Customer Service is my language

"Hello, my name is...How can I help you today?"...

Everyone thinks that customer service is just all about answering the phone with a one-line verbatim. It's not true. Customer service is everywhere, a lot of people are just unaware of it until the emergence of the BPO companies and the evolution of the business industry.

I've been a call center agent for almost 10 years. I went from a non-voice agent to a voice. It was such an enriching and unique learning experience. Although some of my accounts were difficult, I didn't surrender because helping people is my passion.

How do we define customer service?

The term "customer service" has been changed to "customer experience". Customer service is providing great service to customers following the company's guidelines. While customer experience is creating a positive and efficient customer experience.

What do we need to do to provide good customer service or experience?

1. Get to know thy customer- This is what we called "profiling". Depending on what product or service you have, the type of response that you give makes an impact on the customer. For example, you speak too fast to an old woman who has hearing problems, and then you send a survey after the call ended. Do you think you'll get a positive rating?

2. Avoid technical terms or jargon-Use layman terms in explaining the issue to the customer. Don't use terms and acronyms that only your account or team knows. Avoid confusing your customers, they might end up being upset instead of being happy and satisfied.

3. Be authentic and be professional-Your listeners know if you are "real" or not. Smile when you speak on the phone, it makes a big difference because you'll sound friendly and professional.

   Stop saying "I sincerely apologize, or "I'm so sorry" over and over again. We, Filipino, always over apologize. A sincere apology is enough.

4. Actively listen- It's different from just mere listening. Listen with the intent to help, to resolve the concern. Do not assume. When someone becomes too familiar with the process, he/she already assumes what the customer is calling about without hearing the customer first. This is wrong. Over speculation often leads to customer frustration, dissatisfaction, and escalation.

5. Remove "noises"-There are 2 types of noises: internal and external. Internal noises are your worries, doubts, fears, or any other emotions that hinder you from listening properly. While external noises are background noises like people talking in the background, loud music, car horns, etc.

6. Respect the customer's time- Make a "temp" check with your customer. Aside from checking what mood they are in, get a "feeling" whether they are in a hurry or not. Stop prolonging the call. If there is a need to call them back, make sure it is between 9:00 AM-8:00 PM, or within office hours. After-hours calls are prohibited in some countries like Australia. If you want to avoid an ombudsman complaint, know when is the right time to call.

7. Learn some idioms/know how to respond appropriately- I know idioms are so academic and boring but they do come in handy. Learn to respond appropriately to idioms. Read books, broaden your knowledge. A customer loves a smart conversation.

Here are funny stories of some calls that I recollect:

1. -Customer: "Thanks for resolving my concern. I'm a happy camper!".

   Agent: "Oh, where are you going camping, sir?".

   -Angry customer: "I don't want to talk to you, I want to talk to the highest authority".

   Agent: "Ma'am, the highest authority is "God". (Not sure if she was being sarcastic or not.)

   -Angry customer: "Your company sucks, f*** you (repeats multiple times)

   Agent: "Sir, stop f****ng me, or I might be forced to end this call".

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Customer service can be: opening the door with a smile, sending a parcel on time, a professional email, etc. It doesn't start and end with someone who answers the phone.

Do you have an unforgettable positive or bad customer experience? What happened and how was it resolved?

And I do hope everyone is safe and sound on this cold Sunday night. I'm gonna go downstairs and have a sip of my hot chocolate drink ☕

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Have a great weekend, cheers mate!

**All images were from Unsplash.com

**The rest of the content is mine