The Worst (and Best!) Phrases in Customer Service,( phrase, script)

3 Phrases to Cut from the Customer Service Vocabulary

1. No worries. This phrase closely mirrors “no problem” which made the original worst phrases list. The words “problem” and “worry” possess a negative connotation, even though both phrases are meant as a positive response to a customer’s thank you. “From now on it’s ‘my pleasure,’” notes the Chicago customer service director who nominated this phrase for the list.

2. ASAP. Telling the customer you’ll take care of something “ASAP” is setting the customer up for disappointment if the issue can’t be remedied quickly. It’s better to give the customer a longer timeframe, and then delight them if you can provide a faster-than-expected response or resolution.

3. I’m sorry (over and over). “I’m sorry” certainly isn’t a phrase that should be cut from the customer service vocabulary, but it can suffer from overuse during a single customer service interaction. “Somehow, it doesn’t sound genuine when you say it too many times,” says a senior project executive from Singapore who suggested it to the list.

3 Phrases Customers Love to Hear

1. Thank you for bringing this to our attention. This phrase credits and thanks the customer for initiating the service interaction and for bringing up the matter for improvement or resolution. It also says to the customer that the business or organization will devote the proper care to the matter now that they are aware.

“I sometimes ask (customers) for phone numbers or email addresses, just so I can send a quick follow-up or to thank the customer for bringing something to my attention,” notes the Chicago CSR who suggested the phrase for the best list. 

2. What would you like me to do? Then that’s what we’ll do. My favorite way to turn around an irate customer says a managing partner of a Denver telemarketing company is to ask, “What would you like me to do?” When the customer slows down, they say something, usually reasonable, and I say “Then that’s what we’ll do.” They are generally delighted. 

3. We appreciate you being a customer, and we want to make sure you are taken care of. Any way in which you let the customer know he or she is valued and that their time and concerns are important to your business or organization is a win-win.