Good Customer Service

#1. Customer Service

I’ve found over my career that I am well regarded by most for my customer service, so it may surprise you to hear me say that I have to work at being a great customer service representative. The social aspect of the job simply does not come naturally to me so I’ll share my process with you.

I am natuarally introverted; small talk does not come easy to me, and meeting strangers and introducing myself makes me very anxious. At the office, however, I believe being introverted is not advantageous to you, your co-workers, clients, or the company (especially during job interviews, but that’s another article). Therefore it is important that you recognize shy behavior and work on becoming more comfortable speaking to others.

For one thing, I’ve found that showing even a modicum of personality and humour over the telephone with clients really sets you apart from your colleagues. Of course, Service reps are very cognizant of being professional and representing the company well; and those are your number 1 and 1a rules. Yet, the same applies to your client on the other end of the line calling in. They usually have a directive from their boss and they want to convey that message exactly to meet their boss’ expectations. So business conversations can be stilted, direct, and formal. And you must be able to recognize if your client is in a rush or has an emergency. (That would not be the time to ask how the family is.)

Normally clients are are just going about their daily work routine. Sometimes a phone call to you could be a break from the monotony if they enjoy talking to you. If you provide a memorable pleasant experience, chances are clients will speak very highly of you to your sales rep, manager, or team leader. Word will get around – slower than a bad experience, but it will nonetheless. A good manager will follow-up with you and pass along the compliment. A very good manager will remember these experiences for your review!

Most people are nervous on the phone because you don’t know what is coming next – fear of the unknown. And there can be awkward silences in between speaking or while your client is looking through notes. There is always ambient office noise in the background; and 99% of the time you are in the middle of doing something else when the phone rings.

I prepare myself by constantly learning my company’s products and services. It’s important to follow new product launches and marketing emails. Otherwise, always study and ask about product details. First you will want to ask questions during product launch meetings – that is the most opportunistic time to do so. Next, as you go along in your job talk to the people in other departments that you don’t see on a daily basis. You will have opportunities to do so when clients ask questions that need follow-up from you. Normally you will get this chance when you do your own follow-up with the product manager or another person on the respective team that handles those questions. If you do not do your own follow-up then ask to see an after-action report, ask your manager at the end of the day how it was resolved, or ask the person directly how it was handled.

The tactics above serve dual purposes for handling client calls and overcoming shyness. I always want to be the smartest person on the phone, and the subject matter expert on my team. By constantly investigating and learning about your company you will gain experience and knowledge that will one day be extremely pertinent. As you learn you are building a reliable network, gaining exposure, showing you are reliable, and you are putting yourself into situations to talk to people. By talking more and introducing yourself and asking questions, guess what? You are becoming less introverted and more comfortable as time goes along.

Nobody wants to be the one that asks a ton of questions during a meeting; or asks a question right at the end of the meeting (huge blowback). But for the introvert meetings offer situations for you to become more friendly and relaxed. I try to get my question in about halfway through. Everyone giving a marketing presentation loves to say, “Any questions?” after each sentence (although they are usually not expecting anyone to really take them up on the offer). But here is your chance! Know that you will ask something going into the meeting; prepare yourself. Quickly read through any handouts before the speaker starts so you have a heads-up on timing and cadence of when to jump in. (Do not ask questions during technical explanations; the speaker is likely to be caught off-guard and lose their train of thought. It will just look like and interuption.)

My least favourite used to be the face-to-face, but over the years I have gained confidence and learned enough to not be nervous anymore. There are times you need to ask questions and follow-up with the client. Depending on the location of the other department or time-sensitivity of the issue determines whether I call the person on the phone or walk over to their desk. (And treat phone calls the same as in-person interactions; this trains your brain to overcome the anxiety of both.)

I’ve always learned more than I needed to know when talking shop to colleagues in other departments; it’s social, and you meet new people, too. All bonuses you would not get if you pass-off the question to someone else. Do your own discovery. Don’t be intrusive, be polite, always ask if you should come back at a more convenient time (this goes for phone calls, too). Briefly explain the situation, maybe add some context by quoting the client. You do not have to be long-winded or painfully detailed; remember you are talking to the subject matter expert who probably can anticipate the answer before you’re through. Do not complain! This is not an inconvenience, you are just learning, and fulfilling your duties as a customer service rep.

Keep in mind new products are generally released before all the bugs are worked out — the market demands speed and adaptability from your company in this day and age. After a product launch people are working overtime to find and fix any glitches before they become too big of a problem. Point is everyone in that department is already aware of the capabilities and shortfalls; you just happened to catch a call from a customer who found one. If there is a long, on-going problem that your team is constantly under-fire for, that calls for a manager to handle it. With this in mind you are not only learninig new people skills, you are also becoming more adept at talking to them. Knowing who the right person is for handling a situation is a key skill to have in business.

William Cunningham

Intellectual Property & Financial Services professional