The use of words and phrases that reflect general courtesy keeps interactions between clients and advisors respectful and, as a result, improves the relationship. In these scenarios, it`s important for advisors to use courtesy words like these so the client doesn`t feel like they`re simply not listening. According to our readers, Bonjour/Bonjour is the best opening for a contact center greeting, although “Welcome to” and “Thank you for the call” were also well received. For difficult questions, especially those where the client has a high emotional interest, a phone engagement can help comfort the client, showing not only courtesy but also empathy. It is important to remain polite throughout the call so that customers feel comfortable raising more concerns or questions. This consequently increases satisfaction. Although it may be more polite to address the caller as “Sir” or “Madam,” the use of this language may seem systematic as if the counsellor were reading a script. This is polite because it prevents the caller from feeling helpless and assures them of the consultant`s concentration and understanding. Here`s an overview of the courtesy words contact center consultants should have in their vocabulary, as well as guidelines on when to use them. Many of the above words and phrases included personal pronouns such as “I” and “you,” which are often encouraged in customer service. These can also be marked as words of courtesy.
Final courtesies of this kind are important and should ideally be common. In addition to the language used by advisors, there are habits that advisors can adopt to be courteous on the phone. These include: The use of the phrase “I can help you with this” can be considered the magic word for customer service. It gives the customer the assurance that he has contacted the right person in the company to process his request. In addition to attentive, polite and respectful language, soothing sounds can also be used to show politeness. These are often referred to as verbal nodding. “Courtesy visit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/courtesy%20call. Retrieved 10 October 2022.
Let`s also look at the most common words of courtesy that can be interspersed in an interaction as a sign of mutual respect. While the aforementioned words and phrases help convey courtesy, it`s important to remember that how you say something is just as important as what you say. “Dead air” is a moment of silence during a client-advisor interaction that can interfere with the relationship-building process. When a client expresses gratitude, the statement “You are welcome” shows that this has been confirmed by the consultant. Such statements of appreciation are a powerful tool for building relationships. To reassure the customer about the importance of his request, it is important to give him a sense of immediacy. Don`t forget to say when you ask the customer for information! Doing anything else will seem rude and can damage any relationship that has been built before. Thus, the following alternatives can be used to politely confirm the customer: The use of this phrase indicates that the process of resolving the customer`s request has come into effect. For example, “forgive me” is a good reflex phrase if a counselor missed a small part of the conversation. However, if large chunks of information have been lost, forgive me is more appropriate.
For more great tips on improving the language of customer service in your contact center, check out our articles: When the agent informs the customer of what they are doing to help them while they are still on the phone, they take control of the situation. For example, it can be used in this way: “Forgive me, I didn`t catch your email address. Could you please repeat that to me? One of our readers, Kevin, agrees, saying, “Actually, it works, we`ve done practice sessions where two counsellors sit back to back and one of them talks and the other listens. Courtesy in an opening statement is a great way to lay the foundation for strong interaction between clients and advisors. Before we get into the details, here`s a quick reminder of some of the phrases you should avoid. This is polite because it gives the customer the impression that the problem has been “removed” while minimizing “dead air” is also a good tactic. In order to build a relationship, it is important for the client to feel that their thoughts have been acknowledged. It`s also good to praise customers for being more polite. Find out how to do this by reading our article: 50 Great Free Words for Customer Service There will be cases where the client will feel like they have their request fully detailed, but the consultant can`t quite understand the situation.
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