There is a wonderful tradition in Buddhism – they teach aphorisms in a negative light, so we can realize the positive in them. For example ~ “Be grateful to those who have hit you for they have reduced your karmic obstacles”. Not all Buddhist aphorisms are dealt out with this type of negative aspect, but what we are trying to point out here, is that in any situation, we need to at least be aware of the negative, in order to learn more about being positive.
Customer service is taking place in an increasingly loud, exponentially growing marketplace, so, excellence is the key to standing out from the crowd. Learning to be grateful for the mistakes both we and others have made means learning what not to do in order to reduce the incidence of obstacles. There are a whole host of killer key words, and phrases that have proven to literally drive customers away in hoards.
Would it help for customer service teams to have a list of these words on hand even after training? You bet it would. It’s a start, and what is even better is if a team keeps compiling lists of their own –> what NOT to say. Some of these words and phrases are so obvious that even the most basic customer service training will cover them. But it is human to make a mistake, so if we have a list is in front of our eyes that says – “DO NOT SAY – It is not our policy” in large red letters, and then follow with a list of what not to say, we will be less likely to say it, would we not?
Distraction is dangerous when dealing with customers and potential customers. Certain words and phrases immediately distract them away from a real point of conversation. So, we eliminate these, but it isn’t easy. Rewording is required, because as we know, all businesses have policies. For example the list would read – DO NOT SAY – “it is not our policy”, DO SAY – “let us see what can be done”. This sort of buffering works to improve customer interaction.
Have you or anyone you know, ever told a customer to “calm down”. If you have, what was the reaction? An immediate lack of calm ! These two words have the ability to make a customer metamorphose into a demon from the darkest pits of hell. The first thing they will respond with is “don’t you dare tell me to calm down”, generally in a highly agitated manner, with a raised voice for better effect. Add the words “CALM DOWN” to your kill list. Customer service agents are there to allow a customer to vent if necessary. Agents are supposed to be trained not to take venting personally, but rather treat it with empathy, and benevolence.
“No problem” seems to be a big problem indeed, and it makes the customer seem to believe that they have been a problem. They simply do not like it, and it hits the hate charts right at the top. Get it on the kill list, and train agents to use – “my pleasure”, “you are very welcome”, “I am happy to have been able to help”. There are many more synonyms available, and it’s “no problem” to find more of these.
Now, is it time to start growing your KILL LIST?
