For all of my onsite customer service workshops and keynotes, I arrive at least 45 minutes before we start so I can meet and talk to the people who’ll be spending several hours with me. […]
Customized Engaging Online Customer Service Training
Author: myragolden
Myra is a favorite training partner to Fortune 500 companies with her customized, engaging, behavior-changing (and fun) customer service workshops, working with McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay, Michelin, Vera Bradley and other brands.
How to Get Angry, Irate or Unreasonable Customers to Back Down (3 Steps)
Imagine your next phone call is from an angry, irate customer, and you’ve only got a few seconds to gain control. Are you 100% confident you can handle it? If not, I’ve got the perfect […]
All You Need To Know About Getting Customers To Use Self-Service In Public Libraries
A lot of people are curious about self-service options in public libraries and in retail, but many customers will avoid trying self-service if it seems complicated. No one wants to add more stress to their lives, so if it looks hard, they’ll skip it, and work with a real person instead.
Here are 6 keys to guiding you through exactly how to teach first-time users to master self-service in your library branch or retail store.
1. Introduce Self-Service
A great way to get customers to try self-service is for you to just mention the option.
While you’re helping a customer check out a book, for example, you could ask, “Have you ever tried using self-checkout?” You could then walk over to self-checkout, and walk the customer through how to do it themselves. You just may introduce a customer to something they never would have tried on their own. In that way, you’ll be empowering your customer.
2. Politely Probe To Determine If Your Help Is Needed
4 Secrets About Human Tone In Chat That Nobody Will Tell You
Chat support is not supposed to be rote like an ATM transaction. The idea is to insert a personal tone to build rapport and even delight customers. I have my clients do four things in chat interactions to make them more human.
1. Use “I” and “We” personal pronouns because they instantly make the tone personal.
2. Acknowledge customer concern, meaning speak to your customer’s pain point, “I realize this has been frustrating for you.”
3. Apologize when appropriate. A sincere apology helps you restore confidence and regain goodwill. It can be as simple as, “I’m sorry your tablet isn’t charging for you.”
4. End chats on a positive note. A QVC Chat Agent positively ended a chat with me, like Chick-Fil-A employees always finalize order taking in the first drive-thru window, “You’re certainly welcome, my pleasure! Have a wonderful day, and please don’t hesitate to contact us anytime. We’re always glad to help.”
I wrote this article because a workshop attendee wanted to know how to make her chat support more personal. I even filmed a short YouTube video offering these four secrets that you can use to train your employees. Show this video to your employees to help them make chat interactions more personal.
When a Customers Asks For Your Manager, Here’s What You Say
What Viewers of This Video Are Saying Get More Ideas Like This Now you can give your representatives even more great skills for delivering the best customer experience and for handling difficult customer situations. Sign […]
Simple Guidance for Building Rapport with Customers When You Have to Give Them Bad News
When you can’t tell your customer exactly what they want to hear, maintaining a sense of rapport can be challenging. But it’s possible to give your customer lousy news with empathy and a positive slant.
When you have to give a customer bad news, do it using the “Feel, Felt, Found Method.” This approach helps you to foster a sense of connection with customers, even when you can’t give them exactly what they want.
The basic model for Feel, Felt, Found is:
Feel
Relay that you understand how the customer feels. “I can understand why you feel that way.”
Felt
Show the customer they aren’t alone. “I had another customer who had a similar situation and felt the same way.”
Found
Tell the customer what you’ve found to work. “We found that this worked best.”
Let me show you how this looks in action.
Five Things You Can Do About the Telephone Experience Problem
When I listen to phone calls before training for contact centers, medical practices, and customer service departments, I spot five glaring problems in almost every company I work with. The Big Five Are 1) Blunt, slang-like approach to asking questions, 2) Overtalking customers in an attempt to move the interaction forward, 3) No acknowledgment of the customer’s pain point, 4) Not listening, and 5) Missed rapport opportunities by not pacing.
Today I’m giving you quick fixes for the five significant issues I always see with my clients. You can use these solutions for a short 15-minute team training or in your coaching meetings.
1. Speak In Complete Sentences
Merely going from “Last name?” to “May I have your last name, please?” instantly makes interactions sound friendlier.
4 Things I Learned From Taking My Daughter to Work With Me at LinkedIn Learning
For three years, my 19-year-old College Daughter has worked for my company as a Studio Tech. Lauren’s the genius behind our studio setup, teleprompter, camera, and audio. She also assembles workbooks and advises me on all things Millennial and Gen Y.
Both of my kids get to travel with me for speaking engagements a few times a year – last year Lauren joined me in New York twice. My son experienced Las Vegas with me last summer, and both kids joined me for a conference in the Dallas area a few months ago.
Last week the kids and my husband joined me in Carpinteria, California, for filming, and my daughter spent a day on set with me. When we walked into the studio, my client, LinkedIn Learning, had a sunny welcome for Lauren on the whiteboard. That little detail made us both smile.
While I was in makeup, my Producer, Jake, took Lauren to breakfast.
On the set, Jake (on the right) got Lauren involved by having her introduce takes by snapping the clapper.
The whole day was fun, and I walked away with four takeaways.
Three Ways To Fix the Escalation Problem
Escalated calls are frustrating for everybody – the employee who knows she could’ve done the exact same thing the supervisor did, the supervisor whose hair is on fire, and for the customer who has lost time. It’s time to fix the escalation problem. Here are three ways you can prepare your employees to de-escalate so you can take a little stress out of everybody’s life.
1. See How Much It Costs You To Resolve Most Customer Issues
What I Wish Everyone Knew About Getting Angry Customers to Back Down
Anger Can’t Be Ignored.
We’ve all chosen to not dignify a person’s absurd comment with a response, or perhaps you’ve stepped over a toddler sprawled on the floor in a tantrum, letting them scream. Dismissing fits of anger can be a healthy response in some situations – unless the infuriated person is your customer. Let me unpack this.
Psychologists talk about what they call the Communication Chain. The Communication Chain says that when a person puts out a verbal message, they expect a response to that message. That first message is a link in the communication chain. If there’s no response to the link, the chain is left unlinked or broken.
Now, we know that we have two different parts of the brain that serve two very different functions. The right side of the brain is where we feel emotions – like fear, joy, dread, shock, and love. The left side of our mind is the logical side. This is where we perform tasks that have to do with logic, like science and math.
So back to our Communication Chain – if you have a customer who expresses concern, frustration, or anger and you don’t acknowledge it, that is, if you ignore the rage, you break that chain, and this break forces customers into the right side of the brain where they may become more intense or challenging.
You don’t want an upset customer to operate from the right emotional brain. Because if they do, they’re likely to be more talkative, irrational, and far more intense.
You want your customer coming to you from their logical, rational, and calm left brain. If you link the communication chain by just responding to the customer’s anger, you keep the customer from getting stuck in the right brain.
De-escalation Training for Customer Service & Soft Skills Training 