PERFECT PHRASES for CUSTOMER SERVICE second edition Hundreds of Ready-to-Use Phrases for Handling Any Customer Service Situation Robert Bacal New York Chicago San Francisco Lisbon London Madrid Mexico City Milan New Delhi San Juan Seoul Singapore Sydney Toronto Copyright © 2011 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or re- trieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher. ISBN: 978-0-07-175929-8 MHID: 0-07-175929-8 The material in this eBook also appears in the print version of this title: ISBN: 978-0-07-174506-2, MHID: 0-07-174506-8. All trademarks are trademarks of their respective owners. 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Under no circumstances shall McGraw-Hill and/or its licensors be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, punitive, consequential or similar damages that result from the use of or inability to use the work, even if any of them has been advised of the possibility of such damages. This limitation of liability shall apply to any claim or cause whatsoever whether such claim or cause arises in contract, tort or otherwise. Contents Preface to the Second Edition ix Part One. Succeeding at Customer Service Chapter 1.Basics of Customer Service 3 What’s in It for Me? 4 Different Kinds of Customers 6 First Things First—Dispelling an Important Customer Service Myth 8 Understanding What Customers Want 10 How to Get the Most from This Book 13 Chapter 2.Customer Service Tools and Techniques 15 Above and Beyond the Call of Duty 16 Acknowledge Customer’s Needs 16 Acknowledge Without Encouraging 17 Active Listening 17 Admit Mistakes 18 Allow Venting 18 Apologize 19 Appropriate Nonverbals 19 Appropriate Smiles 19 Arrange Follow-Up 20 Ask Probing Questions 20 Assurances of Effort 21 iii Contents Assurances of Results 21 Audience Removal 22 Bonus Buy Off 22 Broken Record 22 Close Interactions Positively 23 Common Courtesy 23 Complete Follow-Up 24 Contact Security/Authorities/Management 24 Disengage 25 Distract 25 Empathy Statements 26 Expedite 26 Expert Recommendations 27 Explain Reasoning or Actions 27 Face-Saving Out 28 Find Agreement Points 28 Finish Off/Follow Up 29 Isolate/Detach Customer 29 Level 29 Manage Height Differentials/Nonverbals 30 Manage Interpersonal Distance 30 Not Taking the Bait 31 Offering Choices/Empowering 32 Plain Language 32 Preemptive Strike 33 Privacy and Confidentiality 33 Pros and Cons 34 Provide Alternatives 34 Provide a Customer Takeaway 35 Provide Explanations 35 Question Instead of State 36 Refer to Supervisor 36 iv Contents Refer to Third Party 37 Refocus 38 Set Limits 38 Some People Think That (Neutral Mode) 40 Stop Sign–Nonverbal 40 Suggest an Alternative to Waiting 41 Summarize the Conversation 41 Telephone Silence 42 Thank-Yous 43 Timeout 43 Use Customer’s Name 43 Use of Timing with Angry Customers 44 Verbal Softeners 44 Voice Tone—Emphatic 45 When Question 45 You’re Right! 46 Part Two. Dealing with Specific Customer Situations 1. When You’re Late or Know You’ll Be Late 49 2. When a Customer Is in a Hurry 52 3. When a Customer Jumps Ahead in a Line of Waiting Customers 54 4. When a Customer Asks to Be Served Ahead of Other Waiting Customers 56 5. When a Customer Interrupts a Discussion Between the Employee and Another Customer 58 6. When a Customer Has a Negative Attitude About Your Company Due to Past Experiences 60 7. When You Need to Explain a Company Policy or Procedure 63 8. When a Customer Might Be Mistrustful 66 9. When the Customer Has Been Through Voicemail Hell 69 v Contents 10. When a Customer Is Experiencing a Language Barrier 72 11. When the Customer Has Been “Buck-Passed” 75 12. When a Customer Needs to Follow a Sequence of Actions 77 13. When the Customer Insults Your Competence 79 14. When a Customer Won’t Stop Talking on the Phone 81 15. When the Customer Swears or Yells #1 83 16. When the Customer Swears or Yells #2 86 17. When a Customer Won’t Stop Talking and Is Getting Abusive on the Phone #1 89 18. When a Customer Won’t Stop Talking and Is Getting Abusive on the Phone #2 92 19. When a Customer Has Been Waiting in a Line 95 20. When You Don’t Have the Answer 97 21. When Nobody Handy Has the Answer 101 22. When You Need to Place a Caller on Hold 104 23. When You Need to Route a Customer Phone Call 107 24. When You Lack the Authority to ... 109 25. When a Customer Threatens to Go Over Your Head 111 26. When a Customer Demands to Speak with Your Supervisor 113 27. When a Customer Demands to Speak with Your Supervisor,Who Isn’t Available 116 28. When a Customer Threatens to Complain to the Press 118 29. When a Customer Demands to Speak to the “Person in Charge” 121 30. When a Customer Makes an Embarrassing Mistake 125 31. When a Customer Withholds Information Due to Privacy Concerns 128 32. When a Customer Threatens Bodily Harm or Property Damage 131 33. When a Customer Is Confused About What He or She Wants or Needs 135 vi Contents 34. When a Customer Makes a Racist Remark 138 35. When a Customer Makes a Sexist Remark 141 36. When a Customer Refuses to Leave 144 37. When a Customer Accuses You of Racism 147 38. When a Customer Plays One Employee Off Another (“So-and-So Said”) 150 39. When a Customer Might Be Stealing 154 40. When a Customer Is Playing to an Audience of Other Customers 156 41. When a Customer Exhibits Passive-Aggressive Behavior 159 42. When a Customer Uses Nonverbal Attempts to Intimidate 162 43. When a Customer Makes Persistent and Frequent Phone Calls 165 44. When Someone Else Is Not Responding (No Callback) 168 45. When You Need to Clarify Commitments 172 46. When a Customer Wants Information You’re Not Allowed to Give 175 47. When a Customer Makes a Suggestion to Improve Service 177 48. When You Can’t Find a Customer’s Reservation/Appointment 180 49. When You’re Following Up on a Customer Complaint 183 50. Properly Identifying the Internal Customer 186 51. When an Internal Customer Isn’t Following Procedures to Request Service 189 52. When the Customer Wants Something That Won’t Fill His Need 192 53. When You Want Feedback from the Customer 195 54. When a Customer Complains About Red Tape and Paperwork 198 55. When You Need to Respond to a Customer Complaint Made in Writing 201 vii Contents 56. When a Reservation/Appointment Is Lost and You Can’t Meet the Commitment 204 57. When Customers Are Waiting in a Waiting Room 207 58. When a Customer Complains About a Known Problem 210 59. When a Customer Asks Inappropriate Questions 212 60. When a Customer Tries an Unacceptable Merchandise Return 214 Part Three. Social Media and Customer Service The Connection Between Social Media and Customer Service 221 61. Scanning,Watching,Searching (Proactive) 227 62. Triage:Proactively Prioritizing Complaints/Comments 229 63. Contact! 232 64. Proactive Complaint Handling 234 viii Preface to the Second Edition T his might be the most boring book on customer service you will ever come across.And if you’re in customer ser- vice you need this book,because I guarantee you it will help you! It may not entertain you.If you want that,rent a movie. It will,however,make you a better customer service provider, and it will make you safer and help reduce stress from difficult customer situations. You’ve probably seen those commercials for the cough syrup brand that tastes so bad? It’s a fun ad campaign and it’s memorable. One remembers the simple fact that the cough syrup works.This book is like that.It might taste a little bad,but it works great. In a short customer review of the first edition of this book,a reader said he thought the book was deadly dull.Authors don’t like that.I didn’t like it.Then I was asked to write the second edi- tion of this book—the one you hold in your hand.Now I had to read the original book,and darned if I had to agree.It’s boring! The other thing I noticed (and this was reflected in other more detailed reader reviews) was that the content is really real- ly good.OK.I’m biased,but seriously,there’s much in this book ix