Often, while communicating with customer support, emotions become white-hot. If you call them, then you probably have a problem that you hope to solve. For example, you may be worried about the fact that you had to pay more than you planned, or the purchased product does not work.
With irritation, the likelihood that you will say in haste something unnecessary begins to grow and thereby miss the opportunity to solve your problem. What phrases shouldn't be spoken to call center employees?
“You people ...”
Despite the fact that the person on the other side of the phone works for a company that upsets you, you should not identify him with her. What bothered you was not his mistake. Jane Kolbaba, founder of Watchdog Pest Control, urges not to use personal pronouns when mentioning misses made by the company.
“If they start insulting you for something you have absolutely nothing to do with, you are unlikely to want to help your offender,” says Kolbaba. Your desire to eliminate irritation is understandable, but it is better to do it in a more environmentally friendly way: do sports, dance or shout. It is better to unite with support staff: this way you will find a solution to the situation much faster.
“Your company made a mistake, so you better fix it.”
A company representative cannot be a punching bag. Even if you didn’t like the product or product, it doesn’t mean that you can throw angry comments to support representatives or insult them just because they work in an organization that upsets you.
“You should avoid too emotional turnovers, and even more so the transition to personalities,” emphasizes Surkis Akovpdzhanyan, director of marketing consulting. You are talking to people who are trying to do their job as best as possible. They solve problems as far as possible. A kind and polite attitude is not only a more civilized approach, it is much more effective than swearing.
“Can't you hear me?”
Sometimes the person at the other end of the line may not understand the problem you are facing the first time. But this does not mean that he is not listening to you.
“We are listening to you, but we cannot always immediately understand the cause of the problem,” says Drew Dubov. - You just worry in vain. Instead, try to listen to the employee’s response and ask a clarifying question. ”
"In terms of?"
This question does not make sense, but carries aggression and anger. “This question cannot be asked because support representatives do not control the rules. They just act according to the instructions, ”says Duboff. “Instead of asking pointless questions, just read the terms of return of the company or other information that will help you.”
“You do not know what you are talking about”
Sometimes irritation and anger interfere with objectively looking at things. But before you blame the call center employee for not understanding the situation, think about this. Every day this person communicates with many clients who turn to him with a variety of problems. It may just be difficult for him to switch to your situation.
For example, one seller told a funny story that illustrates this rule very well. A woman bought shrimp in a store, but returned just 10 minutes later. She was outraged that the shrimp was spoiled, and even her dog refused to eat them. It turned out that the seafood was raw, while the customer thought that she had bought a ready-made dish.
“The customer is always right”
This cliche is still quite common in the service sector. “Customers are not always right,” writes Alexandra Sackellariou. - Buyers are often confused and mistaken. Regardless of whether they picked up the goods incorrectly or did not familiarize themselves with the return policy, almost every incident is connected with a mistake of a person, not a company. ”
"Call the manager"
This phrase tells the person on the other end that the client refuses to cooperate. And although sometimes the manager can do more than the person you are talking to, he is not able to resolve any situation.
“This is an unprofitable step for you,” says Oli Smith, entrepreneur and CEO. - If the manager really appears, he will have a negative opinion about you before he even starts talking. Thus, he will have no motivation to solve or correct the problem that you have addressed. ”
Instead of aggression, it is better to try a different approach: ask the call center employee what other options for solving the problem he can offer. See it as a collaboration, not a conflict.
“Is it really that hard?”
When you are upset, you can begin to manipulate people. You can start to put pressure on guilt, try to arouse pity, and some simply insult the employees of the company. Perhaps you should not say that this is not the most effective way.
“I will not pay for it!”
Threats that you will not pay for the goods or return them will also not bring the desired result. The fact is that the employees of the customer service department do not receive interest from the sale. They are also not fined if you ask for a refund. But such a conversation will set the manager in a negative way, which in any case will not help you solve the problem.