Eleven ways to better your customer service and win customers over

It’s no surprise that how you treat your customers is key to gaining and retaining them. What is a surprise is so that many businesses are getting the basics wrong.

Just recently I experienced some appalling customer service from a leading Australian software business, so I thought I might share some of what they botched in the process and the behavioural science of how to get it right. 

“I” beats “we”

‘We’, ‘we’, ‘we’ statements like “we can’t do that” or “our policy says we are able to…” will grind the gears of your customer. Why? They sound motherhood-y and like you are hiding behind layers of bureaucracy. Customers much preferred the use of “I”, such as “I will look into that…” or “let me see what I can do” because it signals accountability and empowerment.

The use of “I” has also been found to activate parts of the brain where people “feel” the action. That means it’s especially important to use first person “I” pronouns when communicating actions that you or your customer needs to undertake.

“The” beats “your”

To avert any sense that you are blaming your customer, refer to any problem as “the” issue rather than as “your” issue. For example, say “the issue you have identified”, or “the issue you have been experiencing” rather than “your issue”, as this infers the customer has done something wrong. 

If you are updating the product, let your customer know beforehand

The software at the heart of this example is one I use on an as-needs basis — so imagine my shock and disorientation when logging in to find everything about the interface was different.

Later that day, I received an email suggesting I prepare for the update that was happening next month… Whoops. Not having your ducks in a row undermines your customer’s confidence in you.

If you have live chat, make sure it’s live

Having discovered the update had created a problem in my workflow, I took up the opportunity to “Live Chat”. And waited. For 10 minutes.

If you have live chat, your customers expect it to be available instantly. If you don’t have the staff to keep up, disable your live chat function until you do.

Don’t say sorry, say thank you

Once my live chat was finally answered, the customer service representative did nothing to acknowledge the delay. A simple “thanks for your patience” goes a long way to soothe an irritated customer.

Additionally, “thanks for your patience” is much stronger than “sorry for the wait”, because the latter is about you — the business — being the victim, rather than it being about your customer. Saying sorry also puts your customer in the awkward social position of saying “that’s okay” when it’s really not and they’ll likely resent it.

Customers shouldn’t be referred to as “serial numbers”

This isn’t something I expected to need to spell out, but too many businesses require their customers to refer to their account by “serial number”. This may be one of the fastest ways to dehumanise your customer I’ve ever come across, and speaks volumes about how antiquated and bureaucratic a company is.

If you need to identify customer’s account, try asking them to quote their “customer number” or “order number” instead. Thereafter, use their preferred name to humanise the exchange.

Lighten your customer service phone tone

I know working in customer support is a tough gig, but its important to sound like you are happy to be speaking with your customer!

Put positive energy into your voice so it disarms your cranky customer and warms them to you. To get the tone right when calling a customer back, for example, try “Hi Bri, this is Sam from Company Name. I understand you have an issue you would like some help with? So that I can work this through with you, would you mind confirming your customer number and your email address with me?”

Elements to include:

• Use their name. It’s amazing how many reps don’t do this and sound discourteous as a result.
• Use your own name. This humanises the exchange. It’s easier to be angry when it’s anonymous. 
• Acknowledge they have contacted you about a problem (“I understand”) so it sounds like you have grabbed the ball and are running with it.
• Provide a reason for asking for information (“So that I can…”)

Lead with “get before give”

When building up to asking something of your customer, lead with what they will get for doing so before what they have to give you.

Rather than saying “tell me more about what happened so I can get you an answer”, reverse it to “so that I can [XYZ], can you give me a little more detail about what happened?”

Use “done” before “do”

To ensure your customer gives you the information you need, build a sense of reciprocity by leading with what you’ve done before telling them what you need them to do.

For example, “I’ve looked at your account and can see…So I can escalate the issue to my technical team, are you able to provide a screenshot…?”

Handling the customer service handover

When your customer has spent time detailing their issue to a consultant who needs to escalate or redirect it to a colleague, make sure at least some of the details are handed over. Making your customer retell their story from scratch is diabolical.

The handover doesn’t need to be lengthy, just enough to signal to your customer that they have been heard and what they’ve shared hasn’t been lost in the transfer. This helps them feel they are being taken seriously and that you run a cohesive business.

“Bri, I see here you shared that your <insert issue> wasn’t working as expected? Are you able to tell me a little more about that?”

If it’s a call back, don’t put your customer on hold

I received a call-back from the second consultant I spoke with who informed me she would put me through to someone who could help — which was fine. Except I was then on hold for another 10 minutes waiting for this third person to speak to me. When you call your customer, the timing is your choice, so avoid putting them on lengthy holds.

Winning them over

If someone is reaching out to customer service, it means they have a problem; their day isn’t going as planned and they are annoyed with you, and this only gets worse the longer you place them on hold or stuff them around with transfers.

1. Thank your customers for calling and for being patient;

2. Use “I” statements to signal accountability;

3. Signpost the process, for example “after I <first action>, I will <next action>…” so they feel like you have a plan and they’re in safe hands;

4. Provide a reference number they can use to call back if they need to — this helps them feel everything has been recorded;

5. If you need to go quiet, tell them you are rather than just going silent. They’ll panic and wonder if they’ve been disconnected;

6. If you make promises and provide a timeframe for a solution or when they can expect a call from you, make sure you can actually deliver on them; and

7. Conclude the call with an offer of anything else they need so they feel resolved.