Customers will put you on the spot with these tough – not technical – questions.
It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in, you will face these three questions. We’ve included tips on how to best answer them.
- “Why don’t you have it?” Customer service expert Leonard Buchholz suggests using the future-present-past technique to answer. “It’s my job to make sure you’re taken care of efficiently. Right now, the part is out of stock. Although we’ve been able to supply it immediately in the past, we dropped the ball today. What I can do is express ship the part when it comes in and give you a discount on the next order. Is that OK?”
- “Why didn’t you tell me?” Avoid getting defensive. Take the blame and let customers know what you can do. “We didn’t hold up our end of the relationship. It’s my job to repair this and regain your trust. I will personally handle everything until this gets straightened out.”
- “Why did it cost less last time?” This might be a good time for at least a loose script, advises the e-newsletter CSM. It might say: “There is a price difference this time. Let me look at your account. Here’s what I can do – credit your account for the difference on this increase. And please be aware that prices will increase from time to time. Is that fair?”
