If you are an employee there are phrases you should avoid, so that you do not fall into one of three categories: either clichéd, tone deaf, or not genuine and not feeling the customers.
Phrases to Avoid If You’re a Customer Service Representative
The technical website helpscout mentioned 8 phrases that you should avoid if you are sitting behind a customer service headset so as not to lose the customers you are talking to.
“Your call is important to us.”
Actions speak louder than words. You can say that your clients’ business is important to you, but if you don’t do anything
To keep this business on the ground, they will know you are a scammer.
Many people feel that companies only care about them if they get money from them, which is one of the main reasons why the Wall Street Journal says that everyone hates customer service.
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
At some point in the history of customer service, it was necessary to apologize for any inconvenience – or even the possibility of any inconvenience, and because
This phrase has become so overused by companies that don’t really mean it, it has become one of the most hated expressions.
“I particularly hate the phrase ‘I apologise for any inconvenience this may cause’ because it completely fails to acknowledge that there is an actual issue affecting you and causing you distress,” says Claire Little, a member of the Supportive Community.
This common phrase may come from a sincere desire to minimize the problem and apologize at the same time, but instead of resorting to a deceptive and exaggerated expression, be specific and direct, stating exactly what you are apologizing for and what you are doing to solve the problem.
“Thank you for your comments.”
Most blog posts about dealing with customers will ask you if you are a customer service employee to thank them for
Their comments But Sarah Hutter, founder of CoSupport and ElevateCX, disagrees.
“‘Thank you for your feedback’ is my least favorite customer support phrase ever,” she says. “It’s a blank, copy-and-paste phrase.
It doesn’t show any real human touch, and it’s prevalent in the customer experience industry. Many of us use it to respond to customers on a daily basis, and oftentimes, we just say it without taking any further action.”
“Unfortunately, I can’t do that for you.”
A few years ago, Apple’s training guide on “prohibited customer service words” was leaked to Gizmodo. Within the guide, Apple’s legal team suggests alternatives to common customer service phrases that might rub customers the wrong way or lead to legal trouble.
Instead of focusing on what you can’t do for the client, focus on what you can do.
No one likes to be told no, and as Nicereply explains in their article on experience engineering, “Experiencing rejection results in an immediate 30% drop in reasoning skills and increases aggression. By saying ‘no’ you make it more difficult to deal with frustrated customers.”
“Can you send a fax?”
No one wants to struggle to complete a task or solve a problem, so when customer service representatives ask me to download a PDF, print it, sign it, and then scan or even fax it to another department, I feel justified in my frustration.
Even if you’re not directed to an old fax line to contact the appropriate department, manipulating other companies’ bureaucratic processes is infuriating.
Microsoft found that most customers used more than three different communication channels to get service, so instead of sending your customers back and forth between conversations and channels, do your best to help customers on the channel they contacted you through.
“I’m sorry you feel that way.”
Humans are very good at picking up on social cues. When someone apologizes and it doesn’t seem sincere, we can sense it. Since an apology is meant to repair a relationship, a bad apology can cause more damage than no apology at all.
It takes time to craft a genuine apology that can improve your relationship with the customer during the call and help resolve their issue. As Matthew Patterson of Helps Scout says, “Admitting a mistake is a powerful act. It says to the customer, ‘You’re right. I see your point and I understand it.’”
“Can I help you with anything else today?”
At first glance, this may seem like a very useful customer service phrase and you should definitely use it, but if it is said in
At the wrong time, it can upset customers who don’t feel like they got any help in the first place.
“What personally bothers me is, ‘Can I help you with anything else today?’ When someone can’t help me with the thing I first contacted them about, how can they help me with anything else?” says Brian Levine, another Support Driven community member.
I get the same annoyance when customer service people send me smiley faces or GIFs when I’m clearly frustrated. T.
“I’m sorry.. I didn’t understand this request”
As chatbots become more common in customer service, it’s important to consider how they communicate. Even bots aren’t immune to dropping a frustrating phrase into the conversation.
Whether it’s through a voice-activated call center menu or a chatbot assistant, customers hate being told they’re not asking their questions quite right.
