Say the wrong thing and you can send even happy customers off in a tailspin of anger. Here are five of those dreaded phrases.
Avoid these words and statements at all cost when communicating with customers, advises business expert Jeff Haden.
- “Are you sure?” Yes, customers are wrong sometimes. But saying this is like directly doubting them. Instead, ask them to clarify: “Can you walk me through that one more time so I can make sure I fully understand what went wrong?” It validates the customer’s position and helps you keep the conversation positive.
- “You should have …” Customer don’t take kindly to hearing what they did wrong. Instead, tell them what they can do right from now on. “What you might want to try in the future is …”
- “That’s against our policy.” Truth is, customers don’t care about policies. They care about getting what they want when they want it. Terms or conditions that aren’t spelled out in advance aren’t relevant to customers. Instead, say, “What I can do is …”
- “I will try to do that…” It seems like a harmless phrase, but customers aren’t all that interested in your efforts. They mostly care about what you’ll do for them. Instead, say, “I will …”
- “Let me know if you have any more problems.” Customers aren’t likely going to give you another chance after they’ve had one problem. They’ll just go somewhere else. Instead, follow up on the problem they had. Say, “I’ll call to check on this situation tomorrow. What time is good for you?”
