When it comes to solving customer issues, empathy and understanding can make or break an interaction. By the time a customer reaches out for help, they may have been struggling with an issue for hours, days, or even weeks. So it’s important to meet their frustration with a calm, can-do attitude, and be ready to help with whatever their needs may be.
Sometimes situations can catch us off guard, so it’s helpful to be prepared with go-to phrases and questions. Using the right language and attitude can give your customers an experience that is delightful and grows their trust in your support team.
Below we list down a few handy phrases that your support team can use in its interaction with customers. But make sure that these phrases are personalised before actual use.
Greetings/ Building Rapport
- Thank you for contacting (company) today.
- It’s nice to meet you.
- May I have your name, please?
- Would you prefer to be called (first name) or (Mr./Ms. last name)?
- How are you doing?
- How is your day going?
- I’m happy to help.
- Could I please have the best number to reach you at in case we get disconnected?
- What can I help you with today?
- How can I assist you today?
- I can certainly help with that.
- Thanks for bringing this to our attention.
- Thanks for giving us a call. We’re going to do our best to help you today.
- Let’s get this figured out for you.
Positive Short Answers
- Definitely.
- Certainly.
- Absolutely.
- Fantastic.
- Wonderful.
- Gladly.
- Great.
- Of course.
- Thank you.
- You got it.
- Excellent question.
- I can do that.
Gathering Information
- Can you tell me a little bit more about the issue you are experiencing?
- Could you help me understand more about…?
- When did you begin to experience this issue?
- How can we remedy this problem for you?
- For security purposes, could you please tell me…
- To help me get a better understanding of the incident, could you tell me…?
- I have a pretty good idea of what’s going on so far, I just need a little more information.
- What happens when you…?
- Just to make sure I have all of the bases covered, have you tried…?
- Does this issue only happen when…?
When the Answer is Not Readily Available
- Let me check with the product team.
- Let me take a moment to check on your account.
- Let me find that out for you.
- I’m going to put you on hold for a brief moment while I look into that for you.
- Would it be alright if I transfer you to someone with more specialized knowledge on this topic?
- I think our specialist will be better able to assist you. May I transfer you?
When the Problem is Solvable
- Great news! It looks like we can…
- Excellent! All we have to do now is…
- We can get this figured out right away.
- I think I’ve found the ideal solution.
- I see exactly what we need to do.
- I’m happy to say that we can fix this for you.
- There is a simple solution here, I can walk you through it.
- If you follow along as I guide you through just a few steps, we’ll have that solved for you right away.
When the Answer Is No or Not Right Now
- I’m sorry we’re unable to do that. Is there something else I can do for you?
- I apologize, that is not something that is possible at this time.
- I don’t have an answer for you right now, but I will send you an update by (day/time).
- The person who would be able to do this for you is out of the office at the moment. Could I take your best contact information and get back to you when they return?
When a Customer Is Angry or Frustrated
- I understand.
- I completely understand.
- I see where you’re coming from.
- That must be frustrating.
- I can see why (issue) would be frustrating.
- I hear you. Let’s see what we can do to solve this for you.
- Rest assured, I’m going to take care of this for you.
- I would feel the same way, and I’m here to help.
- I apologize for what you’ve been experiencing. Let’s get this sorted.
- You are completely right. Let’s see what we can do.
Finishing Up
- Is there anything else I can help you with?
- I’m so glad we were able to help.
- It’s been a pleasure helping you today.
- Did you have any additional questions or concerns I can help you with?
- Did we take care of all of your concerns today?
- I’m sending you the confirmation now.
- Thank you for choosing (company).
- Thank you for being a valued customer.
- It was so nice to meet you. Enjoy the rest of your day.
- I hope the rest of your week goes swimmingly.
- We appreciate your business and hope you have a wonderful day.
Final Tips
Thinking on your toes and always keeping things positive is a skill that is useful in every aspect of life, but especially so when helping customers. If you don’t know exactly the right phrase to use, it’s always a good idea to take a moment to consider what you will say next, to have the best outcomes and customer interactions.
Most importantly, if you always communicate with the customer’s best interests at heart, finding the right words will be simple and clear.
