Top 10 Phrases to Avoid in Customer Service
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 22 ส.ค. 2024
- “I’m sorry, that’s not my department.” This has happened to many, if not all of us.
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You have a problem. You call the phone number listed on the company’s website. You wait on hold for what seems much longer than the ten minutes they said you would be holding. You finally get to a customer service rep. You tell your story and the customer service rep responds, “I’m sorry, that’s not my department.” Then you’re transferred to someone else and the “game” of holding and telling your story starts all over again.
This has happened to many, if not all of us. I have good news! Since customer service has become a center of attention for most companies (even though some still don’t get it right), “That’s not my department” is being heard less and less. That said, there are still plenty of other phrases and words we, as customers, hate to hear. Here’s ten more:
“You’re wrong.” Customers hate to be told they’re wrong.
“I wasn’t here when that happened. It’s not my fault.” Customers don’t care whose fault it is, they just want someone to help.
“I’ll get the manager, but he’ll tell you the same thing.” Why don’t we wait and see?
“We’re a little busy now.” What, too busy to take care of your customer?
“The person you need to talk to is on vacation and won’t be back for a week. Call back then.” Customers hate to wait. Why isn’t there someone to cover for a person who everyone probably knew was going to be on vacation?
“We can’t do that.” My dad always said, “Can’t means ‘won’t try.’” Customers want to see you at least make an attempt to help them.
“We won’t do that.” Almost the same as can’t, but more emphatic. Still, make the attempt to find a solution.
“Your call is very important to us. The wait time is 45 minutes.” Apparently, the call is not really that important.
“You’ll have to…” Customers hate being told “you have to…” Find a way to make it easy on them.
“No!” Does anyone like to be told no?
This list is by no means complete. There are plenty of other words and phrases people say that upset customers, cause them to lose confidence, and may ultimately cause them to leave and never come back.
So, here’s a little homework assignment. Share this article with your team, then sit down and talk about which of these phrases might be in your vocabulary - and banish them. Develop better responses. For example, what else could you say instead of “It’s not my department” that won’t upset a customer? True, it may not be your department, but what you say and how you get that customer to the right person will make or break their confidence in you and your company.
Put yourself in the shoes of your customer to determine the best way to respond. A customer-friendly response will comply with a modified Golden Rule: Say unto customers as you would have customer service professionals say unto you.
Shep Hyken is a customer service & experience expert, award-winning keynote speaker and New York Times bestselling business author. For information go to www.hyken.com. For information on The Customer Focus™ customer service training programs go to www.thecustome....
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Sir/Ma'am, you're wrong. I wasn't here when it happened so I'm not at fault. I'll get the manager but they will tell you the same thing. Now, we're a little busy right now, but the person you need to speak to is on vacation, you may have to wait a week. We also can't do that, and we won't do that. I understand, your call is very important to us, but you'll have to call during afterhours and speak to the answering machine.
Have a nice day!
Every company should show this video to their employees
Thanks!
I could be mistaken, I see a lot of what "not" to do, but nothing that educates on better practices when these occasions arise. As in, customers will be wrong, they will have to wait for somebody to come off of vacation, it happens, so what we just.. don't tell them? I feel this video leaves a great deal of info out.
At the hospital I work at we eat A$$ and the customers love it but here the thing. We over book and get behind and people get pissed. Wish we charged more ( we charge alot) so to give more attention to who is left. Like First Class seating.
You must be one of the irate and unreasonable customers that don't understand what really goes on. 🙄
Nobody cares about what goes on internally at your company, that's his point. I know that as an employee you believe the drama and the struggles you have at your office are really important, and they might be to you, but outside your doors, the rest of us just want our problem solved. You need us way more than we need you. It's a lot easier for a customer to find a competitor to do business with than it is for you to find a new customer. Fact.
Wow! It's really nice lesson for good customer service 👌👌👌
Mabey you should teach people that they need to be polite. it's a post pandemic words. The people working are understaffed everywhere.
Not all that helpful..
I was hopeful for some less obvious phrases.
Banks are the best in that for the oast 30 years we hear🤔your call might be recorded for training 🤔every day🤔or they r stealing questions😁