And the Oscar goes to...

Did you watch last night? 

Did you notice what did they all had in common?

Yes, they have award-winning acting skills, roles, outfits, and stylists, but there's something else as well. 

Their posture.

Actors, like the rest of us, get nervous when they are out of their comfort zone. so they stand a little taller to make themselves feel more powerful and confident then deliver the lines with poise. 

Next time you get a tough call or caller, strike an Oscar-worthy pose. Stand or sit up tall and deliver customer service with grace.

You know what to say, so say it with confidence. 

Rock, Paper... People

Copyright: 123RF

Take a quick look at your desk.  What do you see?

Lots of paperwork? I thought so.  

Chances are, your job involves a lot of both paperwork and phone work, and sometimes the ringing phone feels like an interruption. That feeling can lead to a greeting that sounds rushed or unhelpful, sending your call off to a rocky start.

This week, aim to catch yourself thinking: "Arghhh – the phone is ringing!" and say instead: "Yay, the phone is ringing!" or "I’m gonna rock this!"  Then your greeting will sound professional and friendly, ready to handle anything.

Smile, Breathe, Rock On. You got this!

Look familiar?

                   Was this you this morning?

Chances are you're feeling a little sluggish today yet your job is to sound upbeat, professional, and caring.
This is the perfect day for the Swivel and Answer and this is how it works... 

When you hear the phone ring, swivel your chair to the left, then back to center, then answer.

Next time the phone rings, swivel your chair to the right, then back to center, then answer.

Do you sense a pattern?  Keep it up.  Keep on swiveling and not only will be you able to button your pants again, you'll also sound more energetic on the phone.

At Ward Certified, we're grateful for elastic pants!

Happy Monday.

Sound available.

You are busy, but you shouldn’t sound busy.

If you slow down and don’t interrupt your caller, they will feel heard, cared for and like you better.

Wow, that’s quite a promise, you say?

But it’s true.  When you fully listen to your caller and act as if they are the most important person in your world (right now), they can feel it.

Tips:
Choose to speak at a slower pace to indicate you have time for them.  Need help?  Say this tongue twister, “Around the rugged rocks the ragged rascals ran.”  That’s the pace, and nice job with the enunciation!

Choose not to interrupt.  Snap a rubber band on your wrist as a reminder to let them finish their sentence… completely.  Resist the urge to help them along. Just listen.

You know that feeling you get when you help someone?  When they say ‘thank you’ and you know you earned it?  Ya, that feels good and these techniques will help you experience that more often.

If you've ever wanted to get yourself Ward Certified™, now is the time.  Click here to learn more.

The sweetest sound...

It’s our name.  With that in mind, aim to use your customer’s name a couple of times during the call.  The best time is right after you hear it.

Customer: Hi, this is Ann.  I’ve got a question about my invoice.

Bart: “Hi Ann, I’m glad you called.  What’s the question?”

Compare that to starting the conversation by asking for an account number, policy number or any number.  Yuk.

Use Their Name As Soon As You Hear It

Using the person's name acknowledges their identify and massages their Ego, which boosts their self-esteem. Recognizing that they exist is a powerful, simple step towards a better call. 

Ahh, that feels better!

Sound available

You are busy, but you shouldn’t sound busy.

If you slow down and don’t interrupt your caller and they will feel heard, cared for and like you better.

Wow, that’s quite a promise, you say! 

But it’s true.  When you fully listen to your caller and act as if they are the most important person in your world (right now) they can feel it. 

Tips:

Choose to speak at a slower pace to indicate you have time for them.  Need help?  Say this tongue twister “Around the rugged rocks the ragged rascals ran.”  That’s the pace and nice job with the enunciation! 

Choose not to interrupt.  Snap a rubber band on your wrist as a reminder to let them finish their sentence… completely.  Resist the urge to help them along. Just listen.

You know that feeling you get when you help someone?  When they say ‘thank you’ and you know you earned it?  Ya, that feels good and these techniques will help you experience that more often.

What business are you in?

A: We're all in the 'Customer Service' business. 

Recently, the TSA has been in the news for their lack of customer service.  Oddly enough, lines winding out of airport doors don’t lead to positive Yelp reviews.

But wait, the goal of the TSA is to make flying safe for all of us.

If you scan their budget presentation, you’ll find 4,338 words and the phrase "customer service" only appears twice.  

Guess which word popped up most in their word cloud?  Security.

So, despite the fact that we count on the TSA for security, we rate them on their customer service. 

Your customers are doing the same.  It’s not what you do - it’s how you do it.

Be kind to your customers this week, they might have spent their summer vacation in a long TSA line and be short on patience.