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The Language of Customer Service I had a good response to the last newsletter giving tips on managing time more effectively, so this month I’d like to pass on some more practical hints, this time about how we express ourselves to customers (and others). Listen carefully to your own speech and start to notice, and then cut out, ‘crutch words’ – words which mean nothing, but which we commonly use as padding. Words like ‘basically’, ‘actually’, ‘you know’, ‘sort of’ and of course the dreaded ‘at the end of the day’! Not only are they incredibly irritating when used repeatedly, but they will make you sound unsure of your facts and unprofessional. Like me, you might find you inexplicably slip into this habit when you’re feeling flustered or uncertain. Avoid expressions like ‘you must’, ‘you should’, ‘you have to’ when talking to the customer – they don’t have to do anything unless it’s take their business elsewhere! “If I receive your order by Friday, it can be dealt with immediately” sounds so much more pleasant and helpful than “You have to get your order in by Friday or it will take another week”. Never tell the customer what you can’t do! Instead of “We can’t deliver until next month”, say “We can guarantee delivery by mid-March”. And once again, make sure you under-promise and over-deliver. Remember to say thank you – don’t take their custom for granted. You can express appreciation in all kinds of ways, from verbally to a quick note or a bunch of flowers. Or think about offering ways in which to reward regular custom – buy a certain amount and get one free etc. Do you have any favourite techniques to ease communication with customers? As always, I’d like to hear from you. Contact me at grow@andybritnell.co.uk |
