Use these 13 expert tips to improve YOUR teams' customer service performance

1: Track numbers

                Telling someone that they’ve improved by 5% since last week is more powerful than a simple “Good Job, keep it up.” Especially for teams with commissions or bonuses at play.

2: Single people out, but list as many names as you can in your reports and emails.

                Everyone likes to read their name. List the top ten, the best in different categories, the most improved, best newbie—don’t list everyone, but give people a reason to scan your email blasts and reports.

3: “Rip” scripts from the floor and distribute them to your team for use.

                When you hear a great phrase—“I wish I could tell you differently, but unfortunately, that’s the case”—a phrase I heard 3 years ago that I can still remember comes to mind—jot it down and use it!

4: Use pop culture

                Whatever your agents are talking about or enjoying on their breaks—from Candy Crush to Breaking Bad—try to incorporate elements of into your reports, emails, and notes.

5: Talk to your people every day

                Things on the production floor change every day. Attrition, personal dramas, updates and upgrades—your agents often know more than you about the rapidly changing face of C/X in a call center.

6: Know your tech

                Technical issues with tools can be the Moby Dick of your C/X scores and results. Know what tools are helping, which are hindering, and the work-around-s.

7: Understand what customer feedback should be ignored

                Be familiar with the issues of policy or product that cause customers to complain. These are generally unrelated to the quality of service being given. Don’t get caught up in giving a low quality or customer service score to an agent simply because the customer complained. Know why they complained.

8: Give your team the benefit of the doubt

                When you first hear some of the things agents say you’ll want to shake them. Over time, however, when you get to know your team, you’ll understand that most of the time they’re really doing their best—they just don’t have the skills or tools to do so. They’ll respond much better to your advice and coaching if you come from a place of generosity.

9: Customize training and feedback

                Use the agent’s name in your comments, track their progress, and give them tips based on their particular strengths and weaknesses. Avoid using empty slogans and ‘value statements’.

10: Offer tips and tricks every day

                Agents often get bombarded with updates from corporate and other emails. Keep a file of quick and easy tips to share every day to stay current and to avoid having your emails pushed to the bottom of the stack by a ton of “Organizational Announcements.”

11: Use SharePoint, Chatter, Yammer, or other enterprise social media

                The fun (sort of) of Facebook or other collaborative sites,  in a contained environment.

12: Use data to find your bell curve of performance

                Know your team. Who’s performing where? Who should you focus on? Who’s your priority?

13: Catch people doing it right

                This is one of the most powerful pieces of advice I was ever given. A thumbs up, a literal pat on the back, a piece of candy slipped onto a desk with a whispered “Great Job”, an extended break after a big sale or extra hard call—all these go a long way to getting the performance you want. Remember: what you focus on, you get more of. 

Tutorial: PhraseHacking!

Many articles and tutorials offer lists of helpful phrases and magic words that can turn a call around. I say that’s only half the story. You need the recipe, not just the finished product. You need to know how to construct your own magic phrases—not just parrot the ones you found on in a listicle somewhere.

I’ve performed word-by word “autopsies” on some effective phrases I’ve used or heard used in my call center days, for your own coroner’s report!

The four phrases:

“Hi, I hope you can help me.”

“Okay, we are at $87.52 today.”

“So, I see by the notes that you’re considering closing out the account today.”

“Oh, I wish I didn’t have to say that it’s the case, but unfortunately, that’s what we’re looking at right now.”

 1.       For collections: (For requesting contact information from a third party)

“Hi, I hope you can help me.”

This phrase was extremely effective. Why?

1.       “Hi” (Informal greeting, sets a friendly tone)

2.       “I hope” (no one wants to dash your hopes)

3.       “you can help me” (a request for help is actually a more powerful psychological bonding tool than doing a favor, studies show. Use this to “bond” your listener to you.)

Overall, this phrase gives your listener a direction, and something to do, to get you off the phone graciously—i.e., give you the contact information. It also puts you in this position (see below article), ‘the powerful supplicant’.

http://www.slate.com/articles/life/culturebox/2013/08/the_kindly_brontosaurus_the_amazing_prehistoric_posture_that_will_get_you.html

Frankenstein’s monster: making a similar sentence using the knowledge you gained from your autopsy

“Hello there¹, I’m hoping you might be able to² help me out here³.”

2.       For retail or other sales: (Giving tally)

“Okay, we are at $87.52 today.”

1.       “Okay” (casual usage, indicates wrap- up of job duties, sounds brisk yet friendly)

2.       “we” (magic word cubed. “We” creates a sense of teamwork, unity, and the subtle indication that you’ve been working with the customer this whole time.)

3.       “are at” (Some people don’t like roundabout ways of referring to dollar amounts- those numbers with no currency indicator you see on menus, or the like. I personally think it’s situational. When you’re the IRS, you don’t say “We’re at $15,528.53 today”. There are times to be exact, and there are times to draw the veil of subtly over what you’re doing. Shopping for pleasure is one of those times to blur the lines of harsh reality as much as possible.

4.       “today.” (You’ll be back! Or conversely “Hey, it’s just one day, tomorrow you can go on a budget! But YOLO!”)

There is something offhand, casual, and even at bit international about this phrase. Heard it at the H&M in Denver Pavilions shopping center and was so struck with it I decided to write this article.

Frankenstein’s monster: making a similar sentence using the knowledge you gained from your autopsy

“Alright¹, we’re² looking at³ 57.92 for you this time⁴.”

3.       For retention: (Upon opening up the case)

“So, I see by the notes [or “my other customer service agent told me” if you have a retention queue that is separate] that you’re considering closing out the account today.”

1.       “So” (this is the opening shot of a longer conversation, inviting explanations, which means you can give counteroffers.)

2.       “I see by the notes” (I pay attention and I care)

3.       “you’re considering” (You haven’t done it yet, but I am deferential to your wants)

4.       “closing out” (or some other delicate euphemism like “changing the status of”/ ‘discontinuing”)

5.       “today” (What happened in the recent past that dramatically changed your service so that TODAY you called us? Oh my gosh!)

I had to train my retention reps out of saying “You want to terminate your account, is that correct?” (So many things wrong with that, I don’t even know where to start!)

Frankenstein’s monster: making a similar sentence using the knowledge you gained from your autopsy:

 So¹, I can see that² you’re thinking about³ discontinuing⁴ your services with us today⁵.”

 4.       For all customer support bad-news situations:

“Oh, I wish I didn’t have to say that it’s the case, but unfortunately, that’s what we’re looking at right now.”

1.       “Oh” (universal signal for regret)

2.       “I wish” (further signaling that you care, and you regret having to give bad news)

3.       “have to say it’s the case” (firm yet polite way of setting expectations and boundaries)

4.       “unfortunately” (signally that you understand the frustrations/situation of the customer

5.       “that’s what we’re looking at” (I particularly like “what we’re looking at”- it orients the “team” to the mindset of problem solving and looking forward to solutions, rather than digging in and arguing about the policy or situation)

6.       “right now” (this signals that the situation is not ‘set in stone’, and the customer doesn’t have to contact the BBB or the Attorney General to file a complaint, things might change in the future)

Frankenstein’s monster: making a similar sentence using the knowledge you gained from your autopsy:

“Oh, gosh, what a tough situation¹. I wish I didn’t have to tell you this², but⁴ where we are5 right now⁶ is…”

I heard this phrase from a recorded call from India. I was tasked to find out why certain Indian reps were getting such high scores from our customers (answer: partly their Anglo-Indian accent, which sounded extremely high class and credible, partly their delivery—sweet and helpful.)

Well, you heard the medical examiner! Now you know why these types of phrases are so effective. Go forth and use your knowledge!

The Shocking Truth about high school math class: you actually DO use it later in life!

Source: http://rinielsmusings.wordpress.com/2010/06/25/funny-stuff/

What you’re about to learn is not illegal, immoral, or shady. It just seems that way. This technique makes the most of a demographic fact: most people are extremely poor at mental calculations.

For those of you that have worked in retail, you know what I’m talking about.

Ø  How many times has someone asked you “How much is this?” when standing in front of a huge “50%” or “1/2 off” sign?

Ø  How about those that have worked in the restaurant industry who were accidently stiffed by very nice customers who thought $ 5.00 was 20% of $50.00?

Ø  How about people who are shocked by their high total after handing you a huge pile of expensive clothing to ring out?

Where were these people in high school math? Can’t they do basic % off calculations? Can’t they add? Can’t they subtract? Can’t they prorate?

Answer: Let’s test that out.

Let’s do 20% off $62.89.

 It’s so easy…round up the price to the nearest whole number, then divisible- by- five number ( $62.89 becomes $63.00 becomes $65.00) then take the % off (let’s say 20% off) and break that out of 100%. (It’s 1/5—20 is 1/5 of 100). What’s 1/5 of $65.00? (Answer is $13.00). Then you simply subtract $13.00 from $65.00.

 How hard is that? Okay, it’s a little hard.

You’re about to make that work for you.

There are 3 main areas that lend themselves easily to creative math: Retention, collections, and sales.

Let’s talk retention:

When you’re making retention offers, it’s usually a discount in either a lump sum or a timed pay out over a fixed time frame—$30.00 off now, or $100.00 off your next 6 months,  $17.00 a month.

It’s not hard to sell discounts—most people can do a quickie calculation and realize that $72.89 minus $30.00 is around $40.00 Substantial savings. Retention customers aren’t most people, however. They’re upset, and ready to cancel.

We’ve got to bump it up a notch.  

Pitch your discount in 3 ways:

·         Total amount

·         % off

·         New bill amount with savings deducted

So it would sound like this “Well, we’re authorized to take a total of $30.00 off your bill, which is a savings of almost 25% off. Your new bill would be around $42.00 a month for next month. How does that sound for you?”
If the discount is for a fixed time frame, say $10.00 off for 6 months, do the calculations for them:

·         Total savings

·         Immediate discount with bill calculation

·         % off

“I can offer you $10.00 off your bill for the next six months. That’s a total of $60.00 off, a savings of 20% each month, and that will take your bill from $50.00 to $40.00. How’s that sound?”

Rounding the bases:

·         Round UP when talking about discounts or savings

·         Round DOWN when talking about the new bill

Let’s talk sales:

Have you ever seen those heart-rending commercials where “for just pennies a day” you can save little Juanita from rickets? That’s creative math.

Cosmopolitan magazine does the same thing, just with a sprinkle of glitter on it: They compare your “weekly cappuccino habit” with what you could have bought in a year with the savings instead-- “3 iPads loaded with all the True Blood eps you could watch!” It’s putting money into context.

In this case, let’s say you’re selling an internet upgrade package for an extra $20.00 a month. Now let’s get creative:

Divide the extra cost by 30 days and then round DOWN: If it’s 98 cents a day, it’s “pennies” (anything less than $1.00 is pennies). If it’s $1.00-4.00 it’s “the cost of a cup of coffee”.

If you’re selling a package that is a lump sum-- say a year- long warranty for $120.00-- divide that by 12 months, and put that in context: “For $10.00 a month, you can have the security of knowing that….”

Let’s say you’re selling a co-pay repair service protection plan (which many companies offer). You’ll want to compare the in-context cost to the highest possible costs of a no-coverage repair.

“Well, for just $3.00 a month, you could stand to save up to $150.00 on future repairs.”

You can also take advantage of most people’s absolute terror of doing math involving %, and say things like “Well, for only 8% more a month, you can save yourself about $300.00 of possible repair costs.” Do this for low %, those less than 10%.

Let’s talk Collections:

This is the best place to use creative math. It takes nerves of steel and a genuine liking for bargaining, but if you’re in collections, you’ve got both. Here are some creative math tricks to use:

Breaking up payments:

You want $500.00 from your debtor. Sure, it would be great to have $500.00 now, green money. But let’s face it, if they had $500.00, they probably wouldn’t be on the receiving end of your call. So use the start high, go low method to break up the payments.

Start high, go low:

Start with your highest bid: “Do you have$500.00 today so we can make this go away?” No, they don’t. Then go to a lower one or a settlement or buy-out: “Well, I can shave off $200.00 if we have $300.00 to make this disappear.” Nope. They’re on WIC and SNAP. Okay, fine. It’s payment plan time.

How’s$100.00 a month for 5 months? That’s $25.00 a week (context!) It’s about a tank of gas or so.

No? How about $50.00 a month for the next 6 months, and we see where we are in 3?

Cool. All along you wanted that $50.00. Welcome to creative math.

General tips:

·         When dealing with contracts, don’t use “years”, use “months”. Reverse when dealing with discounts, down to six months: “Half a year!”

·         Jot down a list of “contexts” in which to put money—a cup of coffee, the morning paper, a tank of gas, a magazine… thing that people buy almost every day or week and don’t think twice about.

·         It’s okay for YOU to use a calculator when you’re on the phone, and even in person--show the customer with your use of a calculator that a) you’re just like them and b) you’re willing to “work” for them. (Evil mustache twirls here).

·         Use terms like “double” or “half” for 50% off. You can also use “savings context”—“that’s a savings of almost 50%, just about half off!” for 40-49% off.

·         Use action words like “cut” or “slash” to indicate the dramatic lengths you’re going to with your 8% off savings. (Slight sarcasm here.)

Remember, with great power, comes great responsibility. Don’t use creative math to bamboozle or cheat your customers- only to sell them items that they will use, or to explain the benefits of your offers in a way that will be appealing to them. Now go forth and dazzle!

Should YOU hire hackers to grow your NPS? Yes! Find out why.

Hacker Love: Why you should encourage hacking in your CSRs.

Kitty Hacker

Customer watchdog service site The Consumerist calls them “customer service ninjas”— they’re the people who know the tricks and tips that can get you, the hapless consumer, real help.

“Well, off the record, I tried this once and it worked for my last customer” they whisper, pulling back the curtain to reveal the magical world of true assistance.

When the customer is in a catch-22, the software design is not customer-friendly, or the situation is rapidly becoming a “horror story”, the best reps step in with a creative solution, a backdoor key, a “work around” …a hack.

Customer service “hackers” just might be your most undervalued resource.

What exactly is a hack? (And what is not a hack!)

A “hack” is a piece of advice, tip, hint, trick, reminder, or extra step  that helps the customer do what they want to do—while still remaining on the right side of the law.

It’s generally not available to the general public and may have been something the customer service rep has only learned over time, from dealing with the same issues over and over.

 For example, if your business requires a credit card to be on file for paperless billing, but paper billing has a charge associated with it…you’re going to get a lot of irate customers demanding either:

a)      E-billing with no card on file

 or

b)       Free paper billing

(This is the actual set-up at a major company I worked with, not just a dystopian nightmare, sadly).

How did the reps find a way to give the customer what they wanted (no fees but no card on file either) while giving the system what it wanted (card on file or fees)?

Customer Service Hack: Put a prepaid credit card with a very low balance on file and stay on paperless billing. Then pay the bill however you like—credit card online, check, Money Order.

No more worries about overdraft fees resulting from “oopsie” charges to a debit/ credit card, no more rushing to the bank to deposit money onto a little-used card, and no fees for a paper bill either!

So what is NOT a hack?

A hack is NOT cutting corners, breaking rules, bending the law, or lying—its essence is not evil manipulation of the system, it’s navigating the system using your experience while staying within the rules.

Why use hacks?

Training manuals can’t cover everything

The state of training in most corporate call centers is…not terrific. Manuals and activities are designed “by committee.”  Global Heads usually set a course (often following the latest training trends) that gets filtered and diluted as it trickles down to the trainer level. And, by and large, training departments move as a herd—innovative ideas often get crushed by the wheels of “This is how we’ve always done it.”

By necessity, training manuals can’t cover all possible situations (how to manage “grandfathered-in” accounts, keyboard shortcuts that let you skip entering a zip code for nervous customers, etc), and all possible work around-s. That’s where your hackers come in.

The source has street cred with your staff

Most of us know that the stiff, overly- scripted role plays you set up during training will be forgotten on Day 1 in the babble of ringing phones, screaming customers, and howling floor managers—the real trainers are the hackers already on the phones—experienced customer service agents who’ve learned the little secrets that can make things so much easier.

Like bootleg cassette tapes passed from glove box to mailbox to P.O. box, these tricks, tips, and hints are usually flying beneath the company’s official radar—and that’s fine. People tend to believe word of mouth much more than memos from on high anyway.

It makes the customer feel like they’re getting special treatment

From everything I’ve seen on peer- to- peer forums, blogs, and support websites, customers just love being “in the know.” If giving them a little more information like “Stop by your local [phone company and internet provider’s] office, the guys on the ground level often know about upcoming installation plans.” gives the customer a thrill with their daily dose of Vitamin IVR, why not try it?

It gives your customer service reps the ability to do a great job

For almost everyone, feeling that they have the power to do a great job is paramount for job satisfaction. Money, perks, job titles and the like only go so far in attracting and retaining true talent. Getting paid big bucks to say “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, but I can’t waive those fees” over and over doesn’t feel good to most people. Hello, turnover for “personal reasons-other.”

 Your best reps take pride in being Super Agents- able to solve any problem, and work with any customer to find a workable solution. Give them the power to achieve this. Happy reps makes happy operations departments, happy managers, and ultimately, happy customers!

How do you find hacks and make hackers?

Ask your Team Managers for the names of a few of the top performing people, take them for coffee on their break, and butter them up. Then ask them for a few tips they would give newbies that maybe got “left off” the training manual. You can also run an informal, friendly Focus Group Discussion, where you ask for the “top five” tips “off the books” or things like that. Be sure to bring food!

 Quietly use their advice in your next training class “just in time”—when you get to the part of training where the hack would be useful, introduce it and explain it—gently stressing that this could really come in handy next time the trainees are between a rock and an irate customer.

If you audit calls and coach, be sure to praise creative solutions and hacks when you hear them: “I really liked it when you gave your customer the1-800 number for that out- of -scope equipment provider. It’s not required, but you really went above and beyond to find a solution.”

 You can also send out email blasts or post on your SharePoint site “Work- Around of the Day” or “Best Solution Award”—so that those agents already on the floor have a chance to benefit from your treasures as well.

Then watch your NPS grow thanks to hackers!