What this post is about
- Highlighting customer service problems in an entertaining way
- Finding possible solutions
- Improving communication with customers
- Visualizing optimizations
Training sessions often feel like dull mandatory events. In many cases, participants attend only because they have to and lack a certain level of enthusiasm. Although practical examples can lighten up the theory, the necessary attention quickly wanes. Entertaining elements help make training or how-to guides more engaging and memorable. To make your team laugh while conveying how customer service can be optimized, we've compiled five videos that promise both learning and laughter.
Act, don't React
Watch video -> Little Britain – Computer says no
Hand on heart: Customer inquiries can sometimes be very nerve-wracking. Repetitive questions or simple problems can test employees' patience and cause them to lose their temper. However, responding curtly and unhelpfully worsens communication and doesn’t lead to a resolution.
Instead of dragging through the conversation, it’s essential to take an active role in addressing the problem and offering solutions. Taking the lead speeds up the process. Additionally, employees who are helpful leave a much more positive impression than unmotivated colleagues.
Know the Limits
Watch video -> Love Actually – The necklace scene
Customer service means helping the customer and meeting their current needs to their satisfaction. Good service also involves knowing where the line to intrusiveness lies. Offering additional products? Definitely! Forcing extras on customers and handling their concerns based on personal discretion? Never!
The customer sets the framework with their request. Employees should operate within these boundaries and fully utilize their potential. Additionally, a bit of sensitivity is required to recognize when enough is enough. In the worst case, helpfulness can turn into an intrusive sales pitch, leaving the customer with a negative impression.
Take Appropriate Time
Watch video -> Zootopia - Sloth as a customer service agent
Customer service is not a sprint, it takes time. Every problem is individual and requires employees to engage with the issue. However, the focus should always remain on pursuing effectiveness first and foremost.
An appropriate assessment of the effort involved is advisable! The request should be analyzed, the problem identified and a solution option defined. In order not to test the customer's patience, this process should be implemented quickly. Optimal customer service works accurately and in detail, but without being time-consuming.
Clear Explanations
Watch video -> Medieval Helpdesk
No matter how trivial and simple the problem may seem: The customer deserves a clear explanation. It’s important to use simple terms without complicated jargon. Discuss the problem step by step and clearly present the solution.
A bit of sensitivity is helpful here, as the customer should never feel incompetent. Stay on the same level with the customer! The old rule applies: There are no stupid questions, only stupid answers.
Stay Focused
Watch video -> Awkward Puppets - Customer support
There are many detours in customer communication that can quickly lead in the wrong direction. An unpleasant atmosphere, the wrong tone, or technical hiccups during the exchange: a customer conversation is a labyrinth with many pitfalls.
Employees should not be thrown off by these distractions. Only those who stay focused and remain friendly will stay on the path to a solution. Digressing into random topics or making unnecessary comments can sour the mood, causing the main purpose of the customer conversation to be lost. It's better to stay factual and bring the conversation to a pleasant conclusion for both parties.
Summary
Train customer service with humor! Show your colleagues where the weaknesses or focus areas are and highlight these points with a wink. The willingness to work on improvements or adopt optimizations is positively stimulated, encouraging employees to implement what they've learned more effectively.