Is anything more irritating than “I’m sorry if you feel that way?”

Customer Service means having to say you're sorry. 

Source: http://myblogspan.com/blogs/archives/december-3-2007.php

How many times have you listened to that dreadful “I’m sorry for any inconvenience that has caused you” during a customer service call, with a bitter little smile on your face, thinking “The hell you are!” 

We all agree that a faked or forced apology is more annoying than no apology at all. Even worse is the condescending “I’m sorry if you were upset”—the apology that leaves the receiver with the distinct taste of blame in his or her mouth. 

As Salon writer Mary Elizabeth Williams wryly notes in her column: “Just say you’re sorry. Just say it like you mean it.”

 

Why is it so hard for our front line reps to make sincere apologies that hit the mark and truly diffuse the angry customer on the other end of the line?

1: They don’t understand why the customer is upset or what the problem is 

Many of my trainees don’t have checking accounts, credit cards, or even pay rent. They have no idea that a declined credit card can make you feel as if a neon “DEADBEAT” sign is pointing to you in front of the store clerks and other shoppers, and why you’re so upset about the bank error that led to the decline.

 The offshore/ outsourced reps that many call centers employ may or may not be familiar with the ins and outs of daily life in the US to understand what bounced check fees ARE, much less understanding how infuriating and scary they are for customers. 

2: They see apology as admitting wrongdoing, and they’ve been trained never to say “negative things” about the company

Almost every client company drills it into the customer service reps that they are never, never, never to disparage the company, else it result in a fatal error score for the Quality Team, a client side escalation, or worse—an unceremonious firing. 

3: They may come from a culture where the “form” of apology is considered enough or the way the apology is said (the medium) is the message itself (the message)

For example, when I worked with Filipino trainees, their apology method was a sharp, high- pitched scream  of “AY!” followed by a rapid- fire trilogy of sing- song apologies. Needless to say, this sounded less- than- sincere to our average American customer.  They also tended to have flat, non-inflected voices, which wasn’t an issue in their native tongue, but when it came to issuing a warm, sincere apology, it became an impediment.

 For our Indian trainees, the natural rolling, sing- song tonality of their voices tended to make apologies sound almost like mockery or a huffy- high- school-er’s- caught- with- contraband “Sorrrr-rrrry!” Not great for Net Promoter Scores. 

4: They are intimidated by the customer’s outrage and scared, and just want to move forward to the solution

In many cultures, an angry outburst is soonest dealt with by pretending it never happened at all. This is something that doesn’t go over very well in the US either.

How can we help them? 

1: Create training materials that address the steps to “putting yourselves in the customers’ shoes” (rather than just directing your reps to do so). 

Also create materials that outline the common reasons for ire that come up with your account and LOB over and over, and explain why the customer might be angry.

For example, if your callers are complaining about a TV football game blackout, tie this to local sports and events, and use analogies and examples from local daily life. 

2: Explain the difference between apology and regret and when to use them. 

Short version:

·         Agent or company makes a mistake: apology.

·         Unfortunate situation that’s not the agent or company’s fault: regret.

This is where an “I’m so sorry that happened” or other “soft” apologies or empathy statements come in. “Gosh, that sounds rough. I’m sorry to hear that.”

3: Give your agents a detailed “map” of what an American- flavor sincere apology sounds like. 

Include wording, tone, emphasis, and timing!

For your reference, I’ve included an example of a quick breakdown:

• Admitting wrongdoing or mistake without excuse
•   Showing the other party that you understand exactly what was done wrong
• Acknowledging the extent of the damage and how it affected the other party
•    Making it right/ Planning to avoid it in the future

4: Help your scared reps become more confident with product and resolution training and remind them: 

How to handle Angry Customers:

What do they want?

1: To be heard, and acknowledged sincerely.

“I hear you. That sounds rough.”

2: To feel understood beyond the surface level.

“I know you were looking forward to using your new computer today. That’s really a let- down that it didn’t arrive.”

3: To hear a genuine apology.

“I’m so sorry we overcharged you. That’s our mistake and it never should have happened. I’ve refunded your money and I’ve changed your account so that should never happen again.” 

4: To have a mutually agreeable resolution.

“Okay, although we weren’t able to honor your coupon today, I’ve used the promo code to give you a similar deal.”

Now, go forth and remember that happy customers means you DO have to say you’re sorry.