How do you handle customers over the phone?
How to deal with customers over the phone (Customer Service Skills over the Phone)
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How do you make a successful phone call with a customer? Talking to clients on the phone can be a difficult task sometimes, as not seeing the face of the person you are talking to opens a wide door to confusion and misunderstanding. So you have to improve your style of how to deal with customers over the phone and improve your customer service skills.
How to deal with customers over the phone professionally
Follow these well-known best practices to enhance your telephony skills, and make your phone calls with clients as smooth and satisfying as possible:
1. Acknowledge the problem
Tell your customers that you understand their problem and why they are calling. Make sure to let them know that you are listening carefully, as this shows that you really care about solving the customer’s problem.
2. Be patient
Give the customer the time they need when you ask them for more information. Patience is required in dealing with customers over the phone when a customer calls to complain. Allow him to tell his whole story, interrupting him will only make him more upset. Let customers vent their anger if they need to, even if you understand the problem right away. People need to finish expressing themselves in their own way before they are ready to continue speaking.
3. Speak in a clear and correct manner.
Being able to understand what someone is saying on the phone is what differentiates a productive conversation from a stressful one.
Speak clearly whenever you use the phone. Use simple words and phrases, and pronounce them clearly and correctly. Don’t use overly complex words or difficult jargon.
The last thing you want is to confuse the customer or make them feel inferior. Avoid using slang or unnecessary fillers. Saying things like “hey dude” or “ahh” or “hmmm” will lower the quality of the interaction and make it more difficult to find a constructive solution to the problem. If you tend to use words like “hmm” or “mean,” practice stopping and being silent whenever you feel like saying them.
4. Use their names
Using the customer’s name shows that you really enjoy them and is a great way to develop the conversation. People will be more interested in your thoughts and words if they hear you speak on their behalf, and will give you their undivided attention.
It’s true that you should use the customer’s name, but don’t overdo it. Just use it in conversation naturally, and don’t be afraid to ask them how to pronounce the name, too. Customers will appreciate this gesture. Make sure you spell the name correctly, too.
5. Apply “verbal gestures” in conversation
Verbal gestures when communicating with customers over the phone, such as “aha” and “I see,” help avoid complete silence on your end on the phone, which makes the customer feel helpless and unappreciated. Therefore, the salesperson must use such voices to reassure the customer and make him aware that someone is listening and understanding him.
6. Avoid excuses
Callers want solutions, not excuses.
What are the most annoying excuses for customers? Things like, “Our computers are down,” or “We’re sorry, but this is our policy.” Take responsibility for all the calls you answer, and tell the callers that you intend to help them. If you receive the first call from the customer, take 100% responsibility and direct the caller to where they will find the solution, instead of telling them, “This problem is not my department.”
7. Make a positive last impression
A positive last impression is just as important as a good first impression. End your conversation with a positive ending. Let the callers know that you are glad they called and that you look forward to speaking with them again. This last impression is what they will remember from the whole conversation.
Briefly
Keep developing effective telephone communication skills and learn how to deal with customers on the phone. Excellent telephone customer service skills result in productive relationships that lead to improved customer service, and potentially increased sales as well.
Whenever you interact with a customer on the phone, maintain your consistency and positive attitude, and do everything you can to please them. Empathize with them when necessary and be courteous and kind. Customers will certainly notice when they are treated with courtesy, care and attention, and this all translates into repeat business with you.