From the course: Creating Positive Conversations with Challenging Customers

Words and phrases to avoid and choosing better options

From the course: Creating Positive Conversations with Challenging Customers

Start my 1-month free trial Buy for my team

Words and phrases to avoid and choosing better options

“

- Sweetie is a trigger word for me. As in, what can I get you, sweetie? It always causes me to pause in shock. Now, sweetie, doesn't offend everyone but it does stir a lot of grown women. In customer service, there are certain words and for phrases that you're better off avoiding because of how they might be perceived. If the wording is seen negatively by the customer, you could be making things harder for yourself without even realizing it. Let's go over some words and phrases that you should avoid when talking to customers and what you should say instead. When you need to correct a confused or mistaken customer, don't be short. Don't make them feel foolish. Instead, use the words, "turns out." This makes you sound diplomatic. For example, if the customer says, "emailing photos is tedious." You could reply using "turns out" this way. "Emailing is an option. Turns out, now you can also text claims photos to us." You also want to avoid words that elicit negative feelings. Was a customer's card declined? Never say, "your card was declined." Try, "I'm having trouble authorizing your card." Is the problem the customer's fault? Don't say, "that's because you're using it incorrectly." Instead, "how about let's take a look and see what's going on." And rather than, "so ,the widget is defective." Say, "it's not working as it should." Don't say, "my manager will just tell you the same thing I'm telling you." Because this sounds defensive and it will make the customers push to escalate. Try. "I can certainly transfer you to a manager. I'd like first to try to explain what's going on here before transferring you. Will that work for you?" It's also best to avoid saying, "no, there's nothing we can do." And, "I don't know." Always work to put a positive slant on things. You'll have fewer upset customers, which translates to better days for you too.

Contents