The customer co-operates with you effortlessly while troubleshooting. The customer’s co-operation will make it easier for the Agent to go about the process of resolving the issue.
The call becomes a pleasant experience for both the customer as well as the Agent.
If the Agent makes a mistake, the customer will be more forgiving and less irate. In other words, an Agent will be able to get away with minor mistakes without upsetting the customer. For e.g. The Agent could say ‘I am sorry, I want you to disconnect the modem not the router.’
Having built a rapport with the customer, the customer will be accommodative even if the issue is unresolved. The chance of such a customer becoming irate is less if the Agent has already built a relationship with the customer.
Barriers to rapport building
Since the customer is an American and the Agent is an Indian, one can expect a lot of obstacles to building rapport.
Accent – a foreign accent may be a mental block for the customer. He may have a preconceived notion that he will not understand the agent. The agent should then speak slowly and clearly. An agent should try to acquire a neutral accent that can be understood by all.
Not understanding idioms, slang and other common expressions– certain phrases or expressions may not be understood by either the customer or agent. Sarcasm may be misunderstood for humor and vice versa. A wrong response to the expression may be a deterrent in connecting with each other. When in doubt, the Agent should always ask for clarifications.
Names – pronunciation of names are different and sometimes difficult. Eg Johann, Jose, ..etc. to avoid mispronunciation and offending customers, the agent should avoid addressing the customer by name when in doubt.
How to deal with abusive language
We have seen how important it is to connect with customers. The Agent needs to be polite, friendly and enthusiastic even with an irate customer. But if the customer uses abusive language, should an Agent take it? The answer is No. Can he hang up on the customer or use the same language in return? The answer is again No. So how should a Agent handle an abusive customer?
The Agent needs to be courteous but assertive while handling such a customer. He should warn the customer that he/she will not be able to proceed with the call if the customer continues to use abusive language.
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The Agent should give the customer a chance to calm down and stop using such language. But in spite of the warning if he/she continues to use such language, the Agent should be a little more assertive.
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If the customer continues to be abusive.
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