CUSTOMER SERVICE PHONE ETIQUETTE

Sometimes you may pick up the phone and immediately have to rebuild a relationship With a customer. These cases should be scarce, but they will happen to even the best customer service teams. It's important to use the correct phone etiquette in these types of cases to produce the most effective outcome for both the customer and the company. To help you prepare, below are a few common challenges that most customer service reps will face when working on the phone.

1. The customer is asking you to do something that you can't.

The only "downside" to providing great customer service is that sometimes your customers expect too much from you. When you're constantly fulfilling their needs they may ask you to do something that you simply don't have the power to do, or is against your company's policy. Often times they're not making a malicious request, but rather the customer thinks your team is so effective it can provide an advanced service.

In these cases, you should do your best to reset expectations for the customer regarding what your service team can and can't do. It helps if you can provide the customer with a document or knowledge base article that outlines your policy and answers any additional questions customers may have. While you should be able to explain your company's policy on your own, offering a standardized document helps build credibility for your argument. The customer knows you're not making up this response on the spot and there's a reason for why you can't perform the requested action.

2. The customer insists on staying on the phone until their problem is resolved.

Customers are dedicated to reaching their goals and some will do nearly anything to achieve success, even if that means staying on the phone until they get their way. This motivation can sometimes lead to stressful situations where customers become agitated because a rep can't perform a specific action. These cases are rare but they will happen, especially if your product is imperative for customer success.

The best measure to take in these cases is to provide proactive customer service. Pay attention to cues in the customer's tone and vocabulary that would indicate frustration or stress. Then prevent escalation by acknowledging the roadblock as well as how the problem impacts the customer's workflow. This demonstrates to the customer that you have been actively listening to their request and are aligned with their goals.

If you can't defuse the situation, the next best step is to initiate a follow up plan. Let the customer know that you would like to look into the issue further and would like to follow up via their preferred contact method. If the customer is resistant to getting off the phone, explain how you need to get in touch with internal references who can assist you with the issue. Make it clear that it's in the customer's best interest to hang up the phone and follow up at a later time. If that's not possible, contact your manager immediately to intervene with the situation.

3. The customer is demanding to speak with a manager.

Many customers think that demanding to speak with management will help resolve their case faster. In actuality, customer service managers dictate the company's stance on customer service issues and will echo the rep's initial response if it's in accordance with their policy. This can lead to poor customer experiences as customers will feel like the company has failed to meet their individual needs.

Instead of escalating to your manager, try to handle the case on your own. You can certainly ask your manager for advice but make sure they're not actively participating in the conversation with the customer. The moment you bring in your manager you're actively admitting to the customer that you can't solve their issue on your own.

Sometimes customers will demand outright to speak with your manager. For these cases we recommend implementing a one strike rule, meaning if a customer asks to speak with your manager then you have one chance to prevent the escalation. Confidently tell the customer that their best chance of resolving the issue is with your help and outline the steps you're going to take to assist them. If that doesn't work, ask to follow up with management at a later time or directly connect them with your manager.

4. The customer doesn't understand your explanation.

Phones are great for providing immediate support for simple and easy-to-fix issues but they can be tricky to work on when cases become more complex. Both you and the customer have to keep track of important case details to ensure you're on the same page throughout the troubleshooting process. In these cases, it's easy for customers to misinterpret information and become confused about the steps you're recommending. Even if you're providing detailed troubleshooting steps, your in-depth explanation may be too advanced for the customer's level of product knowledge.

For these scenarios, leverage customer service tools that can help clarify your explanation. Tools like screen shares and virtual assistants provide hands-on support and guide customers through each step of the troubleshooting process. This way you can ensure they're following your recommendations properly and answer any questions that have at that moment.

If you don't have access to these types of tools, there are plenty of free options available for your team. Check out this complete list of free help desk software that your team can use for its troubleshooting efforts.

5. The customer is keeping you on the phone for too long.

Customers value their time, but so do customer service reps. Most reps have a case quota that they need to reach every day and will fall short if they get stuck on a lengthy call. When you're dealing with 30+ calls each day, you can't afford to be bogged down by an hour-long call. This presents you with a tricky challenge of meeting customer needs as well as your own career goals.  

While you should give each customer your utmost attention and dedication to their problem, be mindful of how long you're on the phone with a customer. When you're no longer making any significant progress on the case, ask to follow up with them. Explain why you need to follow up and how this will lead to a faster resolution. This measure not only helps you reach your daily goals but will proactively demonstrate that you're being mindful of the customer's