The Power of Conflict Resolution Training
I’d like to introduce a guest blogger today. Debbie Gurley, Vice President of Customer Support shares how important conflict resolution training is for call center representatives.
~ Steve
The phrase “good customer service” is used by many companies these days. It is rare; however, to find companies that truly follow through with that statement. I’ve been working in operation support for 26 years and have seen a lot of good and bad practices. These experiences have allowed me to implement practices that have proven to be very successful for the QuantumDigital call center team.
One of the most important aspects of customer service is how to turn emotion into retention or in other words, how to resolve conflict. Any customer, including you or I, want to speak to an actual person, not a recording — especially when we are frustrated with a product or service that isn’t what we expected. Conflict resolution training is sometimes more of an afterthought for call centers, but it should be the first step in preparing representatives for success.
In 1to1 Magazine’s March/April edition, they outline several best practices and I’ve added a few of my own. These are practices we have implemented with our group and tips you can take away and implement today for your call center.
- Stop and listen. Customers get frustrated when they feel the representative isn’t listening and/or relating to their problem.
- Openly ask the customer what their issue or problem may be. “Please tell me what your problem is and I will do my very best to get a resolution for you.”
- Show empathy. Using phrases like: “I can see how this made you feel… I’m very sorry for the trouble this has caused you… I can understand the importance of resolving this for you.”
- Collect all of the customer’s information quickly. Their name, order number and any other pertinent information.
- Talk the customer through what you are doing. “I’m accessing your account now, I am correcting your order, etc.”
- Go the extra mile. Look for solutions that help the customer get what is needed. For example, “You said you need your business cards and flyers for an open house tomorrow. Let me get to work on expediting your order right now.”
- Make sure the customer feels a sense of complete resolution at the end of the phone call. “Have I solved everything to your satisfaction? I’m sorry again for any frustration this may have caused you. I thank you for your continued business. Call me directly if you have any other problems.”
I think one of the most powerful practices you can implement into your customer support group is to strive to have live operators answer and direct your calls. Providing multiple contact methods can also alleviate frustration from customers.
Email, phone and live chat are great examples of methods many companies choose to use today. This can be difficult for very large call centers, but if manageable can make the most positive impact.
I’d love to hear what you’ve found to work best for your department. Have a great day!
~ Debbie Gurley, Vice President Customer Support
What a QuantumDigital customer had to say:
Just a quick note to tell you my flyers look just beautiful! I really appreciate your time and work to make sure that they looked great. It is rare in today’s market to find a company that really cares for the customer’s best interest. So let me say again I really appreciate your extended effort!!
Larry Rose, Realtor
William Cady Realty Group, Arlington, TX