There is an inverse relationship between technological advancement and customer service. It seems that the better the tech, the lower the quality of person to person interaction. Perhaps this is because the number of queries per million transactions can be quite small. If we don’t practice something, we don’t get better at it.

Regardless of the size or nature of your business, if you are talking to a customer who has a problem, then this is a discussion that needs to be carefully and sensitively handled. The circumstances aren’t necessary and are not something you, as the provider, can judge the sensitivity of. Whether your customer is right or wrong is immaterial.

As a quick primer, here are five things you need to stop saying in customer service, right now.

Customer Service Words & Phrases You Need To Stop Saying

1. “Your Call Is Important To Us.”

The Great Lie. The first thing many people hear after dialling a complaint or customer service line is “Your call is important to us, please hold”.

Just don’t say it! If the call were genuinely important, you’d have thousands of available customer service people on standby to answer the phone on the first ring. The fact is, with cost pressures being what they are, most businesses hope customers never call. Queries are diverted to FAQ’s, social media, community forums or chat bots. If the client wants to speak with a human being, the system has failed.

Your customer does not believe their call is important to you and stating it puts them in a negative mind frame.

2. “There Has Been A Computer Error.”

Let’s be clear. Computers do not make mistakes.

Computers do what they are instructed to, and they do it perfectly. An erroneous outcome always involves human error either in the data input or the creation of the software. And before the engineers riot, the creation of software error probably stems from unclear user stories in the first place.

So what happened? We made a mistake. That’s it. Mistakes happen.

Just don’t follow up with –

3. “There’s Nothing I Can Do.”

“When you have exhausted all possibilities, remember this – you haven’t.”

Thomas Edison

There is always something you can do. If you don’t have a Customer Disaster Recovery Toolkit, then get one right now. You can’t go back in time, but you can soften the blow. Discounts, credits, movie tickets, or punching bags, but offer your disgruntled customer some solace.

But then, make sure you don’t say –

4. “I’m Sorry For The Inconvenience.”

Possibly the worst weasel sentence in the English language. The non-apology apology. You might as well say “I don’t care, and I think that you’re overstating how bad the situation is”.

I’ve never understood the risk in saying “I’m sorry”. And here’s the added benefit – it’s a powerful, emotive sentence that shows genuine empathy between two human beings. “I’m sorry” is a personal, vulnerable comment that resonates with people who are unhappy.

As a bonus, you’ve just set yourself apart from the customer service herd.

5. “Fifteen Minutes.”

I’m not sure what research this is based on, but there seems to be a theory that, regardless of how long the anticipated wait or delay is, if people are told “15 minutes” then they will instantly relax and will not care how long they actually wait.

Whether it’s the bank, a parcel delivery or a taxi, “there will be an approximate 15-minute delay” is the stock answer. The real problem here is that, by giving a cookie-cutter response, the person who has to wait loses all control of the situation.

15 minutes isn’t that long. I can wait 15 minutes for a haircut. But if that 15 minute turns into 25, I’m now wondering what I could have done with that time. A quick espresso, posted a letter, gone for a walk.

Being honest about the anticipated delay empowers the customer. 45 minutes? Okay, I’m not happy, but now I know that the delay is long, and I’m not going to sit and slowly become angry and frustrated.

Conclusion

And one thing you need to start doing in customer service:

There’s a constant theme through these 5 points. In customer service, be honest. Treat your client with consideration and respect. It will be reciprocated, and both you and the customer will have a more enjoyable experience.

Are there other customer service words you think we should add to this list? Add your comments below or tweet @fridgebusiness with your ideas.

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