Customer service is all about problem solving, whether you're resolving an issue with an existing purchase or suggesting a new product that will meet a client's needs. The best customer service reps have strong communication skills backed by a customer service technique arsenal that can address any problem. The following customer service techniques will help you improve the customer's experience and provide a more satisfying resolution.
The Feel, Felt, Found technique is the cornerstone of Apple's strategy for turning customer complaints into sales. The company uses this approach to show empathy toward customers and turn a negative experience into a positive discovery. The technique involves the following three steps:
HEARD is a Disney strategy that stands for Hear, Empathize, Apologize, Resolve, and Diagnose. This valuable customer support technique addresses an individual's complaint first but concludes with a high-level assessment of the overall issue and includes a final step that should help prevent future problems. The HEARD technique is summarized below:
The ELI5 technique stands for "Explain Like I'm 5." This strategy is about speaking to customers at a simpler level. While you don't want to talk down to a customer, you want to simplify your language so that you're using terms that anyone can understand. This approach is particularly useful when you're working with a highly technical product or service. Avoid high-level technical jargon and get back to the basics. Patiently explain every step in the process, even if some steps seem obvious to you.
Meet and repeat is a name memorization technique. This technique helps reinforce a person's name in your mind so that you don't have to ask for repeated introductions. You may find this technique particularly useful in face-to-face interactions when you can't simply jot down the customer's name for future reference throughout the conversation.
Repeat the customer's name as soon as you hear it. "Hello, Juan! It's nice to meet you." Throughout the interaction, use the name a few more times. Conclude by thanking the customer by name. You can impress repeat customers with this technique when you remember names for future encounters and greet customers by name the next time they walk through the door.
This listening technique is another good face-to-face strategy for customer service reps who deal with clients in person. It helps customers feel that you're paying attention. When you're listening to a customer's complaint, concentrate on using body language that shows you're attentive. Lean forward, nod regularly, and make eye contact. Don't let your gaze wander around the room, pick up your phone, or play with the computer. Take notes sparingly and always return to a posture of listening as quickly as possible.
If you're talking to customers in a call center or live chat, you want to offer verbal indicators that you're listening. The clients can't see your nod or smile, so you need to find other ways to reinforce your attentiveness. Try the following strategies:
Excellent customer service is about communicating quickly and effectively. As a customer service agent, your job is to help the customer get to the important issues as fast as possible. The use of probing questions is a great customer service skill because it quickly tests hypotheses and drills down to the real problem. Probing questions touch on possible causes and look for the pain point. "Did you drop the phone recently?" "Have you installed the latest update?"
Clarifying questions confirm whether you're on the same page as your customers so that you can solve their problems accurately. These questions are especially important during a customer call where you can't see what the client is dealing with. A clarifying question such as "when you refer to the menu, are you looking at the right side of the screen?" will ensure that you're both looking at the same menu so that you don't waste time talking a customer through the wrong fix.
By the time customers reach out to a contact center, they're usually feeling overwhelmed and dissatisfied. They're ready to hand off the burden of their issue, and you're there to take it from them. Take ownership of the problem by letting the caller know that you'll handle the concern. Offer reassuring language: "I will get to the bottom of this problem for you."
Provide clear steps to a resolution. If the issue will require a call back, set deadlines for your future communications and check in proactively to make sure each step took place, even if you handed off some of the activities to specialists or other team members. Own the issue yourself to relieve stress and increase customer happiness as quickly as possible.
Customer service team members often deal with disappointed clients. Although it can be difficult in the face of an unhappy caller, emphasizing positivity is one of the greatest customer service skills you can have. Positivity works in nearly any situation, whether you're chatting one-on-one or responding to a social media comment. Practice using positive statements rather than negative ones.
When you're discussing a new product or service, use the FAB technique to explain features of the product in a compelling way. FAB stands for Features, Advantages, and Benefits. For example, lightweight waterproof fabric is a key feature of a spring jacket. The advantage is that the jacket looks stylish and doesn't let moisture seep through it. The benefit ties directly to customers who don't have to worry about damp clothing when they get to their offices.
The FAB technique can help you effectively upsell or suggest a replacement product that will meet the customer's needs. Understanding how to best explain the benefits of a product is key to securing customer satisfaction with your suggestions.
These customer service techniques help elevate your conversations so that you're providing a truly outstanding experience. With the right approach, you can turn an upsetting problem into a positive memory of receiving exceptional care from attentive staff members. Choose a few key strategies to focus on as you create your customer service toolbox for future interactions.