I recently had issues with my web hosting provider. It wasn't the first time I dealt with the customer support staff and I seriously doubt it will be the last. Over the course of several support requests (over a period of months), I noticed some things that should be taught to customer support staff concerning customer service, but apparently isn't: How to properly respond to customers.
I have a lot of experience in people management, both in the military and after retiring. I don't have a lot of customer service experience; I've been an observer most of the time. Most of my observations occurred at a telemarketing and collections company.
It's Your Fault
When someone from customer service says something to a customer that translates into "it's your fault", it's something the customer doesn't want to hear. It doesn't matter if it's on the telephone or by email, it has the same effect.
Instead of pointing the blame at the customer, the customer service representative should try to project empathy. How is this accomplished? By asking questions. Is there something the customer did or didn't do to cause the problem? What avenues did the customer take before contacting customer service? By asking the customer questions, the customer doesn't feel like he or she is being blamed for anything.
It's Their Fault
Telling a customer that the blame is with someone else is almost as bad as telling the customer that he or she is to blame. Being responsive to questions and offering solutions is the best way to gain the confidence of the customer.
Instead of pointing the blame at someone else, a customer service representative can gain the confidence of the customer by offering to find solutions to the problem. This applies even if they can't do anything about it all. Offering to contact a third party on behalf of the customer is a sure-fire way of pleasing him or her.
It's Not Our Fault
Accepting responsibility, even when not responsible, will earn a billion points with the customer. Accepting responsibility doesn't mean the customer service representative is to blame or is accepting blame. It simply means the customer service representative is willing to listen.
By avoiding anything that translates into "it's not our fault", the customer service representative is in effect accepting responsibility as far as the customer is concerned.
The Art of Speaking
Yes, speaking is an art form. How a customer representative speaks is almost as important as what he or she is speaking about. Customer service representatives should avoid saying (or writing) anything that translates to anything but: It's our fault. What can we do to help you?
The Art of Listening
All customers want to be heard when they have problems. Customers will always be frustrated if it seems that no one is listening. They're doubly frustrated when dealing with customer service representatives because customer service representatives are supposed to be trained to deal with their specific problems.
Many times, customer problems are extremely minor and all they really want is for someone to listen to them. Unfortunately, many customer service representatives spend so much time talking that they never hear what customer wants them to hear.
What Customer Service is All About
The most annoying thing a customer will deal with is the one thing that customer service representatives should avoid: Scripts. Anything automated or read from a script tells a customer, even if only subconsciously, that the representative is nothing more than a robot.
If you're thinking of filling a customer service position, do you really want to be perceived as a robot? Wouldn't it be much nicer to be perceived as a human being, a human being who's there to help the customers?
Customer service means exactly that: Service to the customer. Anything that falls short of providing service to the customer isn't worthy of being called customer service in the first place.
(Image Source: BBC News: Lunch Lesson Four - Customer service)
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