This document provides tips and advice for improving customer service. It emphasizes: 1) Choosing words carefully to avoid those that can be controlling, wishy-washy, or contradicting like "have to", "I'll try", and "but". 2) Using a tone of voice that communicates enthusiasm and interest rather than being bored, depressed, angry or disbelieving. 3) Being aware that stressing different words in a sentence can change the feeling and meaning conveyed.

1. CUSTOMER SERVICE
OASA

2. Random Thoughts on Customer
Service
• Customer service is either good or bad. There is no in-
between.
~ Anonymous
• If you provide only 99% satisfaction, a million transactions
mean 10,000 unhappy customers!
~ Anonymous
• If your departments don't communicate effectively with
each other, you can be certain they aren't communicating
with your customers either.
~ Anonymous
• Response time should be measured in minutes, not hours.
~ Anonymous
• There is less to fear from outside competition than from
inside inefficiency, discourtesy, and bad service!
~ Tom Peters
• Today’s typical customer wants only two things:
1. Good feelings
2. Solutions to problems
~ Michael LeBoeuf, Ph.D., author

3. CUSTOMER SERVICE
• The quality of service is going to be a selling point in a
fickle environment where customers have more choices.
~ Rosabeth Moss Kanter
Harvard Business Review
• It never ceases to amaze me that companies spend
millions to attract new customers (people they don’t know)
and spend next to nothing to keep the ones they’ve got!
Seems to me the budgets should be reversed!
~ Tom Peters
• If you own the problem, you own the customer.
If you lose the problem, you lose the customer.
It’s just that simple.
~ Unknown
• A major key to success of any business in today’s
competitive environment is to never lose sight of the fact
that your number one goal is to please your customers.
~ Edgar A. Falk, 1001 Ideas to Create Retail Excitement

4. Dealing with people - Words to
avoid
• These include:
• Have to - as in - "You'll have to speak to
the deposit department yourself"
• I can't or you can't - as in - "I can't do
anything about that" or "You can't do that"
• I'll try - as in - "I'll try and speak to the WD
department today"
• But - as in - "I agree with what you're saying
but....."
• Sorry - as in - "I'm sorry about that"

5. "What DO I say I hear you cry?"
• Instead of the words "Have to" which are
very controlling type words, why not try -
"Are you willing to…" or just a straight -
"Will you…." Can't, can be replaced with
- "I'm unable to because…."
• "I'll try," which is pretty wishy-washy, can
be replaced with something more honest
- "This is what I can do" or "This is
what I'm unable to do"
• "But" is a word that contradicts what was
said before it, replace it with - "And" or
"However" (which is a soft 'but')

6. EMPATHY
• Instead of saying "but" you could
leave it out altogether. For example;
instead of - "I agree with what you're
saying but I can't help you" use - "I
agree with what you're saying. The
reason I'm unable to help you is……"
• At the end of the day the answer to a
customer or one of your staff could be
-"no"- however, choosing your words
more carefully will have a more
positive affect on how he or she
reacts and ultimately responds to you.

7. EMPATHY
• "Sorry" is one of the words to avoid
because it is so overused and it's lost its
value. Think of the number of times
you've complained or commented about
something and you hear - "Sorry 'bout
that." If you're going to use the "sorry"
word then you need to use it as part of a
whole sentence - "I'm sorry you've been
receiving so many complaints Mary."
• Sometimes it's appropriate to use the
word 'apologise' instead of 'sorry.' "I
apologise for not getting you that
information sooner."

8. TONE
• A monotone and flat voice says to the
customer, "I'm bored and have
absolutely no interest in what you're
talking about."
• Slow speed and low pitch communicate
the message, "I'm depressed and want
to be left alone."
• A high-pitched and emphatic voice says,
"I'm enthusiastic about this subject."
• An abrupt speed and loud tone say, "I'm
angry and not open to input!"
• High pitch combined with drawn-out
speed conveys, "I don't believe what I'm
hearing."

9. Changing the stress on the
words
Another way to improve your inflection is to be
aware of how stressing certain words changes
the feeling of what you're saying. The following
sentence, "What would you like us to do about
it?" changes in feeling, meaning, and tone when
you:
• Say it defensively (emphasizing the words
"would you").
• "What would you like us to do about it?"
• Say it with curiosity (emphasizing the words
"like us").
• "What would you like us to do about it?"
• Say it with apathy (not emphasizing any of the
words).
• "What would you like us to do about it?"