If you sell a great product at a reasonable price, but your sales still aren’t where you want them to be, it may be time for a customer service department professional development. If you can turn irritated or even angry customers into your biggest fans, you may reach your sales goals without having to lower prices. Better yet, you can avoid having to spend time on online review management from when angry customers bash your business online.
Communicate Clearly
One of the biggest complaints customers have about big companies is that it’s difficult to understand the people they talk to when they call for help. When hiring customer service representatives for scheduling appointments New Milford CT or to give pricing over the phone, it’s important to look for applicants with clear, precise language skills. During training, emphasize that everyone must speak slowly and clearly over the phone. The employees may have said the words hundreds of times, but it will most likely be new information for customers.
Don’t Fake Empathy
It’s usually pretty obvious when a customer service representative is reading from a script that requires them to act empathetically. Instead of just saying hollow words, ask your reps to really put themselves in your customers’ shoes. They may have never been through the exact problem, but everyone has dealt with frustrating situations before. Real sympathy for a difficult time is better than fake empathy.
Be Patient
One of the strongest ways to get control of a situation with an upset customer is to really listen to his or her complaint. Reflect back on what you’ve heard to make sure you understand the situation completely. Take notes so that if the customer must deal with a different representative next time, he or she won’t have to start the story over again from scratch. Be patient with customers’ irritation. It’s most likely not directed towards you specifically but rather towards their situation.
Being a customer service representative is an especially important job. The employees in that department can change a potential scathing review to a glowing one and gain a life-long supporter of your company.
