Hiring competent staff members to answer phones is a crucial step for service company growth. Be careful though! An incompetent Customer Service Representative can be just as bad (or worse!) than being short-staffed.
There are a few steps you can take to get your call center off to a good start:
1. Teach CSRs to lead the call.
2. Document your sales process.
Here’s how to get started…
Step 1: Teach Your CSRs Active Listening Skills
Customer Service Representatives don’t typically have the same level of technical knowledge as repair technicians. This can be a real challenge when it comes to selling your service to customers, especially if the customer is shopping around.
The best way to prevent customers from becoming annoyed with your non-technician CSR is to teach your call takers how to lead a sales call.
When a CSR schedules an appointment without hesitation, her technical expertise isn’t in questions. But when the CSR fumbles through the conversation, the call can go south fast.
The first step to teaching your CSRs to book calls with confidence is to teach them how to become active listeners.
Nothing is more cringe-worthy than listening to a CSR re-ask a question that the customer JUST answered. This common mistake makes it painfully obvious that the call taker is unfamiliar with your service and incompetent at customer service.
The Poor Listener Makes Your Business Sound Incompetent…
Customer: “Hi, I have a Whirlpool refrigerator that’s not cooling. The refrigerator side isn’t cooling, but the freezer is still cold. I really need someone to come to get it fixed so my food doesn’t go bad. I just went grocery shopping yesterday.”
CSR: “Hi, ma’am? Yes, Ok. What kind of appliance is it?”
Customer: “Um, a refrigerator!!!”
CSR: “Oh, yes, ok. And which brand is it?”
Customer:
The difference between a bad CSR and a good one is in the flow of the conversation.
Pros take control of the conversation. A good CSR can earn your customer’s confidence and establish a positive tone for the service appointment.
A call taker who lacks confidence can negatively impact the customer’s overall experience, and in many cases, lose the lead altogether!
Here’s what a professional call taker should sound like…
An Active Lister Can Lead the Sales Call…
Customer: “Hi, I have a Whirlpool refrigerator. The refrigerator side isn’t cooling, but the freezer is still cold. I really need someone to come to get it fixed so my food doesn’t go bad. I just went grocery shopping yesterday.”
CSR: “Sure, we can help you with that! Let me get a few details from you and we’ll set up an appointment…”
Customer: “Ok, sounds good.”
(CSR Collects Address, Contact Info, and Appliance Info)
CSR: “I can have a technician at your home tomorrow between 8-12 am.”
Customer: “Great!!”
STEP 2: Document Your Sales Process
Providing your CSRs with a script they can follow is the easiest, most effective way to lead them through the booking process. Every call is different, so make sure they’re aware that they don’t have to follow their script word-for-word. However, you do want them to understand the flow of the sell.
Important elements to include in your call script include:
A clear and concise greeting:
“Thank you for calling ABC Appliance Service! This is Gary. How can we help you today?”
Make sure your CSRs aren’t rushed, you don’t want them to blurt it out. The customer should be able to hear your company name and the name of the person they’re speaking to clearly.
Be ready to actively listen to the customer’s original request.
Train CSRs to be prepared to start typing or writing down the customer’s information immediately after the greeting. When you don’t have to ASK AGAIN for the same information they’ve already given, it shows that you’re listening.
Collect product information.
First things first, make sure you’re able to service their appliance brand. Train your CSRs to gather all essential information about the appliance including brand, model and serial number, purchase date, product configuration (top load vs. front load), and repair problem details.
Collect customer information.
Gather all pertinent customer information including the obvious (name, address, phone number, email), but also request more in-depth information like how the customer intends to pay.
Transition to booking the appointment.
Once you have the customer’s address, immediately transition to finding an available appointment time. “I have a technician in your neighborhood tomorrow morning between 8-12 am. Will that time work for you?”
Quote your service call and appointment procedures.
Inform your customers of the service charge, and provide any other information regarding the service appointment (like the tech will call 10-30 minutes before arriving).
You should have a script for these essential details!
- Service Call Charge (including what’s included)
- How the Service Charge is Applied/Waived/Included in the repair.
- When and if the technician will give the customer a courtesy call prior to arrival.
“Our service charge is $89.95. That includes the cost to bring our factory authorized technician to your home, provide a full inspection of the appliance, a diagnosis of the repair problem, and an estimate to complete the repair. If you decide to move forward with the repair, the service charge will be applied to the cost of the repair.
Looking for professional assistance in booking your calls? New Vision is an appliance repair call center specializing in booking service appointments. Get a free, no obligation quote today.