Contractormag 3225 Listening
Contractormag 3225 Listening
Contractormag 3225 Listening
Contractormag 3225 Listening
Contractormag 3225 Listening

Comfortech preview: Three simple words that close more service calls

May 3, 2016
Your CSRs need to learn how to be in the moment and make listening to the customer their first priority It's also important to try and reflect the feeling that the customer is explaining on the phone To help drive the connection with your customer, use three simple words: Tell Me More

How many times have we found ourselves in situations where problems escalate because we didn’t listen? In business, if we don’t listen to our customers, we might miss an important indication that they are unhappy and lose the sale, all because we were too busy to listen to what they were saying.

Be in the Moment

When we share a story, we want the audience to be with us. Think about your own experiences of sharing a story; if the person was actively listening, you enjoyed sharing all of the details and felt good. However, if the person was disinterested or distracted, you probably ended your story early.

Imagine someone is telling your call handler their story about a broken HVAC system not blowing cold air. If your CSR is interested and making the caller feel important, their chances of making a connection increase dramatically. If your CSR is disinterested, though, they may lose the opportunity to make a connection with the customer. A disinterested or distracted CSR risks more than just closing a call; they can alienate that customer forever and cause them to tell others to not do business with you!

Your CSRs need to learn how to be in the moment and make listening to the customer their first priority. By listening to and showing that they understand what the caller is saying about their problem, your CSRs will create a connection with the customer in a way that will differentiate your business from your competitors.

Don’t Just Repeat

When a customer calls with a problem, they want to know that the person on the other line is listening, but they don’t want the information simply repeated back to them – they want to know your company can help them.

Instead of just repeating back what the customer said, your CSRs need to show them that their listening by rephrasing what they customer told them. By rewording the problem back to the customer it shows that they have been heard and that the CSR truly understands their problem.

It’s also important to try and reflect the feeling that the customer is explaining on the phone. Is the customer angry or upset at the situation they are in? Reflect the feeling by learning how to empathize, telling the customer that you know how frustrated they are by the situation.

Three Simple Words: Tell Me More

To help drive the connection with your customer, use three simple words: Tell Me More. If your customer is dealing with a HVAC problem, ask them to tell you more. What is the unit doing? What sounds is it making? How long has it been having this problem?

Customers can get on the phone and have a pre-conceived notion about their situation and get derailed with ballpark pricing and other factors that distract them from their real problem. Teaching your CSRs to engage customers by listening, reflecting the customer feelings and having them “tell me more” can drive customers to trust your CSRs and your business, which can lead to greater opportunities to close the sale.

Video: Brigham Dickinson on Three Simple Words.

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