Working in customer service is a tough job that requires lots of interpersonal skills.
After all, customer service is about resolving problems, right? Your clients won鈥檛 contact you because they want to have a nice chat. They will want you to explain something, fix something or do something for them. Some of them will be upset; others will be angry.
That鈥檚 why a customer service agent needs a lot of intuition and empathy to solve their problems and avoid unpleasant situations.
The problem is, customers sometimes request something that you can鈥檛 do for them. It might be against the policy or, even against common sense. In such situations, you鈥檒l have to admit it, hoping that they won鈥檛 burst with anger.
Luckily, there is one universal way helping to avoid conflicts, keep customers happy and deliver exceptional customer service.
滨迟鈥檚 positive communication, the ability to convey messages, even negative ones, positively.
How to Master Positive Language in Customer Service
Communication is not only about words and exchanging information. Words are a crucial part of the message, but the tone we鈥檙e using and body language also matter.
Why are body language and tone are so important?
滨迟鈥檚 more likely that the receiver will trust nonverbal forms of communication than the literal meaning of words.
According to , people trust tone and gestures (38% and 55%), rather than words (7%). It is known as the
1. Body language (55%)
Imagine that you made a purchase with a delivery, but it turned out that they sent your order to somebody else. You鈥檇 expect a refund and an apology, right?
And now, imagine that there are two store clerks and both of them are apologizing to you. First of them is standing in front of you and he says “I鈥檓 very sorry.” They sustaine the eye contact. Their facial expressions show they engaged in the conversation. They use open gestures. I guess you鈥檇 accept the apology.
But what would happen if the other said “I鈥檓 very sorry that happened,” but they would be sprawled in a chair and texting at the same time? I don鈥檛 know how about you, but I would be mad to see something like that.
People would rather analyze your gestures than words. Therefore here are a couple of tips on how to control your body and send positive signals to customers:
- Always smile when you greet or talk to customers. Even if you are speaking on phone and customers can鈥檛 see you, it makes a huge difference in your voice tone and they will hear you smiling.
- If you sell
in-person, learn to maintain eye contact. - Sit or stand up straight when talking with the customer.
- Don鈥檛 cross your arms or legs.
- Remember to relax your shoulders.
The most critical and difficult part is always to try to think positive. Negative thoughts come through in a body language!
2. Tone of voice (38%)
According to , 65% of customers prefer a casual tone to a formal one.
Using friendly tone in neutral situations is much more appreciated. It makes the whole customer service experience more personal and improves the relationship with the audience.
Even if you have to say something that might not please a customer, your tone will help you to convince the customer that you鈥檙e sorry and calm them down.
Of course, we need to assess when being casual is too casual.
Instead of using slang words, it鈥檚 safe to stick to natural language. Also, remember to tailor your tone to the situation. 滨迟鈥檚 not a good idea to start an informal chat when the . If a case is sensitive, if your customer is upset, if you have to apologize or deny customer鈥檚 request, you should rather go formal.
3. Positive customer service words (7%)
滨迟鈥檚 simple to be positive when you can process customers鈥� requests. Things get complicated when a customer asks you for something you cannot do because:
- You don鈥檛 know how to do it.
- You鈥檙e not allowed to do it.
- 滨迟鈥檚 temporarily impossible to do it.
In such a situation you will have to inform them that their request cannot be fulfilled — and you have to resolve it positively so that your customer doesn鈥檛 get upset.
The most important rule of verbal communication is to forget “no,” “can鈥檛” and “don鈥檛” as these are the worst words that can be said to a customer.
If you have to tell your customer that a red dress is unavailable, as them if they would like to check it out in a different color. If they want it to be red, you can find out a similar model and suggest checking it. 滨迟鈥檚 all about you showing to the customer that you鈥檙e willing to help.
It makes a huge difference!
Positive and negative words in customer service
Communicate With Customers Effectively
A great thing about positive communication is that every person can master it. There are a couple of rules for you to follow if you want to provide better customer service. Such things like being attentive, active listening, letting your speaker finish, are essential for every conversation, not just between a customer and a representative.
滨迟鈥檚 also very important to use the right words and avoid these pesky negative ones so you sound like you want to help your speaker. You should always sound helpful, so if you cannot do what customer asks you to do, suggest an alternative solution.
Use the right tone of voice and if not necessary, try to avoid being too formal (no one likes to talk to robots) and control your body. People pay more attention to nonverbal communication than you think!
Also read: How to Handle Negative Feedback: A Practical Guide
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- Customer Service in Ecommerce: The Best Practises
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- Customer Satisfaction: Importance, Examples, How to Measure
- Ecommerce Personalization: Tips, Tricks and Benefits
- How to Handle Negative Feedback
- The Art of Positive Communication in Customer Service
- How AI Is Changing Customer Service
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