Each answering service representative spends days, weeks or months training, dependent on the company he works for. He may receive specialized training specific to your business in order to ensure top quality service. You can’t always predict, though, how conversations will play out or how customer’s attitudes will be. Due to this, there are a few things your representative will not be doing, because it only hurts a business’s reputation.
- End the Experience Early: Some call centers utilize follow up calls to ensure the customer is happy. Even when this is not done, records are maintained. If the customer calls again, the representative knows all prior problems and how these were handled. It makes the customer feel he is a person, rather than a piece of profit.
- Disconnect on Poor Terms: The call needs to end with a positive experience. Even if the customer is not getting what he wants, there needs to be some resolution. This illustrates your business is willing to satisfy and work with customers.
- Blame the Customer: Product issues may be due to customer misuse or misreading product descriptions. The answering service, however, cannot blame the customer. Instead, it attempts to hear her need and find a satisfactory way to correct the situation.
- Restate Policies: Most customers know the business policy. They are not calling to hear it restated and, when it is, they feel unheard. The customer calls because his personal situation makes a difference, and the representative needs to pay attention to this.
- Speak for the Customer: Customers do not want to be told what or how to feel. Representatives will ensure your client feels heard and acknowledged. The representative will not say things like, “I understand how you feel” because he does not. The representative instead treats the situation from the perspective of the client.
Some answering services are given rigid guidelines to make sure company policies are followed. If there is any leeway, however, there are still a few methods that cannot be utilized. All representatives are educated about these, because it allows your customer to feel like an individual. This means higher customer satisfaction and retention rates.
