Customer Services: Bpo

Communication Process Sending and Receiving Messages

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Communication Elements • Perceptions • Channel • Environment

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Word Choices Do not use large, complicated words Do not use slang

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Word Choices • DO not use large, complicated words • DO not use slang • Avoid using jargon – Translate jargon into common English

FACT: Poor word choice can confuse cardholder or make them uncomfortable. Prepared by Shumaila & Shafaq Ensign Communiqué

Voice Quality Tone Pitch Volume Speed

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Communication Barriers External Interference Internal Interference The context of the message Difference in Perceptions

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Effective Listening Attentive Listening Listening to important information

Empathetic Listening Listening to appreciate other’s feelings, emotions and attitudes

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Effective communication (QLS)  Questioning  Listening  Summarizing

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Communication Styles • Aggressive behaviour ‘My need is more important than yours’

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Communication Styles • Submissive behaviour ‘Your need is more important than mine’

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Communication Styles • Assertive behaviour Putting forward your ideas & feelings and also respecting others needs ‘Both our needs are important’

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The Quality Call Process      

Opening Questioning to understand query Listening effectively Resolving & giving benefits Closing Follow Up

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Telephone Communication  Courtesy Establishing & maintaining rapport

 Accuracy Understanding customer inquiry Giving solution & options

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Telephone Techniques  Voice – Well paced & varied  ‘KISS’ it – Simplicity  Use non-verbals – ‘Uh-uh’s’  Hold procedure  No negatives – ‘No But’s/ I’ll try’  Telephone courtesies – Follow them!

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Difficult situations • What are the different situations that you anticipate in terms of – People – Process

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Handling Angry Customers • Deal with their feelings Listen and don’t take it personally Empathize Give feedback

• Deal with the problem Ask relevant questions Give solution or options Get agreement from the customer Prepared by Shumaila & Shafaq Ensign Communiqué

Handling Demanding Customers • Be brief and to the point • Mirror the customer’s tone of voice • Use the ‘broken record’ technique • Give options

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Handling Talkative Customers • Use closed ended questions • Control the space between your conversation • Use minimum response

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Handling Objections • Objection Any rule, regulation or policy that customer does not like

• Complaint When competence, error free, timely service has not been delivered

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Handling Objections • Misconception – Explain to the customer

• Skeptical Prove by showing facts

• Bad experience Apologies and action plan

• Real disadvantage Highlight other benefits Prepared by Shumaila & Shafaq Ensign Communiqué

Commitments & Action Plans Make sure your Action Plans are SMART

Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time bound

- What, Where, Who? - Easy to check when completed? - Is it do-able? - Is it challenging - By when? Prepared by Shumaila & Shafaq Ensign Communiqué

Basic Telephone Etiquette

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Welcome – The Grand Opening

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WHY ???? • A friendly welcome sets the stage for a positive exchange of information • When callers receive a friendly greeting, they are inclined to talk more openly.

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What it does for your Customer • This is emphatically reassuring and puts the customer at ease • Tells him/her that you care • It shows that you’re friendly • It demonstrates to the customer that you are focusing on them

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Concentrate Full Strength

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Why?? • It’s a basic courtesy • People who do 2 things at a time don’t do either one very well • When you split your attention, you’re likely to lose something important the customer says.

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Barriers to Concentration • Internal – The mind can process information faster than most people talk – The mind has a habit of wandering – Pre-occupation

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The Moral • Give the caller your undivided attention • Focus on what the caller is saying • Avoid distractions • Do one thing at one time

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Objectivity

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Ass out of yourself & customer

ASSUME ASS - U - ME Prepared by Shumaila & Shafaq Ensign Communiqué

Conclusions • Once you jump on to conclusions, you close your mind to other possibilities. • Instead of listening, you let your own opinion distort or color the caller’s statement. • As a result you don’t really hear the customer but a mixture of the customer and yourself. Prepared by Shumaila & Shafaq Ensign Communiqué

Practices to Avoid • Avoid interrupting the customer. When you interrupt, you aren’t listening. • Let customer talk, if you’re doing the talking, you wont learn anything • Let the customer finish what they start. Prepared by Shumaila & Shafaq Ensign Communiqué

Facts vs. Assumptions • Normally follow an observation which provides the evidence leading to the fact • Can be proven • Leads to an agreement

Can be made at any time with sufficient evidence or no evidence at all

May not be proven Leads to an disagreement Prepared by Shumaila & Shafaq Ensign Communiqué

The Moral • Don’t interrupt. Let the customer finish what they start to say. • Stick to the facts. Avoid assumptions • Remain objective. Don’t jump to conclusions. Prepared by Shumaila & Shafaq Ensign Communiqué

Let ‘Em Hear you Listening

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Why?? • In face-to-face conversations, you can give visual, signals, such as a nod or a raised eyebrow. • There are no visual signals on the phone. If you don’t give verbal feedback to show you’re listening, they wont know you are paying attention. Prepared by Shumaila & Shafaq Ensign Communiqué

The Customer’s side • When a customer does not hear verbal feedback he might think – “ I have been disconnected or put on hold” – “ They’re just not interested” – “ My call isn’t important to these people”

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What is Verbal feedback? • Verbal feedback is a variety of short responses that let the caller know that you're listening and paying attention. • Verbal feedback responses include expressions like “All Right”, ”I understand”, ”I’m making a note of that right now”. Prepared by Shumaila & Shafaq Ensign Communiqué

The Bottom Line • Give verbal feedback clues to let the customer know you’re listening. • Use a variety of clues to avoid sounding bored or mechanical.

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Every call is ‘Note-Worthy’

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Notes • Making notes is recommended. The human memory is not perfect. • Written notes give you a record of the customer’s name and message – Including correct spellings – Case reviews – And accurate contact information

• Tools to carry – Paper for taking notes Prepared by Shumaila & Shafaq – A pen or a pencil Ensign Communiqué

Effective and Easy Note Taking  Remember writing takes longer than saying it  A good idea is to develop an abbreviations system for quick use  Remember to prioritize information  Always remember the objective of the call…this will help you sort what information you would want to take note of  Quality is preferred over quantity Prepared by Shumaila & Shafaq Ensign Communiqué

The Next Step  Paraphrase/Rephrase, read them back to the customer. Tell the customer what he/she said in our own words  If the customer changes anything correct your notes and promptly read them back  Helps you get the right information  Tells the customer that you are Prepared by Shumaila & Shafaq listening Ensign Communiqué

Lets revise Always have a paper and pen/pencil by every phone Use a system of abbreviations to make note taking easier and effective. Repeat or rephrase the message back to the customer. Prepared by Shumaila & Shafaq Ensign Communiqué

Basics of Service on the Phone     

Answering the Telephone Putting callers on hold Transferring a call Taking a message Ending a call

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Good telephone etiquette is one way that you can help ensure that a customer can call any department within your company, in any city or country, on any day and be dealt with in a uniform way.

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How to answer the phone The way a company picks up the phone tells the entire story about the kind of service you can expect to receive. How you answer the call sets the pace & tone of the entire call

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The Three Rings Three rings is the generally accepted standard for picking up the phone. If you hear a phone ringing in your department and no one picks it up, make it your business to do so. Even if you can’t help the person on the line, you can at least take the message. Prepared by Shumaila & Shafaq Ensign Communiqué

Greet the caller A greeting should always be the entry point of phone conversation. It indicates  your friendliness and openness  your willingness to provide quality service Don’t make your greeting too long or over the top Prepared by Shumaila & Shafaq Ensign Communiqué

Give your name This basic act of courtesy lets the caller know that he or she has reached the correct person, department or company. – Answering your own phone or direct line – Answering the company phone department – Answering thePrepared by Shumaila & Shafaq phone Ensign Communiqué

Answering your own phone or direct line Usually the caller knows the company he has reached and you only need to identify yourself by giving your name. “Good Morning, this is Andrew, how may I help you?” Prepared by Shumaila & Shafaq Ensign Communiqué

Answering the company phone Usually receptionist and switchboard operators would answer the phone and give the company name rather than their own. “Good Morning, City Finance, how may I help you?” Prepared by Shumaila & Shafaq Ensign Communiqué

Answering the department phone Usually saying only the name of the department is sufficient, followed by your name. However if the call is coming directly from outside say the company name before you identify the department and yourself. “Good Morning, City Finance customer care, this is Amit, how may I help you?” Prepared by Shumaila & Shafaq Ensign Communiqué

Ask the customer if you can help Saying “how may I help you?” completes the telephone answering etiquette by demonstrating that you and your company are ready and are available to assist the customer with his or her needs. It pays to write down the customer’s name and use it regularly in your conversation. Prepared by Shumaila & Shafaq Ensign Communiqué

Recap How to answer the phone The Three Rings Greet the caller Give your name Ask the customer if you can help Prepared by Shumaila & Shafaq Ensign Communiqué

Ending the call ‘I always remember the last thing I heard’ The ending is one of the most critical part of the conversation The last 30 seconds of the call is what leaves the most impact on a customer’s mind. It is critical to always end on a positive note. Prepared by Shumaila & Shafaq Ensign Communiqué