We've all experienced poor customer service - the person on the phone says the wrong thing, treats you rudely, or is deliberately unhelpful. Once you get burned this way, it's hard to go back to a company who clearly doesn't prioritize customer service.
"I can't help you with that."It's your job to help! You're setting yourself up to have an awful phone call or receive a rough review if you treat customers this way. Instead, try, "I totally understand where you're coming from. How can I help?" This approach encourages your customer to speak openly because you're on their side, and you want to find a fix with them.
"You must have misunderstood."
This implies the customer is incorrect, and it's also a very condescending angle to take. Placing the blame on the customer will only frustrate them further and lead to escalated issues. Instead, try, "I think I understood what you meant by that. Let me look into a fix for you." Your customer experience score will thank you!
"I'm sorry, but no."
Shutting someone down like this is passive aggressive, rude and not helpful in any way. Tone of voice is incredibly important over the phone; it's one of the only elements you can control on your side, so make your tone polite and friendly. However, an overly casual tone when denying a customer something can be received very negatively. Rewording is key here!
"You need to calm down."
By telling a customer to calm down, you're implying that their problem is not as important to you as it is to them. If you're in customer service, it's your job to prioritize customer's problems and help solve them in a calm manner. Encountering upset customers is just part of the job; upsetting them further is not.
Looking to hire some stellar customer service reps? Here are the customer satisfaction skills worth hiring for.
