Inbound Agent: Managing Customer Behavior

For inbound call center agents, the responsibility to deliver a quality customer service is of extreme importance.  But every caller varies; customer service agent should learn to react accordingly to these different types of callers in order to provide better service.

There are different caller behavior patterns that you’ll encounter including assertive, angry, passive and talkative.

Each pattern needs a different approach that an inbound agent should know.

Assertive Callers

They easily show authority and usually get to the point immediately. They spend little time with non-business conversation and want their concerns taken care of.  To be able to manage them, you have to understand their request. Use closed-ended questions to help control the conversation and always be friendly but direct with your statements.

Always remain courteous, no matter how much the customer pushes you.

Angry Callers

Handling angry customers is very challenging yet rewarding if the customer service agent can manage the conversation. Always be polite and remember to stay calm, they are not angry with you personally; their expectations are just not met so they need someone to speak with regarding their complaints. You have to listen to understand the problem and apologize in a general way. You also need to propose a plan of action that will solve the problem so they will feel that they’re being given importance.

Passive Callers

They are easy to manage because they don’t usually complain, but it’s a mistake to take them for granted. You should ask them about the level of service they’re receiving, or if they have any suggestions.

Talkative Callers

They are often interesting and enjoyable but they can take a lot of time. So make sure to ask closed questions and always steer the conversation back to business.

As you can see, each caller behavior pattern requires a different approach to successfully manage the conversation. The most important thing to remember is that they need you, and taking that approach helps you always feel confident and in control.

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