February 25, 2016 by Karl Graf in Customer Relationships
There is a vocabulary around customer service and it is the language of calming, the language of apology and the language of questioning and listening. You will seldom be able to fix a customer without using this language and if you choose a different language, you might be inflaming rather than resolving a situation.
What not to say?
- It’s not our Policy.
- You’re wrong.
- Did you check to make sure it’s plugged in?
These are not words that will calm an upset customer. There are much more gentle ways to point out errors. Take for example the struggle in this phrase:
- "I’m a little confused .... our records seem to indicate ... "
- "You know sometimes the slightest jiggle and things will come unplugged, would you mind checking to ensure it’s got power?"
Tonality delivers your words with either nurturing and empathy or blame and ridicule. Which one builds relationships and which one burns them? Watch your language!
Image courtesy of imagerymajestic / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Karl Graf is recognized nationally as a business development expert. He is an authentic, enthusiastic speaker who can inform as well as entertain and motivate Presidents, CEO's, other Senior Managers and Sales Professionals.Based in Dallas TX, Karl specializes in executive sales consulting and sales productivity training.
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