Customer Service: What NOT to Say to the Customer
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 skills or 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. Good customer service may not be a good way to attract customers, but it will probably be a good way to retain them.
(Image Source: BBC News: Lunch Lesson Four – Customer service)
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Freakin fantastic article. Comcast needs to take lessons. They were out trying to fix my internet for 2 weeks and they had us unplug and replug in our router like a million times. If it didn't work the first time, it's not gonna work now. Stupid pricks.
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Fantastic observation. I fail to see how Comcast stays in business with such shitty service to all its customers. However, I suppose McDonald's is the same way…
I think that you'll find that most companies don't have a customer service department, as they aren't in the business of helping the customer – except to open their wallet.
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Every customer service worker should read this post. If I was treated this way in all of my customer service experiences, I would be a happy man. Great tips!
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There is nothing worse than being treated shabbily by a customer service person. Good points we should remember if we want to be successful in business.
Having spent a few years working on the front lines at a T-Mobile call center and a couple of years at other customer service jobs I can say that 95% of the time it is the customer's fault.
I can also say that a golden rule of customer service is to NEVER EVER let them know it is their fault. People are terribly sensitive especially when it comes to their abilities to understand/do something.
What about the other 5% of the time? Inept technicians, company error, etc.
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Exactly. They don't want to hear it. If they do, their emotions alone can send them to the competition.
I work in customer service every day of my life. And my 2 cents is this. Even if it completely 100% the customer's fault that causes the problem, I at least try to make the customer think I'm trying to help them. Even if I know there's nothing that can be done. It's not to mislead them. It just makes them feel like I actually care and I'm not just trying to get them off the line.
It sucks when CSR's don't even try.
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I have been involved in customer service before and actually right now as well. Being nice to customers and treating them well has proven itself to me time and time again. Not only is it the right thing to do, but it encourages repeat business and referals.
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I couldn't agree more. You can never blame the customer, even if its 100% their fault, you will lose a customer so fast. That doesn't mean you have to take the blame, but using the proper words to work through the problem can be the difference between money, and every business owner loves money.
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I agree with all points you made specially "Its Your Fault" If someone says that to me I'll beat that guy.
I find you have to press your case, and get it pushed higher up the command-chain. After 10 years on the 'net, _I'm_ usually right, and I find I have to get past the front-line Indian tech-support to get a problem resolved.
BUT, I don't mind. I'm paying very little for my very good webhosting, so I don't expect genius-level support.
Thanks for this great article. It makes me even more enthusiastic about my work. I am a trainer on a mission. My mission is to help companies and CSRs realize the great amount of power they have to build right relationship with customers. You are right on: it's about the experience; not just the outcome. And you should be treated politely and respectfully every time. Afterall you are gifting the company with your feedback! Because I feel "called" to do this work, my customer service sessions involve training on empathy, truly listening, managing your stress, going the extra mile and … get this one "Service with HEART!. Every day I am more convinced there is such a need for CSRs and managers to really "get" this.
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This article should be made mandatory reading for every customer service professional! They wouldn't need any other training. Honestly.
I totally agree with you. Companies spend so much on Customer Service these days and look what their training gets them.
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I feel you should take up tutorials for this. Customer Service has become the biggest bane in today's world.
I see several comments about the customer usually actually being the cause of the problem. Maybe this is the case in some industries. As far as web hosting and "high speed" internet, I beg to differ.
My experience has been huge promises to suck me in, then crappy service, slow speeds and servers that are "unavailable". And I guess the customer service is okay, if you can get ahold of any of these jokers. None of them answer email, and phoning them gets a person with no technical understanding of the problem.
Can you believe I'm in a campground, using free wi fi from a hotel more than 350 yards from my camper, and it is at least twice as fast (if not three times as fast) as the "high speed" satellite internet I pay $100 per month for at home? Customer service tells me everything is great, though.
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Excellent article.
At our company, because it's a small custom t-shirt factory, the customer service you get is always from someone with more responsibility than mere customer service. So we can do more than talk and pass messages along – meaning if a customer has a problem, it get's handled.
Larger companies that give us our customer service experience are a different story. Often the customer service is outsourced and paid so modestly – you the client are the 'enemy' out to harass them with your 'stupidity' and 'arrogance'. No, I don't know this for a fact, is just an educated guess given my customer service experience.
The problem is finding customer service that actually wants to help you. If you have that, the rest more or less takes care of itself.
I just wish most companies would adopt the advice you've given in this post. Sometimes those customer support agents with large companies can be quite rude and un-cooperative. I would have thought companies would wisen up to the fact how much their level of support can brand their name, but obviously not.
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Have had a recent run in with a telecom company. Want to make their employees read this article.
It's all in what you say and how you say it. Great observations, RT. All CSR People should read this.
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You are so right. The first lesson in customer service should be to BUILD RAPPORT. If you do not build rapport with the customer, they will not feel connected to you and they will not enjoy the conversation. In fact, they'll assosiate their discontent with YOU (the rep) to the company that you work for. That is a bad outcome.
I teach the same skill to parents when dealing with toddlers. It's the exact same principle and it applies to any human relationship.
RIGHT on the spot with this Customer Service article. I think my least favorite company (ahem, rhymes with Tee-Mobile) must have read this article and decided to go the complete opposite way with it. And another favorite teased company I hate, (ahem, rhymes with StuUPS)must have read your bit about not blaming others and not only FAILED but also got CAUGHT trying to pin the blame via three way call! Some companies are such suckers about customer service.
I recently had the misfortune of spending an hour on the phone with a call centre representative who knew nothing about the service she was supposedly supporting, and just reading off a script. I got absolutely nowhere near resolution to my problem, and eventually hung up when she wanted to start "reinstalling" stuff on my computer – even though the problem was so obviously with their hardware. Call centres are nothing more than human firewalls shielding "service providers" from their responsibilities!
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Fantastic article, but if you're having support issues with your host, why not just switch?
Well… I did!
I know in the united States customer service rarely if ever exists.
Most consumer support follow specific directions. They do this in order to keep the support time for each customer at a minimum.
This may be generalizing but I think many companies do this.
Except the ones that're making money from you via the premium rate number you're forced to call…
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Nice piece…..The art of listening is certainly a lost art. As has been stated before, that's why we have 2 ears and 1 mouth…;)
These customer Services Tips are very helpful. In my work area customer service is not our primary duty. However, we do have to answer the phone on occasion. My co-worker does not want to help at all and tells the person on the other end that "it's not our problem" or "we don't do your job for you", etc. I will email myself this link at work and just read them out loud when I know she is listening.
All the info about Customer Service in a nut shell..great info. Now that the growing awareness of the importance given to customers, all the firms dealing with Customers are taking utmost precautions to keep them happy.
All the statements that you see are all correct. There is a familiar quote: "the customer is always right"…It doesn't mean that whatever the customer wants they will get it. But we, working at the customer service field should not let them feel that they are being rejected for what they want, but rather whether they were right or wrong what ever solution we have for them, we have to deliver it in a right way and of course make them feel better but letting them understand it. For those working in the customer service field: "These customer's whether they were right or wrong, only want A GOOD CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE"….
Joshua,
You are right on! I'm happy to see you are a Team Leader and in a position to influence others in your company to treat customers with that smart and kind mentality. Yes, whether right or wrong, the customer wants a good customer service experience. Kudos!
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I know exactly how you feel. One thing everyone has to remember is the customer service people get nothing but calls from people who are not happy so it must be hard but they should know that already. I hate it when i have to call over seas call center and can not understand person or the phone line is so bad i have hard time hearing what they are saying. Companies have to learn it takes more money to get a new customer than to keep one happy so it is not a good business idea to make cusomters mad by telling them they did something wrong.
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Hi RT,
Great post – I missed it first time around. I know you've since changed to MediaTemple are very happy with them, as per your recent post.
Anyway, I just wanted to say that I've recently had my own customer service problems, although for me it wasn't with my host, it was with Bed Bath N' Table.
I'm sure you know what I'm up to by my choice in anchor text…
By the way, I have to apologise – I answered your email in my head, but I don't think I answered in reality! Shortly.