Today's post will be on using English for face-to-face customer service. We'll cover general, everyday language for greeting customers/clients, explaining services/goods, saying "no", inviting repeat business.
First Impressions: Greeting The Customer
Of course, a smile and a friendly manner are very important. Greeting people coming in to your business/place of work makes them feel welcome and comfortable.
If you're working in a more traditional business, you should be formal in your greetings.
Good morning/afternoon/evening
Hello, welcome to _____________
(company name)
If your workplace is more casual, you can use:
"Hello there."
"Hey..."
"Hi"
In most business-to-customer companies, there will almost always be an invitation to service. Again it can be formal.
What can we do for you today?
How may I/We help/assist you?
Or it can be casual.
What can I/We get for you?
If you need a hand, let me know, I'll be (by the cash register/in my office/over there/around).
Notice that the invitations to service use "wh" questions. It's an old but useful sales practice: never ask a question that people can answer, "No".
"Wh" questions will lead to more conversation and interaction with the customer.
Explaining Your Product/Service
Signs, brochures, adverts, etc can tell people a lot about your business, but you still may need to explain to the customer how your service works, the extra options you offer, and the price/cost of the service.
Below are some common, basic phrases you can use.
General Information
We offer/provide _______ services to ________
(type) (customers)
We are in the business of _________
Our company deals in _________.
(product or service)
How Your Service Works
When explaining in your services in detail, it's best to use adverbs of order. The customer can more easily take in the information.
First,
Then,
Next, } we register/inspect/go over/ estimate/ask/review/assess/check etc
you sign up/bring us/tell us (about/what/how)/choose/provide etc
After that,
Finally,
Of course, invite follow-up questions and/or check that the customer understands what you said.
Do you have any questions?
Is there anything you'd like me to go over again?
Do you understand how (this) works now?
"Sell" Other Products/Services
The majority of businesses offer other services and products besides their main line. For example, banks sell money orders, hotels rent conference rooms, bookstores sell e-readers, coffee shops sell mugs, etc. This adds more value to your service and encourages repeat business.
We also have a good selection of (smartphone cases)/fax and printing services/a cleaning service/car wax/organic muffins, etc
Is there anything else we can get for you today? (This is the exception to the yes/no question rule)
We're having a sale/a special promotion on (cereal/on rechargeable batteries/home cleaning services, etc).
Saying "No"
This is never easy or fun, but there may be times when you can't help a customer. It could be a supply problem, pricing, etc. First,
never use the word "no"
Use,
I'm terribly sorry, but______ } we're
afraid that_______
out of (stock)/don't offer (that service)/ can't meet that price/don't serve (that area)/not allowed to/permitted to/have to/ etc...
However, always offer different options. It may sound strange, but even if you can't help the customer, you can still give them good customer service.
What we can do is_______
offer you a discount on your next (purchase)/show you (another package in your price range)/ pass your request on to (my supervisor)/call you back (tomorrow), etc
You can_______
go to (ABC Company on 6th Street) for (that product/service)/bring in (a copy of your receipt/bank statement/invoice. etc)/try one of our other (plans)/go on a(n) (installment) plan/pay by (credit card/cheque/wire transfer, e-transfer, etc)/speak with one of our (managers/customer service reps, etc).
Invite Repeat Business
The end of the transaction is as important as the beginning. The most obvious thing to do is to say a basic, happy sounding ....
Thank You
Thank you for shopping at/choosing/coming in to (our store/office/boutique, etc) today.
Please, come again.
See you next time.
If you do have a repeat customer, learning as much about them as possible, especially how often they come in the store and the products/services they like.
We'll see you next (week/month/Thursday/weekend)
in two weeks/a few days/in six months
on Friday afternoon/Wednesday/Christmas Eve..
More (hiking boots/headphones/etc) are coming in next week/tomorrow/Tuesday/at the end of the month, etc. We'll see you then?
If you give me your number/email, I can let you know when (the cheese you like/the new bike locks/comic books, etc) come in.
Show that you've been paying attention to the customer, and that you're doing more than your job - you're "going the extra mile" for the customer.
The expression "going the extra mile" means doing something extra for the customer. It's a very old saying, but it's an important part of customer service. Anyone can follow their job description or standard procedures. However, if you do more, you will have more loyal customers and repeat business.
In this day and age of smartphones and the Internet, better-than-average customer service is even more important. Information and feedback can reach millions of people very quickly if a business has bad customer service.
CBC's "Marketplace" did a very funny, but interesting report on customer service in March 2015.
Tasks
Write about a time you received bad customer service. What happened? What did you do? What can the company do to improve its service?
If you're in a non-English speaking company, write down how you would great an English speaking customer.
As always, you can write in the comments section or email me at jlbteaching@gmail.com.
The article was up to the point and described the information about education and learning. Thanks to blog author for wonderful and informative post. sober living homes
ReplyDelete