
“She sold a hot water heater…”
Last Monday, I conducted a customer service seminar for a client. The company owner’s daughter works the phones and I trained her on how to transform “price shopper” calls from Transactional to Relational.
This transformation occurs when a CSR asks open-ended questions that invite the caller into a relationship, not a transaction.
The cost of training is always less than the cost of ignorance.
On Tuesday, I phoned the company owner and asked for seminar feedback.
“My daughter sold a hot water heater this morning,” he said. “It was a price shopper call and my daughter asked the relationship-building questions. The caller told her that he liked how she handled his concerns.”
My client is elated. He received ROI within 24 hours.
How do you ask relationship-building questions? Start your question with a brief and therapeutic phrase, such as: “We can help you with that, I just need to gather a little information first.” The word “gather” is intentional and descriptive.
Then ask about their street address. Say, “May I have your address?” Then when the customer says their address, you say: “Oh, we serve lots of families in that neighborhood.” Callers like to talk about themselves.
I feel good when my clients apply the techniques and strategies that yield improved results.
This reinforces something I learned many years ago: The cost of training is always less than the cost of ignorance.
Take Steve's Online Courses
Call me at 610-853-9836 to schedule a site visit for employee training and consulting!