14 Techniques to Improve CSR Performance
14 Techniques to Improve CSR
Performance
The first point of human contact between your company and
your prospects and customers is your customer service representative
(CSR). The CSR sets the tone for
everything that happens. Good CSRs close
more calls while bad CSRs drive away business.
Here are 14 actions your CSR can take to improve performance.
1. Give Choices
Giving customers choices between something and something,
instead of something and nothing is not new.
It is effective. Instead of
asking if Monday is good, ask whether Monday or Tuesday would be better. Instead of asking if the customer is
interested in a service agreement, ask if the customer would rather pay regular
prices or the discounted prices service agreement customers pay.
2. Assume Yes
As Charlie Greer likes to say, people do not call just to
chat someone up. They call because they
have a need or problem they believe the company can solve. Assume a serviceperson will be dispatched and
proceed accordingly.
3. Say What You Can Do
CSRs should banish the words, “no,” “can’t,” and “won’t”
from their vocabulary. Tell people what
can be done, not what cannot. Instead of
saying, “We can’t/don’t/won’t do that,” say “Here’s what we can do.” Or better yet, “We can do X or Y. Which would you prefer?”
4. Take an Acting Class
Once we hired an unemployed professional actor to work in
our call center. Rejection never
bothered him. Angry or abusive customers
never bothered him. He was nonplused no
matter what the customer said or did. I
finally figured it out. He didn’t see
himself making calls. He saw himself
playing a role.
Take an acting class from a local community theater. The skills and techniques used in acting will
serve you well when you are on the phone.
Moreover, it makes it more fun.
5. Stay Calm
When a caller seems upset, the CSR is not the reason for
the rage, only the recipient. This is
why acting classes can help. Let the
anger wash over you without taking it personally. While CSRs should not make light of any situation
that has a customer upset, it’s okay to see the humor in it, especially if that
helps in keeping calm.
6. Install a Smile Mirror
People can hear a smile through the phone. CSRs should put a small mirror next to the phone
and tape the word, “smile” at the top to serve as a reminder.
7. Be Prompt
The CSR’s role is critical. The whole day breaks down when the CSR is not
on station and ready to go when the phones go live. CSRs should plan on arriving a little early,
every day.
8. Take Breaks
Let’s face it.
Managing the phones and dealing with customers can be a beat down. It’s important to take breaks, to decompress. If the company only has one CSR, someone else
in the office should be cross trained to provide back up and be able to spot
the CSR several times during the day.
9. Ask Questions
The art of customer service starts with asking the right
questions. When someone calls and asks
for a price, ask questions. Probe. Find out more about the prospect’s situation
and the reason for the call. Then, ask
the customer what day or time would be better to send someone out.
10. Take Good Notes
Hopefully, the computer system allows CSRs to add notes
to each customer’s file. Write lots of
notes. The more the better. Capture details (especially the address) and
make relationship notes. For example, if
a customer says something about the dog, write it down. The next time the customer calls, the CSR or
another CSR can scan the notes and ask about the dog, making the relationship
between the customer and the company feel more personal.
11. Repeat For Accuracy
Especially when it involves and address, contact
information, or a problem, record what the customer says and repeat it to
ensure you have accurately captured the information.
When the phone isn’t ringing, be proactive. Make happy calls. Call customers who rejected a serviceperson’s
recommendation in the last three months to see how they are doing and if they
have rethought the need to proceed. Call
customers nearing the end of their warranty to ask if everything is performing
well and reminding them that the warranty will soon expire. Often, this leads to more work.
13. Set Performance Goals
Even if the company has performance goals for CSRs, CSRs
can set their own. Theirs can be
higher. Or, they can be different and
more detailed. Make it a game. Make it fun.
Track your performance, whether it’s service calls booked, inbound calls
taken, outbound calls made, percentage of calls converted, or some other
measure. Your performance will
inevitably improve.
14. Remind Yourself Every Caller is
a Person
Every person who calls is a wife or husband, mother or
father, son or daughter. Everyone who
calls is a person with hopes and dreams, fears and anxieties. The CSR is in a position to calm at least
some of the fears and to sooth some of the anxieties. The CSR is in a position to make a difference
for the person calling and for the company.
Do it. Make a
difference today.
©2015 Matt
Michel
