Have you ever had a wonderful experience with a company because of the customer service? You remember those positively who’ve gone above and beyond to help you. Here’s how to make your customers and clients feel the same way.
- Have a positive tone.
The tone of your voice is the first thing your customers will notice. Most professionals who’ve worked in the customer service field have what they call their “phone voice” which is still their voice but carries a positive and helpful tone. As cliché as it sounds, a smile can be heard over the phone. When helping a customer, try and relax your face and smile as you start your greeting. It will begin your interaction on a positive note and create room for a friendly conversation. One of the oldest tricks in the CSR handbook that some reps still use to this day is to have a mirror at their desks so they can watch their facial expressions and make sure they’re smiling before they pick up the phone.
- Confidence.
People can sense your confidence over the phone. A good way to ensure a confident-sounding pitch is to practice. The more you say something out loud, the better it sounds! When talking to a customer, tell them – do not ask them. When ending a sentence, avoid using the question inflection. Try to lower your voice instead of going higher. We signal confidence by telling someone our ideas as opposed to asking them. Some people also tend to get quieter when they become anxious, combat this by trying to hold a firm and even volume during the entire phone call.
- Use their name.
As soon as you can get the name of the customer you’re speaking with, remember it and use it naturally throughout the conversation. They will appreciate the gesture and personal touch you bring to the interaction.
- Voice.
You don’t need a radio quality voice to succeed over the phones. Some easy things to watch during a call with your voice are volume, pitch, and speed. The volume of your voice is important because you want customers to be able to hear what you’re saying but not to the point where you’re yelling or talking too loud. A higher pitch is often taken as childlike and unauthoritative while a lower pitch often sounds very harsh over the phone. For a happy middle ground, vary your inflection. It makes you sound more interested while being monotone sounds unenthusiastic. Talking too fast can come off as rushed and hard to understand while talking too slow can read as uninterested or lazy. People usually talk at about 140 words a minute, matching this rate will sound natural and effortless.
- Pronunciation and diction.
Not being able to understand someone can be confusing and frustrating. When you’re talking to your customers make sure to pronounce words clearly to ensure smooth communication and understanding. Many professionals use tongue twisters and vocal exercise warm-ups to get their voice ready such as repeating phrases like “Unique New York” or “Sushi Chef” to help them with their annunciation. Remember also to avoid using filler and slang words such as “uhh” and “umm” and “dude”. If you use these words, practice taking a pause instead. It will help you sound more experienced over the phone while also giving your customer a chance to speak. Chewing gum and eating can also make your speech hard to understand so avoid doing either while trying to talk on the phone.
- Listen carefully.
The most important skill in your customer service repertoire is to listen intently to what your customer wants and needs! Take notes, make reminders, do anything you can to accomplish this. The very core of customer service is helping a paying client to meet their wants. Asking follow up questions is a wonderful way to show you’re listening and to narrow down your clients’ goals. Concentrate your full attention on your call, when it comes to listening it is not the time to multi-task. Avoid looking at your phone or daydreaming while you’re on a customer call. Be in the present with your customers and they will notice.
When you get right down to it, customer service is one of the most essential parts of a company. A good customer service rep can change someone’s entire view of a company. That is how life-long and loyal customers are made.