What Types of Customer Service Situations Should Employees Be Trained in and Prepared For?
Customer service representatives need to be able to deal with both routine and non-routine customer service situations and interactions with customers. Whether you are trying to design customer service training, or want to assess whether employees hit the mark, it’s helpful to have a list of many of the situations for which employees must have the required skills. Here’s a list, taken from Perfect Phrases for Customer Service: Hundreds of Tools, Techniques, and Scripts for Handling Any Situation
Of course, no list of customer service situations can be exhaustive, but it’s a good starting point.
When You Are Late or Know You Will Be Late When a Customer Is in a Hurry When a Customer Jumps Ahead in a Line of Waiting Customers When a Customer Asks to Be Served Ahead of Other Waiting Customers When a Customer Interrupts a Discussion Between the Employee and Another Customer When a Customer Has a Negative Attitude About Your Company Due to Past Experiences When You Need to Explain a Company Policy or Procedure When a Customer Might Be Mistrustful When a Customer Has Been Through Voice Mail When a Customer Is Experiencing a Language Barrier When the Customer Has Been “Buck-Passed” When the Customer Needs to Follow a Sequence of Actions When the Customer Insults Your Competence When a Customer Won’t Stop Talking on the Phone When the customer swears or yells in person #1 When the customer swears or yells in person #2 When a Customer Won’t Stop Talking and Is Getting Abusive on the Phone #1 When a Customer Won’t Stop Talking and Is Getting Abusive on the Phone #2 When a Customer Has Been Waiting in a Line When You Don’t Have the Answer When Nobody Handy Has the Answer When You Need to Place a Caller on When You Need to Route a Customer Phone Call When You Lack the Authority to … When a Customer Threatens to Go over Their Heads When a Customer Demands to Speak with Your Supervisor When a Customer Demands to Speak with Your Supervisor, Who Isn’t Available When a Customer Threatens to Complain to the Press When a Customer Demands to Speak to the “Person in Charge” When a Customer Makes an Embarrassing Mistake When a Customer Withholds Information Due to Privacy Concerns When a Customer Threatens Bodily Harm or Property Damage When a Customer Is Confused About What He or She Wants or Needs When a Customer Makes a Racist Remark When a Customer Makes a Sexist Remark When a Customer Refuses to Leave When a Customer Accuses You of Racism When a Customer Plays One Employee off Another (“So-and-So Said”) When a Customer Might Be Stealing When a Customer Is Playing to an Audience of Other Customers When customer exhibits Passive-Aggressive Behavior When a Customer Uses Nonverbal Attempts to Intimidate When a Customer Makes Persistent and Frequent Phone Calls When someone else is not responding (no callback) When You Need to Clarify Commitments
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When a Customer Wants Information You Are Not Allowed to Give When a Customer Makes a Suggestion to Improve Service When You Can’t Find a Customer’s Reservation/ Appointment When Your Are Following Up on a Customer Complaint Properly Identifying the Internal Customer When an Internal Customer Isn’t Following Procedures to Request Service When the Customer Wants Something that Won’t Fill His Need When You Want Feedback from the Customer When a Customer Complains about Red Tape and Paperwork When You Need to a Customer Complaint Made in Writing When a Reservation/Appointment is Lost and You Cannot Meet the Commitment When Customers Are Waiting in a Waiting Room When a Customer Complains About a Known Problem When a Customer Asks Inappropriate Questions |