Customer support job requirements include customer support directness, customer care solutions, customer support employees’ guidelines, customer support behaviour, customer support communication, customer support responsibility, customer support tools and customer support permissions.
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“I should do a research on that first…”
Customer support requires directness. This does not mean that it would be appropriate to be callous or start a discussion. Instead, it means that you should involve the customer more in your actions. So, be more precise and use expressions like, “That should be possible. Let me briefly check to see if this is actually the case. It will only take two to three minutes. Would you like me to put you on hold in the meantime?”
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“Unfortunately no…”
You may be wondering if there is a nice way to say no at all. In fact, with the right words, you can certainly leave a real impression on the customer, even if you have not been able to meet his request. Don’t say no right away, but simply offer a good alternative. If you are lucky, this is exactly the solution that the customer is looking for.
If you can’t think of an alternative right away, you can ask additional questions first. The more details you learn, the more likely you are to find a solution or at least a compromise.
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“Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do for you…”
Customer support employees often have to use this term when their hands are tied based on guidelines and prescribed procedures. In such cases, management should be informed, as it is responsible for changing the guidelines.
But even if there is no way to change the guidelines, you should refrain from these formulations. You can always do something for your customer, even if it comes down to just listening to his problem
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“Let me correct you…”
Remember this: the customer is always the king. In situations where the customer has misinterpreted something, it helps you to remember that you yourself were once in such a situation and made a mistake. It is not about establishing your authority or proving to the customer that he is wrong.
Such behavior would be absolutely wrong. Instead, stay reasonable and suggest to the customer, to look at the situation together and find a solution to the given problem.
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“There must have been a misunderstanding…”
Communicating with customers is not always easy. Especially not when customers are frustrated or irritated. Don’t let communication get too emotional.
Instead, focus on explaining the situation to the customer in detail and explaining what options are available to him.
The facts, which may be quite clear to you, may not be obvious to your customer, because he lacks the necessary context from which he could draw them. In such a situation, you have to express yourself as clearly and unambiguously as possible, so that despite all the confusion, the customer understands what you are trying to explain and that you really want to help him.
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“I apologize, I apologize, I apologize…”
We often apologize for something that doesn’t really need an apology and use those words as a kind of filler with no meaning.
In other words:
- Don’t apologize when you need to read something
- Don’t apologize when you want to actually ask the customer just a question
- Don’t apologize when you’re just trying to better understand a problem
When there is a real need to apologize, then at the same time offer a solution to the problem. Customers want to see that you are actually doing something to correct a mistake or to clear up a misunderstanding.
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“I am not authorized to do so…”
Even if you do not have approval or are not authorized to respond to customer requests, it is still your responsibility to help them.
What matters is not what you can’t do for the customer, but that you will forward it directly to a colleague who can help him right away.
Always keep in mind: We are all just people.
Direct contact with customers is not always easy. This is especially true because employees often do not have the tools and permissions needed to quickly offer a solution to a customer. Fortunately, you control how you deal with these situations.
This does not mean that you should be overly cautious all the time. It is only important that you are aware of the effect of individual formulations and that you consciously choose your words in conversation with customers.
Just imagine that you are in the skin of your interlocutor and show him that you understand him. You will already achieve a lot with this!
