Tweak of the Week

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Presented to staff September, 2012

We’ve all had that call…

The caller who is too busy to do a ticket

The caller who can’t answer the most basic questions

The ticket that was done incorrectly by someone else and now has to be corrected…by you

The inconsiderate, emotionally-challenged caller who has decided to make your life miserable.

When you are lucky enough to be caught in one of these calls, keep in mind a few things before you let your blood start to boil:

People who are rude may be upset at something else in their life and are simply taking their frustrations out on you

Some callers, especially home owners, don’t always understand the process

Mistakes happen. Even though it may be frustrating to clean up someone else’s mess, it is our responsibility to produce safe tickets

Some people are just rude

Take a deep breath…

Try to be calm and collected

Don’t be aggressive or lose your temper

Don’t engage them in any sort of argument

Apologize for any error without pointing blame at another CSR

Mentally will them to be eaten by a bear

Some other thoughts to ponder…

Never assign blame. Even if it is obvious we screwed up, do not fess up to it! Fix the error and move on.

Turn the volume on your phone down. Keep in mind that you are sitting in a safe call center, surrounded by your stuff and coworkers. You are not in a direct confrontation with the caller.

Don’t take anything a caller says personally. There is no reason to be emotionally invested when interacting with a rude caller.

Listen to the caller!!!! Identify the complaint, repeat the complaint and identify a resolution.

Only suggest realistic solutions. Don’t make up a quick fix to try to make the caller happy by offering what the caller wants to hear. Be sure we can follow through on each suggested solution (ask your supervisor if there is any doubt).

You cannot control the behavior of others, but you can control how you choose to react in a situation.

And, as always…