Communication Skills – Page 4 – Customer Service Warrior

The way you end a customer call is almost as crucial as the conversation itself as it's a golden opportunity to leave a positive lasting impression, reinforce customer satisfaction and help ensure the success of future calls. The following guide I have created not only gives you useful scripts to end your conversation, it also contains the exact steps for closing a call with an impact and finesse that will set the stage for exceptional customer relationships. 1. Use Pace and Tone to Set the Scene for Closure When you want to end a customer call, the first thing you need to do is set the scene for closure. That means you need to make the customer aware that the conversation is winding down while at the same time ensuring they don't feel rushed or disregarded. You've just spent a lot of time building a connection with the customer - for more general information on how to talk to a customer on the phone, see this more in-depth article I wrote about it here, and you don't want to do anything to jeopardize that. The key to balancing the two is to ensure that the customer feels respected and heard until the very end of the conversation. To set the scene for closure you need to start speaking slightly slower and more deliberately. Gradually and naturally shift your tone of voice to a softer and more gentle tone while at the same time reducing its intensity and pitch. The change in pace and tone subtly indicates to the customer that the conversation is winding down and prepares them for its conclusion. These early cues go a long way to making sure that the customer doesn't feel abruptly cut off and disregarded. 2. Summarize the Key Points Discussed The next thing you need to do in the process of ending a call with a customer is to shift the direction of the conversation from being helpful to summarizing the key points conversation. Not only will this also subtly indicate that the conversation is coming to an end - that's the nature of all summaries, but it will solidify both your and the customers understanding of the conversation and leave you both with clear takeaways to act upon. Identify the main topics discussed during the call and emphasize the crucial details and any solutions you have provided. Ask the customer to confirm that your summary is correct and in light of it, to verify that all their concerns or inquiries have been addressed adequately and that they're satisfied with the outcomes you've both decided upon. 3. Confirm Any Next Steps and Finalize Commitments If any resolutions or follow-up actions were promised during the call, you should now reiterate and finalize them. Recap the commitments you made and outline the step by step process for their completion along with the timeline by which the customer can expect them to be carried out. This proactive confirmation ensures the customer has clear expectations about what's going to happen next and that they aren't left uncertain about the next steps, or worse disappointed in the outcome. Similarly, if specific actions were suggested for the customer to undertake, you should now ensure that they completely understand what they're supposed to do and confirm their agreement with this step. Clarify any time-sensitive tasks by reminding the customer about the time frame within which these actions need to be carried out. This confirmation not only provides mutual clarity but also once again ensures that the customer is not left uncertain about the next steps, or disappointed in the outcome. 4. Address Any Additional Concerns In customer calls, it's essential to allow space for any lingering queries or concerns. That's why you need to proactively ask the customer to voice any further issues or questions that they might have. By offering the customer this opportunity - despite having already taken steps to wind down the conversation, you demonstrate attentiveness to them and a commitment to resolving all their potential issues comprehensively. Inviting the customer to share any additional concerns they might have seems counter-intuitive when you want to end the conversation. Another concern (or two, or three, or more) would require you to allow them the time to articulate their problem (or two, or three, or more) fully and address each one to their satisfaction, which would essentially be the opposite of ending the call, however you shouldn't skip this step. That's because if the customer does have another issue, you'll have to deal with it sooner or later, and nine times out of ten it's better to deal with it sooner. Also, it will be a lot easier to deal with these additional concerns now because being in the middle of a conversation, you currently have a high level of rapport and connection with the customer. If you leave the issue to a later date, then you will need to take the time to re-establish that rapport and connection all over again. Additionally, many concerns that are brought up at this stage are likely to be more minor or generalized ones that can quickly and easily be resolved. That means you won't loose too much by offering to deal with them now, but you will gain a lot by showing the customer that you're prepared to go above and beyond. 5. Express Gratitude and Appreciation to the Customer Once you've addressed all the customer's concerns, there are still several things you can do in the final moments of the call to leave a positive impression that will remain with the customer long after the call has ended. In this stage you should express your gratitude and appreciation to the customer for their contribution to the call. This means that you should sincerely thank the customer for their time and engagement. They were also patient and understanding during the call and if you had a strong connection they would have also shared valuable insights throughout the conversation. Convey genuine gratitude and appreciation for this with a simple "Thank you for sharing your thoughts" or "I appreciate your input". Furthermore, highlight the importance of the customer's business or relationship with your company and thank them for choosing your service or product. Phrases like "We value your partnership" or "Your satisfaction is our priority," ensures that the customer feels valued and essential to your organization. 6. Ask the Customer to Provide Feedback Inviting feedback as part of closing a customer call, not only demonstrates a commitment to continuous improvement, it also shows a genuine willingness to listen and evolve based on customer insights. It fosters a culture of openness and customer-centrality that is the foundation for a long-term relationship between the company and the customer. Ask the customer to provide feedback. Use phrases such as "We highly value your feedback" or "Your thoughts are important to us" to encourage their participation. Ask open-ended questions too because they prompt detailed responses. If the customer is not sure what type of thing you want to know, ask them what aspects of the call they found most helpful, where there were areas for improvement, and to provide suggestions for enhancing the overall customer experience. Be sure to acknowledge the value of the customer's input by expressing genuine interest in hearing their insights and assuring the customer that their feedback will be considered seriously and used to enhance the quality of the service. Emphasize that their input is instrumental in shaping future interactions and improving services. You can also tell the customer that they don't have to provide any feedback directly to you, and that they can use any of the alternative methods or channels your company has available, instead. Refer the customer to any online surveys, feedback forms, emails or phone numbers that they can use for this purpose. 7. Offer Contact Information for Continued Support Your support for the customer is ongoing and doesn't end with the call, so it's important to provide them with contact information and make them aware of any relevant support channels, in case they need further assistance. This includes the help-desk phone number and the hours at which they can reach a member of the support team, an email address and how long it will take to get a response, the website name and what actions they can perform there. Once you have provided this information to the customer or confirmed that they know about it already, assure them that you or another member of the team are available to help should they encounter any issues in the future. Remind the customer that these support channels exist because you're committed to their satisfaction and are dedicated to assisting them in whatever way they need. 8. The Final Words: End With Elegance and Finesse Once you've summarized, confirmed the next steps, addressed any additional concerns, showed appreciation to the customer, asked for their feedback and provided contact information for additional support, you're ready to end the conversation. Going through the previous steps means the customer won't feel the conversation is abruptly ended and that they're not really valued, because the process is designed to improve your relationship with the customer at a moment when it could so easily be ruined. But what do you actually say to end a call with a customer? What are the exact words you should use? The answer is it depends, because each situation is different and requires it's own final words. However, you'll usually find yourself in one of ten scenarios, each of which I've listed below, along with exactly what you should say to close a customer call with elegance and finesse. Summarizing and Thanking:"To recap, we’ve taken care of [issue]. If there’s anything else, just reach out. Thank you for your time and trust in [Company Name]." Confirmation of Assistance:"I’m glad I could assist you today. If you need further help, don’t hesitate to contact us. Thank you for your patience." Reiteration of Support:"Your satisfaction is important to us. If there’s anything else I can assist you with, please let me know. Thank you for choosing [Company Name]." Action-Oriented Conclusion:"I'll follow up on this for you. Expect an email with the details shortly. Should you need anything else, feel free to get in touch. Thank you!" Assurance of Resolution:"Rest assured, I've processed [solution]. If you encounter any further concerns, please reach out. Thank you for your understanding." Forward-Looking Closing:"We've addressed [issue]. As always, if you need further help, feel free to get in touch. Thank you for choosing us as your service provider." Empathetic Closure:"I understand this was important. I'm glad we could resolve this. If anything else arises, we're here to help. Take care." Warm Closure:"Thank you for allowing us to assist you today. If there’s anything else you need, we’re just a call away. Have a fantastic day ahead!" Gratitude-Centric Closing:"Thank you for choosing [Company Name]. We appreciate your time today. If you have any more questions, feel free to reach out. Have a wonderful day!" Personalized Appreciation:"It was a pleasure assisting you today, [Customer's Name]. If you have any more queries, don’t hesitate to contact us. Thank you for your loyalty."