Everyone has heard the saying “patience is a virtue,” but if we were to be completely honest with ourselves, it can be hard sometimes to be patient working in customer service. Unique from other types of jobs, employees who work in customer service are tasked with keeping a level head and heaps of patience even when dealing with some customers who may not extend the same courtesy. Dexcomm is a 24/7 professional answering service, and our operators work around-the-clock to answer customer service phone calls. While it can be difficult, our operators do a fantastic job. So, we’ve prepared the best way to remain patient during a customer service call, especially when dealing with an irate customer
Of course, one of the first things to do is ask the customer what their name is. While it is very simple, it can actually prove that not only do you value the customer’s time but you also value them and are fully listening to whatever they are about to say. Asking for their name and making sure to use it while you are speaking shows that you care about them. Since you are speaking over the phone, it can be a little harder to convey through your tone that you are listening to them, but this is one way to easily express this.
Another way to express your patience is to never interrupt them while they are speaking. This is another simple thing that seems like common sense but will go miles in making the customer feel like you are being considerate of them and their reason for calling. When you interrupt someone in a conversation, it implies that you already feel like you know what they will say. By cutting them off, it makes it look as if you think you know what they’re dealing with. This is something that can definitely agitate a customer, so it is best to avoid interrupting anyone.
Finally, the last way to show your patience is through a compassionate tone of voice. We have spoken a lot about tone of voice in this blog because of how important it truly is! A person’s tone is incredibly important, especially over the phone when the other person cannot see your face or body language. An article on skillsyouneed.com says, "Be aware of your vocal qualities throughout the call. Control your rate of speech, your pitch, and your overall timbre. The average individual speaks at a pace of 130 to 150 words per minute. Match this rate while on the phone." Using a careful, kind, and attentive tone communicates to the customer that they are worth your time and that whatever they are calling about is deserving of your attention.
With these three simple actions, you’ll be on your way to having more patience than you know what to do with. We have all had experiences where we wished an employee we were speaking with could be a little more patient with us, so if you are working in customer service, patience is a must-have attribute.
If you want to learn more about the professional ways that Dexcomm employees are trained to answer phones, read about our training style. Want to learn about the positive influence Dexcomm operators can have on your business? Contact us to get a quote!