| UK: 
| AU: 
| SGP: 
Have you ever had a call where your customer asked you the question, “Did you understand what I said?”.
As your mind starts to backtrack trying to figure-out how the flow of your conversation has been progressing, you suddenly realize that you aren’t quite sure what his problem really is.
“Did I miss anything?” You then asked yourself. How is it that despite my being attentive to every single word that my caller is saying, I still can’t figure out what he really needs?
I have to tell you that you are not the first person to ever ask that question. Other call center agents struggle with the same thing as well.
And the reason why this seems to be happening is we’re only focusing on the words that are coming out of the callers’ mouth, when we should also be perceptive of the other things like the tone of their voice, the pacing of their ideas, and the points that they keep on repeating (among others).
When the situation comes where your caller is still frustrated, and he still feels that his problem hasn’t been resolved (even if it has already been addressed), you need to realize that there are other things that he needs from you.
What are these “other things”, you might ask?
That’s what we’ll talk about right now.
1.) They need you to empathize with them.
They want others to recognize the pain and struggles that they’ve gone through. They especially want the company whom they thought was responsible for their struggles to recognize how they feel.
In situations like these, saying things like, “I understand how frustrating this must be…” or “I sincerely understand where you’re coming from…” or the good ‘ol, “I’m sorry to hear that you are…” can go a long way.
Remember to make it clear to your callers that you empathize with them.
Don’t just go start talking about the solution when just seconds ago, they poured out their hearts telling you their struggles and the hurts that they’ve experienced. Doing so will lead your callers to think that you are insensitive, and that you only view them as an account, and not a real person.
2.) They need you to provide solutions to their unsaid problems.
When your clients are frustrated and angry, they will end up telling you all sorts of things. They will make their minor problems seem huge, making it even more challenging for you to decipher what their main problem really is.
In fact, when your clients are in such state, they might even forget to tell you what their main problems are, since they just want to vent out and start talking about all the problems that they’ve experienced.
You need to be discerning in times like these.
You need to put two and two together and figure out what your callers main problems are instead of just addressing the problems that your callers are addressing on a surface level.
If you can’t quite figure out what their real problems are, be sure to probe. Ask them. Get some more information from them so you can figure out what their real problems really are.
3.) They need you to be their advocate.
The fact is, you can address all of your callers’ questions, all while antagonizing them.
Don’t do that.
That’s never going to work — if you want to win over your caller’s, that is.
Here’s the thing. If you want your callers to feel that they are secure, and are cared for, you need to make them feel that you are on their side — all while giving them the solution to their problems.
What’s next?
Are you looking for a team of call center agents who can help outsource your customer service needs? Be sure to contact us using this form. Take care!
