Whether your contact center agents are interacting with customers on the phone or online, incorporating positive words and phrases into the conversation is a sure way to improve those customers’ perception of the level of customer service they are receiving.
And having a list of specific words and phrases available to choose from is a good way to boost the confidence of your agents in their ability to add that spark of positivity to each and every conversation they have.
With that in mind, here are the top 25 positive words and phrases for contact center employees to use with customers, divided into their respective areas of usefulness:
1. Definitely
2. Surely
3. Absolutely
4. Certainly
5. Fantastic
These five positive words should be woven into sentences whenever possible. When customers hear these words they are reassured because the agent sounds confident. From a quick “I absolutely agree” to a longer “I will definitely make sure that,” adding these words does make a difference.
6. Rest assured…
7. I do understand the inconvenience…
8. I will be more than happy to assist you…
9. I completely understand the reason why/your situation…
10. I will ensure that…
11. What I will do for you right away is…
12. I assure you…
13. What I can do for you right now is …
14. I’m sorry for the inconvenience; what I can do for you is …
A key goal of every contact center agent handling customer complaints should be to sympathize with the customer. Callers need to know that you not only hear what they are saying but that you understand their problem and why they are upset. You need to convey that you will definitely do something to help them. Using these phrases will facilitate that understanding between caller and agent. Keep these phrases in mind especially when attempting to diffuse a situation with an angry customer.
15. I would suggest / I recommend…
16. To avoid a similar inconvenience in future I’d request that you…
Especially when handling technical support calls, it can be a tricky balancing act to tell customers what they are doing wrong to help them prevent future problems, without sounding patronizing or condescending. Agents should assume the role of advisor by making suggestions and recommendations and avoid talking down to a customer.
17. All you need to do is…
18. A simple way to change it will be to…
19. As soon as you receive…
When giving instructions it’s important to make them sound easy and straightforward so that customers do not become overwhelmed or confused. Inserting these phrases will help in that effort and keep those callers thinking positive, too.
20. You will ONLY be charged…
21. We have a variety of …
22. It’s a wonderful service where instead of ______, you can ______ …
23. This is the best plan for your needs…
24. For just $_____, you can…
25. For special customers like you…
When trying to make that sale, positive phrases can mean the difference between a yes and a no. Emphasizing the low cost or benefits of a product or service, or the great value your company places on customers, is a great way to add some positive pizzazz to every conversation.
To make the use of these 25 positive words and phrases easy, print out a copy for each employee, so that they can reference it during each call. Then sit back and watch the smiles, as the positivity becomes infectious, spreading from agent to customer and back again.
