When was the last time you visited a doctor, car mechanic, or other “advisor” and had the response to your question about what you should do thrown back in your lap?

It’s happening more often. No doubt some of it ties to the litigation-crazy US, where anybody advising anyone about anything may get sued. Some of it is likely a culture change. In our zeal to let customers be heard, advisors sometimes offer little in the way of advice because they don’t want to come across as over-stepping their bounds.

In essence, it boils down to the example of physicians and pill-taking. At one extreme, you have doctors who will dictate use of a medication. At the other end are docs who timidly suggest a medication with the caveat that “it’s your decision.” The dictators typically are arrogant, butt-covering docs who think they always know best; the more timid approach often robs patients of expert advice they need and deserve.

There’s a vast middle ground where customer service can be very effective, fulfill needs for information and let the customer know he or she has been heard and acknowledged. Unfortunately, that middle ground sometimes gets ignored because of the culture of the company’s customer service program.

n today’s world, regardless of your livelihood – from label printer to food manufacturer and everything in between – customer service should be both responsive and proactive. In most cases, that means asking questions of the customer to determine their needs, then providing competent, forthright counsel to address those needs.

To do this, first ditch the requirement to finish the interaction as quickly as possible. While streamlining the conversation for efficiency is okay, don’t cut corners. Common sense dictates that a customer service challenge dealt with in haste is likely to lead to repeat episodes. Do the job right the first time; avoid having to redo it.

Following are straightforward suggestions for the rest of the customer service interaction:
1. Drill down, then feed back. Ask a series of questions about the issue to identify details and get clarity. Then, summarize and feed back the nature of the issue to the customer to ensure accuracy and completeness. This also lets the customer know s/he was heard and understood, reducing chances of a confrontation and/or customer frustration.

2. Be easy to understand. Lack of clarity can take several forms: a customer service rep and customer not on the same page language-wise, an unclear connection on a phone call, or lack of ability to communicate concisely and clearly when exchanging written comments. Since you can’t control the ability of the customer to communicate clearly, it’s incumbent on the rep to do so. Otherwise, impatience and frustration will mount quickly.

3. Emulate the tone and cadence of the customer’s communication style. Work toward matching how fast the customer talks – fast-talkers often get frustrated with those moving slowly; slow-talkers often can’t understand those speaking fast. Formal should beget formal; likewise with being informal and conversational. If the customer sounds meek, offer a quieter, non-threatening tone. Conversely, if the customer is a bull in a china shop, speak boldly in response. By matching up, the customer rep stands a better chance of establishing rapport more quickly, and consequently may be more efficient at resolving the matter.

4. Empower excellence. Scripted protocols for everything from security verification to answering common questions may provide guidance to reps but can wind up creating problems during customer interactions. Reps need to be given latitude to use common sense in the moment when dealing with customers.

Constantly spewing scripted comments or responses can infuriate customers. I write this just having had perhaps the most frustrating such experience of my life. Despite clear and consistent requests for specific information about unknown charges on an account (which I was concerned were fraudulent), I kept getting scripted responses that did nothing to address my concerns. Multiple requests to speak to a supervisor were ignored. Finally, completely exasperated and livid, I hung up – then started over. Anything approaching this should be avoided at all costs! This is a textbook way to lose a customer and generate negative social media reviews.

5. Set expectations upfront. Customer service reps should apprise customers of how they intend to proceed and what they want to accomplish before starting the discussion. This shouldn’t be some insincere-sounding script. Instead, it should consist of the rep’s own words about how he or she intends to handle the situation and attempt to resolve any problems. This generally sets a good tone out of the gate and lets the customer know there’s somebody there to help.

As customers encounter ever-more impersonal companies populated with automaton-like customer service reps, you have an opportunity to step up and show how a company can still provide competent, personalized and efficient customer service. Don’t let it pass you by.




Mark Lusky is a marketing communications professional who has worked with Lightning Labels, an all-digital custom label printer in Denver, CO, USA, since 2008. Find Lightning Labels on Facebook for special offers and label printing news.