Customer Service Training, Tips, Articles & Videos with Myra Golden
Resources for My Progressive Business Seminar Attendees
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Today I’m speaking at a Progressive Business Conference on how to build rapport over the telephone. As a special bonus for my attendees, I am providing resources to help create an amazing customer experience. Enjoy.
Telephone Call Flow Strategy
The telephone is one of the best branding devices out there. Over the telephone you get 3-5 minutes of your customer’s undivided attention. If you get the interaction right, you can create a memorable experience, generate positive word-of-mouth advertising, and build customer loyalty, which leads to increased profits. Getting the interaction right usually requires a call strategy of some kind. Here is the 9-point call strategy my consultants use to improve the customer experience with our clients.
What to Say to a Yelling or Cursing Customer
It’s rare that a customer goes ballistic, but it happens. Here’s how to handle the tough customer.
Polite Ways to Get the Long-winded Caller to Cut to the Chase
Practical tips for getting chatty-Cathy to get to the point, click here.
20 Diplomatic Phrases to Help You Regain Control in 7 Common Situations with Difficult Customers
Learn how to communicate with diplomacy and tact in a variety of situations from the customer who demands to speak to a supervisor to drawing the line on consumer error. Get the phrases right here.
For help shaping or improving your customer experience, consider working with me or one of my trainers. Explore our onsite customer service training programs.
You might also be interested in our customer service eLearning.
Complete Customer Service Training Suite
Our flagship program is comprised of 6 online customer service training modules with video, interactivity, downloadable handouts, and quizzes. You have the option of enjoying our interactive online training right here on our site or on your Learning Management System (LMS).
This course includes: Delivering WOW Through Service, Telephone Techniques, Call Control Skills, How to Handle Difficult Customers, and Email Customer Service.
Customer Service eLearning from Myra Golden
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6 multi-media eLearning courses designed and taught by Myra Golden
Experience the courses on our website or upload to your SCORM or AICC compliant LMS
This Customer Service eLearning suite includes 6 courses with Myra Golden leading customer service representatives through field-tested and proven strategies for delivering the very best customer service and the very best customer experience.
Myra Golden’s Customer Service eLearning courses include:
- 6 online video courses for employees to follow on their own
- 12-month access to training
- 5 hours of video training (Users don’t necessarily have to participate in all courses – You’ll choose the topics your employees need)
- Training led by customer service expert, Myra Golden
- Interactive exercises and thought-provoking questions to ensure the learning is adopted and applied
- Quizzes at the end of each module to test learning. (Your employees must score at least 80% in each module in order to “pass”)
- YouTube video skits with exercises to keep your people engaged, get them laughing and help make the learning “stick”
- Printable key points
- Immediate password access on our website
- Ready for uploading to your SCORM/AICC compliant LMS or your intranet website
Get the full story on Myra Golden’s eLearning suite, watch a demo, or register now
Tags: Customer Service eLearning, Customer Service Training, Online Customer Service Training
Telephone Call Flow/Strategy for Contact Centers
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The telephone is one of the best branding devices out there. Over the telephone you get 3-5 minutes of your customer’s undivided attention. If you get the interaction right, you can create a memorable experience, generate positive word-of-mouth advertising, and build customer loyalty, which leads to increased profits. Getting the interaction “right” usually requires a call strategy or call flow of some kind.
This is the 9-point call strategy our consultants use when implementing a customer-focused culture in contact centers. This call strategy focuses on creating a warm experience with customers in a focused, efficient manner. I hope it helps you as you work to create a customer-focused culture.
1. Standard opening
- “Good morning” or “Good afternoon. Customer Care. This is Penny.”
- “Good morning. Customer Care. This is Penny. How may I help you?”
2. Acknowledge concern, when appropriate
- “I can understand how frustrating it is when your rental car breaks down.”
- “I realize how complicated it is to …..”
- “I cannot imagine how upsetting it is to …..”
- “I know how confusing it must be when …..”
3. Acknowledge a compliment, when appropriate
- “Thank you. We love hearing from our satisfied customers.”
- “Thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us.”
4. Maintain control (and put customers at ease) with assertive statements
- “We appreciate customers who let us know when things aren’t right.”
- “I can help you with that.”
- “The first thing we need to do is…”
- “I can certainly get that information for you.”
- “I would be happy to report that for you.”
- “I can get that information for you.”
- “I’m glad you called today.”
5. Bridge to questioning
- “In order to determine what happened, I will need to ask you some questions.”
- “Do you mind if I ask you some questions so we can figure out what has happened?”
- “So I can assist you, may I ask you a few questions?”
6. How to ask questions
Use please and thank you
Be friendly and conversational…don’t have an “interrogation” style
- “May I have your zip code please?”
- “Thanks. I have one final question.”
7. Recap and provide next steps
- “I will mail you a $50 gift card. You should receive this gift card in 7-10 business days.”
- “I will research this and call you back at 918-398-9368.”
8. Ask “Is there anything else?”
- “Ms. Williams, may I help you with anything else?”
- “May I help you with anything else, Mr. Smith?”
- “Do you have any additional questions, Mrs. Jones?”
- “Is there anything else I can help you with today, Mr. Davis?”
- “Ms. Brown, how else may I help you today?”
9. Standard closing (include some form of thanks and company name)
- “Thank you for calling Myra Golden Media. Good-bye.”
For customer service help with your telephone skills or customer service culture, please visit our Customer Service eLearning page or explore classroom customer service training on our customer service training page.
Like this:
The Issue is Not the “Issue.” It’s how the issue is “handled.”
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Here’s a “throw-back” customer service training video from our early years. But the point remains relevant today. Most times, the problem the customer experienced isn’t the issue at all.
The company’s response to the presented problem usually ends up being the real “problem.” Service recovery has a significant impact on customer satisfaction because customers are more emotionally involved in and observant of recovery service than in routine or first-time service and are often more dissatisfied by an organization’s failure to recover than by the service failure itself. Enjoy this 90-second customer service training video.
This training video is from our customer service eLearning suite…
Complete Customer Service Training Suite
Our flagship program is comprised of 6 online customer service training modules with video, interactivity, downloadable handouts, and quizzes. You have the option of enjoying our interactive online training right here on our site or on your Learning Management System (LMS).
This course includes: Delivering WOW Through Service, Telephone Techniques, Call Control Skills, How to Handle Difficult Customers, and Email Customer Service.
How do I quickly give my agents good phone and customer service skills training?
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Q. My agents are good at what they do. They know our products and policy up and down, but I am concerned about the level of customer service we provide over the phone. Can you share some telephone customer service tips I can use to train in a short segment (like a staff meeting)?
Myra’s answer to How do I quickly give my agents good phone and customer service skills training?
Certainly I can! Here are 9 very important customer service tips for the telephone that you can easily use in a staff meeting. I hope it goes well for you! (You might also be interested in our customer service eLearning. It has a a module on telephone techniques and another on call control.)
1. Smile -You can actually hear a smile through the telephone. When you smile, you sound friendly, interested, and helpful. You also make the customer feel that your sole intent is to be of service and people really can tell the difference. So smile!
2. Tell the caller your name – Giving the caller your name demonstrates accountability and communicates a sincere desire to help. It also gives customers a reference should they need to call your company back.
3. Ask questions - You should ask questions for these reasons:
To gain information To focus the conversation To gain consensus when necessary To begin the call closure process
4. Paraphrase the caller’s message - Paraphrasing is simply restating in your own words, what the customer has said. You will paraphrase to ensure you understand the customer’s request/problem. The customer will clarify if you don’t have all of the details.
5. Repeat the caller’s name – Repeating the caller’s name during a conversation helps you remember their name. Remembering names (and using names) shows you are genuinely interested in your customers and makes future dialogue or problem solving much easier because using names helps you create rapport.
6. Always tell the caller what you’re going to do – We’ve all felt that helpless feeling when we’ve been put on hold indefinitely or transferred to 3 departments and still not be able to get through to the right person. When we do this to callers, we are telling them they have no choice and certainly no control over the situation. These feelings produce frustration and a negative impression of you and your company. One way to avoid this is to tell callers what you are going to do before you do it.
When transferring callers to another person, give customers the name of the person you are connecting them with. If you need to place callers on hold, tell them so and ask if that’s acceptable. If you have to research the problem or speak with your manager, tell the caller exactly what you need to do.
7. Return calls promptly - Doing this helps you (and the company) quickly gain a reputation for being responsive and professional.
8. Give every caller your best – The caller on your phone is your most important priority, more important than calls in queue, more important than your to-do list, next meeting or anticipated break. Focus on the call and never make the customer feel that you are hurried or not interested.
9. Let the caller hang up first - It’s polite to let your caller hang up first and in most cases, your caller will hang up within 2 – 4 seconds of the last spoken word. If we rush to disconnect, we may cut off a customer who had one more question or we can give the impression that we are in a hurry (which is interpreted as “we don’t really care”).
When you do these very simple things, you will create a great impression for the company and you’ll find that handling difficult callers and high call volumes will be MUCH easier because your customers feel taken care of every step of the way.
For more customer service help, check out our training programs for contact center agents.
Myra Answers YOUR Questions
Myra looks forward to answering your questions about customer service, contact center management, and customer service training. Please e-mail Myra at info@myragolden.com or tweet her at @myragolden.
Tags: Call Center, Customer Service, Telephone Techniques
20 WOW Telephone Techniques: Tip #17
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What to say to the yelling or cursing customer
- “I’m trying to help you, but if you continue to yell and swear, I am going to ask that you call back another time. It’s up to you…which would you prefer?”
- “I’m sorry. It isn’t possible to help while listening to that language. If it stops, I can help.”
- “If a few minutes helps you calm down before we continue, that would be fine. You can certainly call me back.”
- “I want to help you, yet the language is getting in the way.”
Note: Your tone is critically important with the above statements. You must come across calm, neutral, and non-threatening.
If you liked this tip, you might also like our customer service eLearning. It has a a module on telephone techniques and another on call control.
20 WOW Telephone Techniques: Tip #6
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Don’t say anything to a customer that you wouldn’t say to your grandmother.
If we all followed this simple rule, we would always create warm experiences over the telephone. Most of us would never speak to our grandmother in a harsh, rude, apathetic or condescending tone. Further, we’d eagerly go out of our way to find a solution to help grandma out. Naturally, we’d smile when speaking to grandma.
So, tip # 6 is “Don’t say anything to a customer that you wouldn’t say to your grandmother. “ When you master this tip, all of the other tips really become unnecessary.
If you liked this tip, you might also like our customer service eLearning. It has a a module on telephone techniques and another on call control.
20 WOW Telephone Techniques: Tip #14
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How to WOW a Caller that You Cannot Hear
Last week I called my natural gas company, ONG, from my cell phone. Apparently the representative could not hear me at all. After saying “hello” a couple of times, she said:
“I’m sorry, I’m not able to hear you. Your call is important to us. Please call us back at 800-xxx-xxxx. Thank you for calling ONG.”
I loved it! Most Reps might just hang up when they hear nothing on the other end of the phone. BUT ONG used “dead air” as an opportunity to WOW. This simple statement was memorable and unusual. The next time you can’t hear an incoming caller, try ONG’s response strategy and you will WOW your callers. 
If you liked this tip, you might also like our customer service eLearning. It has a a module on telephone techniques and another on call control.
I work with companies that are serious about delighting and keeping customers. My blog includes thoughts, articles, videos, and even rants about customer service. Thanks for stopping by. :)
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