Talking to customers on the phone is not the same as talking to them in person. People tend to pick up the phone and talk in the same manner they would if someone were standing in front of them. The trouble is, over the phone customers can’t see your facial expressions, body language, gestures or even how busy you are. In general people are much more forgiving in person than they are over the phone. When people talk on the phone all they have is the tone of the other person’s voice to interpret the emotion behind what is being said. It’s SO easy for misunderstandings to happen! The one thing you should always do when you answer the phone, no matter how your day is going is SMILE! Callers can hear the smile in your voice. It’s the simplest way to set the tone of your call and get your customer talking. That being said, there are some things you should never say while talking on the phone with customers. Ban these phrases from your conversations immediately!
No Problem – I hear people say this all the time, and I know they mean yes. But ‘no problem’ still implies that the customer is creating a problem. Instead try ‘I’d be happy to’ ‘My pleasure’ or simply ‘Yes’.
Are you sure – Customers are often wrong. So what! Calling them on it will only make a bad situation worse. Saying something like this is better. ‘Can you walk me through that one more time so we can take care of what went wrong?’
No – Why would you ever just shut a customer down like that? Now they are on the defensive, and you have to win them back. Instead, keep things in a positive light. Say ‘That’s a really interesting question. What I can do is…’
Can you hold please – A little finesse please! Just because you said please doesn’t mean you’ve asked nicely. Rephrase your request to ‘Are you able to hold for a moment’?
You HAVE to – Your customer doesn’t have to do anything! Think about it, when someone tells you to do something it makes you want to dig in your heels and rebel. Oddly the phrase ‘What you’ll need to do’ is much more palatable.
I don’t know – Stating the fact that you don’t know isn’t helpful. If you don’t know the answer to your customer’s question, state ‘that’s a really good question: Let me check and find out.’ Then spring into action.
Just calm down – Is there ever a situation where this phrase actually works? In fact, I can’t recall a customer ever thanking a service rep for pointing out the fact that they’re acting like a raving lunatic. Telling someone to calm down is a sure-fire way to take them from merely ticked off to absolutely irate. Just let them vent, then solve their issue. If they want to talk to somebody else that’s fine, but never tell them to calm down.