Summer is not a good time to say "no" to customers.
Northern states are finally getting some warm weather.
Contractors in the South have been celebrating all the way to the bank for the
past month because it has been so hot.
The phone is ringing constantly. Technicians are working many overtime
hours. Customers are hot and want to be cool again. They don't like
"no" as an answer.
When it gets busy dispatchers have a tendency to use excuses, even though they may
be true. How many times have you heard your dispatchers telling customers that
the company is busy, dispatchers telling customers that the technicians are
working overtime, dispatchers telling customers that they don't have enough technicians
to handle the load or you "can't get there until three days from now”?
Those are the company's problems. Customers don't care about these excuses.
They don't care about the customers ahead of them. They don't care that
technicians are working overtime or that the company doesn't have enough
technicians to handle the work. They care about getting their problem fixed.
When your dispatchers speak with customers on the telephone they must
tell them what they can do, not what they can't do or make excuses about
company problems. When it's hot, everyone knows it's hot.
You might get a few customers who say, "I know that I
shouldn't have waited." However, those are rare. Your dispatcher's
job is to take care of each customer and make him or her feel that she will do
everything possible to get that customer's problem taken care of quickly ---
not tell that person that you are busy.
There are a few phrases that dispatchers should never use.
Obviously, "We're busy" is one. “It's our policy” is another. These
only make an upset customer even more upset.
I've heard many times, "I don't care what policy is, break
it!" Or, "do you know who I am? I can make trouble for you!"
or "Break the policy!”
The word "no" is like pouring gasoline on a fire. Use only
positive words and phrases: "Mrs. Jones, if you can do X we can do Y.”
Or, "Mrs. Jones, would you prefer that our technician arrive on Thursday
or Friday?"
On a sheet of paper, put "Xs" through the list of the words and
phrases that dispatchers should never use. Put the right phrase next to the
wrong phrase. Put this sheet where dispatchers and everyone else who talks with
customers can see it. Everyone will get the right idea and start using the
right words and phrases.
Words dispatchers should never use
June 29, 2009
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