Savoir-Agir@Work

The hysterical customer is usually someone who feels that there is no one on "his side", he has reached the end of his rope, and you have been unfortunate enough to be at the tail end of what got him there. You may not have been the cause of all his problems, but he is nevertheless looking to you for the solutions.

Dealing with him is simple. Be patient. Listen intently. Acknowledge your understanding and express empathy.

Try it. Even if you can't solve his problem, you'll be surprised at how positively he will respond.

• Do you demonstrate your interest in the client?
• Do you ask the right questions and do you listen carefully?
• Are you patient, understanding and helpful?
• Are you sincerely trying to do something positive for your customer?
• Do you demonstrate you are taking in charge your customer's query or situation?

Serving customers means accepting customers as they are and not as you would like them to be.

You may be so busy answering calls from your customers that you don't have time to think of the service you offer. Take time to listen to your customers and discover what they really want. Once you understand what they want, it will be easier to meet their expectations and to provide a quality service.

To be ready for customer contact is the step preceding any contact with a customer.  The step where you must be ready psychologically , emotionally and  materially.   It is a preparation that must be done consciously rather than to get in touch with the customer in autopilot mode.

Research has shown that offering even a small act of kindness can boost oxytocin levels (known as the "feel-good" hormone). Meaning that even in a difficult situation, by choosing to be nicer, trusting or generous to your clients or colleagues, will most likely make you feel better.

The customers are the judges. These judges expect you to score high in your performance. If you are to successfully score 10’s with your customers, you must be willing to commit time, energy and effort.

If the customer suggests you use his first name, it is then acceptable to address yourself to the customer in this way. To use the first name can also be (but not always) acceptable when: - You established a good rapport with time. - You know the customer and know that he is at ease with the use of his first name

The first contact with our clients start from within our organization. We cannot neglect internal clients. 

There is a direct link between the way we dispense a service to an external client and the way to dispense it to an internal one. The way people treat themselves internally most likely reflect how they treat external clientele.

The notion of « client » can be defined as he who obtains good or services provided by an organization or person.

There are two categories of clients :
1) External clients: Clients in the traditional sense of the word, those who pay for what you are providing.
2) Internal clients: Those who work with you, directly or indirectly, in order to provide it

Based on this definition, I realize that my clients are thus all people with whom I exchange. The object of the exchange does not need to be economic and to be limited to goods and services. The exchange often has a psychological and intangible dimension.

Applying customer service etiquette allows us to gain customers’ trust and increase the degree of comfort between customers and the service representative.

Here are a few criteria for politeness :

- Avoid professional jargon, abbreviations, acronyms and technical terminology.
- Make the customer feel that he is welcome in the conversation. Don’t give him the impression that he is interrupting.
- Avoid lateral conversations during a phone call. Your client deserves your complete attention. Do not try to have to have two conversations at once.
- Answer the phone as quickly as possible. The norm is a maximum of three rings.

We all have our own personal definition of what a great client is, what a great colleague is, what a great boss is, etc…

If they don’t follow along the lines of that definition…well, to us they simply are NOT good! Expect to be treated different by different people. Go out of your comfort zone and treat different people differently. Anything else is limiting and restrictive.

Applying customer service etiquette allows us to gain customers’ trust and increase the degree of comfort between customers and the service representative.

Here are a few criteria for politeness: 

- It is not impolite to make your interlocutor repeat himself, as long as you do it nicely.
- If we must interrupt a conversation, it is essential to use the "hold" button and to inform the client, instead of using the "mute" button or covering the receiver with your hand.
- Respect the cultural, ethnic and lifestyle differences.
- Replace the words "BUT" by "AND" as much as possible, in order to make communication more positive and professional.
- Ask questions to the customers regularly : if he understands correctly what you are asking him to do, if you’re going too fast. "Am I explaining myself clearly? Please stop me if I’m going too fast."

Following customer service etiquette allows us to gain trust from the clientele and increase the comfort level between the customers and the service representative.

Here are a few guidelines:
• Treat internal and external calls the same way.
• Personalize calls by mentioning you interlocutor’s name a few times during the conversation.
• Use a more formal language, unless you’re very familiar with the interlocutor.
• Don’t ever correct the pronunciation or vocabulary of your interlocutor.
• Respect the chosen language of your interlocutor, even if he is having hard time.

Never make a client wait for long without explaining your process and the reason for the delay. When you get back to him, always thank him for his patience.

A customer is angry due to a problem. Self-assurance allows you to avoid taking this anger personally. Keep in mind: You are not part of the problem, you are part of the solution!

When a client is aggressive, a colleague disrespectful or your boss is being rude - don’t take it personally too quickly. Instead of thinking: “Why is he/she doing this to me?”, try to say “Let me understand why you believe this or want that.” Then, listen to the answer. Be curious instead of furious!

Sometimes, you will need to put a call on hold. Before doing so, make sure to explain to the customer the reason of this waiting and to ask his permission. Wait to get confirmation. Some will prefer to call back or be called back.

One of the purposes of "customer service" is to change feelings. Not the facts, but the way your customer feels. The best measurement of customer support is whether, after the interaction, the customer would recommend you to a friend. Time waited, refunds given or the facts of the case are irrelevant. The feelings are all that matter, and changing feelings takes humanity and connection, not money or speed.

We all have difficult customers and we usually invest our best efforts (time, patience, energy, emotions, etc.) with them. And the easy, friendly, nice customers? Well, we sometimes end up taking advantage of their good nature, investing less effort, because they will accept less effort.

Don’t forget to reward the people that make your work better and easier and treat your easy customer with care and effort.