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Does it annoy you when you contact a company’s customer service department, and you are rushed through the process of solving your problem so quickly that you feel like a bother? And then you actually have to call back to ensure that your issue was truly resolved because you were left with doubts from your head still spinning from the experience? Speed does not spell out great customer service. Speed is the product of “an assembly line for widgets” mentality. A colleague shared the following story with me.
Real World Story:
“I recently overheard my mother on a phone call to her bank. She was responding to an offer she had received by mail. My mother is a native Spanish speaker, but her communication in English is strong. Yet she has an accent, which may be a problem to people not accustomed to such an accent. Because my mother was on her phone’s speaker, I could hear the service agent, who was getting a little agitated and kept repeating information quickly, even while my mother was talking. Every time my mother asked a question, the service agent would answer and then immediately say, ‘Will that be all?’ She must have uttered these words at least twenty times during the five-minute call. It was obvious the agent wanted to end the call as fast as possible. The agent had no interest in trying to figure out what my mother was calling about. After my mother completed her call, which the service agent ended abruptly, she grabbed her car keys. When I asked where she was going, she said she was going to talk to someone at her local bank who could answer her questions.”
Strategies that Turn it Around:
- Listen with purpose. When you listen to your customers with purpose, you allow them to tell you what they need without interrupting them or formulating an answer while they are still speaking, which oftentimes causes misunderstandings. Therefore, listening with purpose means understanding exactly what customers need after they have expressed their concerns to you.
- Pause with effect. When speaking with customers, it is sometimes helpful to allow a pause with effect. Such pauses allow your customers to digest information and to respond to you. They also allow you to know that they understand what you are telling them. Pauses can be awkward, so we tend to fill silence without need. But when you are solving problems, a pause with effect can ensure that you and your customers are communicating effectively. If you find that your customers start to repeat themselves, ramble, or talk under their breath, then you can be sure they are confused and not understanding what you are explaining.
- Wrap up with confidence. Don’t wrap up a conversation with a customer until the customer tells you he or she has understood what you have explained. Often, a customer will thank you, letting you know you have solved their issue. It’s not rocket science to know when customers are still confused and need a little more time and patience to understand what you are explaining. Be confident that your customers have understood you before you end your conversation.
Remember: In customer service, speed should never mean rushing customers just so you can move on to the next person in line. Speed should be the process of solving an issue quickly and efficiently without making a customer feel like he or she is bothering you. Always aim to resolve issues quickly while making your customers feel like you have their best interest at heart. And save your company the time of having your customers call back on the same issue again.
What do YOU do to ensure your customers don’t feel rushed or bothersome each and every time you interact with them? Please share in the comments section below.