How to make your customer wrong!

How to make your customer wrong and lose business - Two for one!

The first time I realized that a whole company could make me wrong with one question. This caused me to quit calling that company. Here are some of the complaints I have heard over the years. I share them with you now so you can STOP doing this and save your company millions and your agents the headaches that come along with the Customer who is angry at your company and takes it out on the Agent.

Never say this:

Did you read the screen?  When I called Microsoft many years ago and asked for some customer care help with the internet service, the agent said, "Did you read the screen?" I felt dumb and stupid. I didn’t want to do business with them anymore. I still have to do business with them anyway but I NEVER forgot that dumb feeling they gave me. NEVER

Why do you want to cancel? When I went to train Discover Card many years ago, the customer said, “I would like to cancel.” The Agent responded with: “Why?” Very often the customer did not respond happily to this question with answers and used answers like: “it’s none of your business.” I changed it to a good question and got the right answers. Call me for that powerful RETENTION QUESTION. It worked for Discover Card and will work for you.

How do you feel about safety? When I started to write a script for a big car dealership that was not getting their share of the market. I found this in their training script. "How do you feel about safety?" . . . WAIT . . . WHAT? A very manipulative question. They thought it was good because the customer always said “YES.” Of course they said yes, could they possibly respond … “Heck no, I don’t care a thing about that. Put the kids in the back and let them fend for themselves – it will build life learning lessons for them?” 

Did you send the payment in on time?  Okay, I think you get the picture. Check your scripts and make sure the questions make your customer look and feel smart to have called and asked a question or for help in some way. So, simple and so easy.

Customer says: “I am very upset at the late charge you put on my card this month, I have never been late before and you don’t even care that I have been with you for 30 years. Can you cut me some slack here?” 

Our L-A-M-A trained Agents says this:  “Thank you so much for calling. You did exactly the right thing. I can definitely get this fixed. Do you happen to have that account number handy?” 

Judy McKee "Any Questions you want tweaked?" I've got a million of them. [email protected]