Perfect Phrases For Customer Service, published by McGraw-Hill, and written by Robert Bacal, includes sixty tough customer service situations, and how to deal with them. It uses a series of dialogues, and explanations to show you what to do, and when.

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Getting Sensitive Customer Service Information Script

Getting sensitive or personal information from a customer can be challenging. While many customers will provide what you need with little resistance, some customers will object, or resist giving you this information. Some examples of personal or sensitive information may include age, marital status, religion, and a wide range of other items (depending on the sensitivities of the particular customer). In this example, we'll assume that the requested information is important, but is somewhat optional.

The Situation

The patient is registering at a hospital for the first time. The employee asks a series of questions and is recording them in the computer, so the person can be identified, and receive a hospital card that is presented when the customer visits for various services. One of the questions the employee is to ask is about the patient's religion, and this is done so that if it's necessary to provide support (e.g. rabbi, priest, other clergy), the hospital can do so in a way appropriate to the patient's beliefs. In this example the patient is reasonable and responds well to the employee. Other scripts in Perfect Phrases For Customer Service Book address how to deal with difficult, or upset customers and patients.

Techniques Used

Providing Explanations (1) (see printed book to see explanation of this technique)
The "Can I..." Question (2)
Empathy Statement (3) (see printed book to see explanation of this technique)

Dialogue

After asking the new patient to supply name, address, and other related details, the hospital intake clerk needs to ask a few questions that might be seen as personal or intrusive. We join the discussion in progress.

Employee: Mrs. Jones, It helps us help you if we know who to refer you to if you would like, or require support from a clergyman or other person of that kind. (1) Can I put down some information about your religion? (2)

Patient: That's a pretty personal question, and normally I'd say it's none of your business, but it makes sense to have that, I guess. I'm Catholic, and I have my own priest at the church I attend.

Employee: Thank you. I can understand you feel that it's a personal question, but it does help us if there's a situation where you might benefit from a visit from our own clergy. (3)

Explanations

In this example, the employee realized the question is personal, and might provoke an argument. Rather than asking straight-out - "What religion are you" - which sounds very harsh is is likely to create resistance, she explains WHY they are asking for the information (1). This makes the request seem less arbitrary and intrusive, since there's a point to it, a rationale.

The employee uses the "Can I...question" which involves softening the actual question. (2) The Can...I question incorporates a request for information with an implied request for permission. Again, notice the difference between "Can I put down some information about your religion?", and "What religion are you?". The latter is much harsher.

Finally, after the patient responds, the employee uses an empathy statement to indicate that she understands how the patient might be feeling about giving this personal information, and reiterates a short form of the expanation.

Hints

If there is no good reason to request personal information, or you are not aware of it, then you can't offer a specific explanation. However, you can begin the interaction by proving that you understand the customer's feelings about being asked a question that might be seen as intrusive. That's an example of using empathy as a "pre-emptive strike".

If you don't know why you are being asked to ask the customer for personal information, try to find out, since that will help you explain it to the customer.