rules of the company do not provide for concessions in this matter, instead of focusing on the client’s error, shift the focus to an attempt to help him: “I understand your situation. I spoke with my supervisor about your problem. I am very sorry, but the rules of our company do not provide for work in this direction. However, we can offer you the next option ... ".
This answer raises a whole layer of problems associated with negative wording, detrimental to reputation. The authors of the book “ Effortless Experience ” argue that people from childhood do not endure the word “no” from the mouth of a parent and react to it in three ways: they turn to the other parent, accept such an answer or make a tantrum. None of these options is a good scenario for the development of the dialogue with the client, to the request of which the employee is forced to respond negatively.
Therefore, you should switch to positive wording. Instead of “No, this feature is available only to premium account holders”, you can say: “Of course, you can do this as soon as you become the owner of a premium account.” Although the essence of the two phrases is not different, they are perceived differently. The next step is to find a suitable solution. Instead of “No, we do not offer such an option” we should say: “While we are not ready to offer such an option, but we have something that can interest you”.
Is it possible that a client who contacts the support service does not have a basic understanding of the technology and he calls again and again? Of course. To help a person in such a situation, you need endurance, but in no case should you leave him. Alternative ways to achieve a specific goal should be provided. Sometimes you can come up with a simple example to explain the procedure: “You can create a second account in our client in the same way as in Skype”.
If the client prefers a step-by-step explanation, you need to follow with him on each item, while clearly articulating instructions and avoiding technical terms. In fact, almost every question has a solution, it is important to reassure the client and not question this fact: “If it does not work out, do not worry, we will definitely find a way to solve your problem.”
PS And here are some more materials on the topic from our blog "IT Guild":
However, as Warren Buffett used to say , “it will take 20 years to build a reputation, and 5 minutes is enough to destroy it.” Therefore, in this article we have collected 7 dangerous phrases of the technical support department employees, as well as scenarios of correct behavior in difficult situations.
/ Flickr / CWCS Managed Hosting / CC')
1. "Now I will switch you to Igor - he understands this"
The worst variation of this formulation can only be: "Actually, I should not waste time on this question." The client should not be aware of the difficulties encountered by the employee. Most likely, such a direct approach will disappoint the person, and he will have the impression of a general lack of information in the company.
In order to report the transfer of a call to another employee, experts advise first of all to ask permission for this, call their colleague by name and politely explain the reason for transfer - the best argument is the high qualification of another employee.
After that, it is important to prepare a colleague to take the call, informing him of the client’s problem. By warning the applicant that he will not have to explain again, apologizing for the inconvenience and finding out if there are still questions left, you can forward the call. This will give the client to understand that you are personally concerned about his situation.
2. “You see, my boss will tell you the same thing.”
There is also a reverse situation - for some reason the client can ask the client to switch him to the administration or to another department. It is likely that the employee, for fear of the management or because of his own confidence, decides to detain the applicant and try to explain his view of the problem to him. The result of such intransigence may be the loss of a client.
If the employee is confident that he should solve the problem, he should tactfully explain that the situation is directly within his competence, and he is ready to answer all additional questions: “I am here to help you. Could you tell me more about your problem? ”Perhaps a different wording or additional facts will help find the right approach, but if for some reason the client thinks that this is not enough, you should fulfill his initial request and transfer the call.
3. "This is described in paragraph 74.2 of the manual."
You cannot send a client to re-read the contract and license agreements. If the relationship between the consumer and the company is enshrined in the signature, this does not mean that the client has learned by heart the policy of using the product or at least freely guided it.
The customer service department is obliged to find solutions regardless of whether they are described in the instruction manual or not. When dealing with a typical problem, the employee should help the client, and after that, having made sure there are no additional questions, tactfully report that this and other problems are described in the manual or FAQ.
4. “If you all know, why call at all?”
A service department employee may one day encounter a customer who knows more or makes this look. Of course, this can lead to distraction, therefore the first point to resolve this situation is to control oneself. If the client shows his awareness in every way, directly states that he is more competent than the employee, and gives instructions on how to do business, psychologists advise him to recognize his readiness - “It's nice to hear what you know about it” - perhaps this is what he is missing .
Honesty and professionalism can compensate for the lack of knowledge, so you can carefully recognize your mistake, thanking for the opportunity to further explore the issue. It is also important to promise to take into account all the recommendations for improving the service. If an employee is faced with a question for which he does not have an answer, he should not say “I do not know,” but promise to clarify the information and fix the problem as quickly as possible.
5. "Or maybe the problem is in you?"
/ Flickr / HA0476-025 / CCA situation may arise when the applicant will be indignant and demand a decision, and the employee will adhere to the concept of “the best defense is attack”. Of course, this is fundamentally the wrong reaction, because the client should never feel wrong.
In such a situation, a sensitive approach is recommended. The client should get the impression that the mistake made by him is a common occurrence. To smooth the corners, you can use the following wording: “We are very grateful that you have drawn attention to this issue. The problem seems to be related to [an explanation of the situation], which I myself got into. There is good news: I have already solved the problem. Hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any further questions. ”
It may happen that the client intentionally tries to avoid the consequences of his mistake, using the inability of the employee to refuse him. For example, a customer tries to return a product after the time allowed for it to return. He asks to solve the problem, although in fact he created it himself.
If the rules of the company do not provide for concessions in this matter, instead of focusing on the client’s error, shift the focus to an attempt to help him: “I understand your situation. I spoke with my supervisor about your problem. I am very sorry, but the rules of our company do not provide for work in this direction. However, we can offer you the next option ... ".
6. “No, this is impossible”
This answer raises a whole layer of problems associated with negative wording, detrimental to reputation. The authors of the book “ Effortless Experience ” argue that people from childhood do not endure the word “no” from the mouth of a parent and react to it in three ways: they turn to the other parent, accept such an answer or make a tantrum. None of these options is a good scenario for the development of the dialogue with the client, to the request of which the employee is forced to respond negatively.
Therefore, you should switch to positive wording. Instead of “No, this feature is available only to premium account holders”, you can say: “Of course, you can do this as soon as you become the owner of a premium account.” Although the essence of the two phrases is not different, they are perceived differently. The next step is to find a suitable solution. Instead of “No, we do not offer such an option” we should say: “While we are not ready to offer such an option, but we have something that can interest you”.
7. “I'm afraid you won't understand”
Is it possible that a client who contacts the support service does not have a basic understanding of the technology and he calls again and again? Of course. To help a person in such a situation, you need endurance, but in no case should you leave him. Alternative ways to achieve a specific goal should be provided. Sometimes you can come up with a simple example to explain the procedure: “You can create a second account in our client in the same way as in Skype”.
If the client prefers a step-by-step explanation, you need to follow with him on each item, while clearly articulating instructions and avoiding technical terms. In fact, almost every question has a solution, it is important to reassure the client and not question this fact: “If it does not work out, do not worry, we will definitely find a way to solve your problem.”
PS And here are some more materials on the topic from our blog "IT Guild":
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/334594/
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