There is a famous adage that says, “The tongue is a double-edged sword.” It can either uplift and inspire, or cut and destroy. Similarly, the words you use, whatever phrases come out of your mouths, and the possibilities brought about by your wordy prowess can dramatically change the situation you or the business you have are in. One wrongly structured statement or one careless gasp can cost your business reputation, your customers, and if that does not seem too much yet, can also lead to devastating complaints, bad reviews, and lawsuits.
Indeed, the quality of communication you offer to your customers- first hand or from the back-end can make or break your business. This is significantly true when it comes to the direct contact of your consumers- your customer service representatives. According to American Express, at least a third of Americans would stop using a service or entirely switch providers after only one unpleasant customer service encounter.
In the customer service world, what the customers hear, read, and interpret from the words one may use are critical to the success of a brand. An entrepreneur writer, Carol Tice, claims that great companies should develop a set of key phrases to say and not to say to customers. This is supported by the fact that while the things one says may sound fine to one, they may be interpreted differently by another. That is why it has become increasingly important to play it safe, exert a little bit of extra effort, and be genuine in providing customer support.
Regardless of the industry, you are in, the kind of business you are catering to, and the beat of customer base you have, here are some phrases that you should consider taboo in the customer service field.
- I’M NOT SURE, BUT I THINK……
The first thing a customer service representative should know upon venturing on the job is that he or she will be considered a fountain of knowledge and a master of the product or service he or she is representing. Telling the customer that you are not sure something is going to cause two things: doubt and mistrust.
This does not mean to say, however, that you indeed should be a know-it-all in your business. It just simply implies that you should always be a little extra and instead of saying “I don’t know,” why not say, “I will get that information for you.”
2. CALM DOWN
An upset customer will only be even more aggravated when he/she is told how he/she should be feeling. The statement is controlling, invasive of a person’s emotional outburst, and demanding to say the least. It also screams a lot of double meanings such as “You are overreacting” or “This is not that of a big deal.”
It is a paradoxical truth that asking someone to calm down when he is frustratingly stressed out is never effective. In support of this theory, Wendy Mendes, a professor of emotion at the University of California claimed that being commanded to relax is “physiologically impossible if the body is already acutely stressed.”
3. YOU’RE WRONG
No matter how you phrase it, even if you cover it with beautiful adjectives and flowery context, the very indication that a customer is wrong only turns one side- disaster. Remember what they say that “customers are always right?” Yeah. So philosophically, they can not be told that they are wrong.
CX Czar Blaki Morgan said that business owners should understand that the risk of being taken advantage of by customers once in a while is more bearable than being branded as disrespectful and rude because the latter has long-term effects that more often than not cannot be alleviated rather easily.
4. WE’VE NEVER HAD THIS ISSUE BEFORE
Telling your customer that the issue he/she is having is something you are encountering the first time is not reassuring if that is the intention you wish to imply. Rather, it is like dropping a bomb claiming that this is a new problem and a resolution may not come in handy. The aftermath may be beyond what damage control can bear.
There are a lot of other ways to be reassuring such as saying that you’ll do your best to handle the issue, you’ll make sure to check and escalate if necessary, or you’ll find the most favorable resolution to turn the experience around. Wave your wand and do a little magic with your words- it works.
5. I’M NOT ABLE TO HELP YOU
Saying that you are not able to be of help or cannot assist further is a mortal sin in customer service. It defies the very purpose of your existence. It violates the very reason you are hired in the first place. If you cannot help, then who could? If you cannot assist, then who would?
The golden rule is to make your customers happy and satisfied and to do that, you should be the friendly neighborhood superhero who will stop at nothing to make their experience a good one.
6. SILENCE
Silence is deadly. It can kill your reputation and your business.
Not responding, not replying, or simply put- ignoring your customers is the last thing you would want to do. No matter how annoying, repetitive, or demanding your customers might be, they deserve your professionalism and respect. Using the silent treatment never works out in resolving an issue within a relationship- even more so in a customer service setting.
According to Kippling Williams, a professor of Psychology at Purdue University who specializes in ostracism, ignoring people is a manipulative technique that inflicts physical and emotional harm. It is tremendously damaging to a relationship and can lead to ruins so broken it will be unfathomable.
Words are invisible weapons and most often than not, they are yielding more power than any the world has ever seen. The problem is that everyone has access to it, but not everyone has the audacity to be responsible enough to use it wisely. To succeed in the venture you take, take it to heart to always watch your mouth because your words are only either life-giving or disaster-seeking.
References
https://www.userlike.com/en/blog/10-common-phrases-never-use-customers
https://www.nextiva.com/blog/customer-service-phrases.html
https://www.qminder.com/customer-service-phrases-to-avoid/
https://www.inc.com/sujan-patel/12-things-you-should-never-say-to-your-customers.html
