Difficult customers and dramas come with the job when you’re a call center agent. It is your responsibility to manage these moments and conversations to get the best possible outcomes.
One of the most important things in situations like these is to avoid using the wrong words. On this note, we highlight five communication blunders call center agents must avoid to guarantee positive customer experiences and interactions, on most occasions;
1. Getting Off on the Wrong Foot
Like any interaction, the first impression matters when taking calls from customers whether they’re making an inquiry or when they’re aggrieved. If possible, one of your first three words should be the caller's name. Not only will this help you get their attention, but it will also help keep the conversation going on the right foot.
2. Bad Listening/Poor Questions
Two ears and one mouth —that’s what you’ve got.
The best call center agents should possess excellent listening skills. Doing this, however, requires making a conscious decision to listen to the other person. By listening attentively, it’s always easier to figure out relevant and important questions to ask. Not only will this help keep the convo moving forward, but it will also make the complainant feel heard and understood.
3. Careless Choice of Words
Choosing your words carefully is important for any call center agent. For aggrieved customers, your words should heal, rather than hurt. And for those making inquiries, the conversation should be as informative as possible.
Customers will take this as a reflection of the agent’s attitude and personality, and it can also impact their perception of the company’s culture and service. Call center interactions are a critical aspect of the customer experience. The words used during these interactions must be carefully chosen to have the desired positive effect.
4. Not Focusing on the Caller
Forward-thinking businesses understand just how customer focus is important for success. This attitude and approach should dictate everything from call center service to every organizational decision-making process.
Call center agents should always focus the conversation on the other person (customers on the phone). For example, to analyze the importance or benefit of a particular service or action, agents should highlight the particular feeling being received.
5. Wrong Tone of Voice
There’s a common saying that 10% of conflict is due to a difference in opinion while the other 90% is due to the wrong tone of voice. Speaking in the right tones can help convey empathy during conversations.
The pitch of one’s voice as well as the volume and rate, among other things, can help express feelings through statements. This is why knowing what to say is not just an important thing because how you say it also matters.
The impacts of call center services on customer experience cannot be overstated.
And as it turns out, the words we use as call center professionals could be a turn-on or turn-off, as the case may be. While no agent will intentionally try to ruin the experience for their customers, a lot of problems can be avoided when you know what to avoid, in the first place.
One Contact Center
One Contact Center offers call center support and BPO services for small businesses startups and international brands.
If you’re keen on boosting your customer experience with reliable support services, please, contact us today. We’ll be more than happy to help.
