The Wrong Words Hurt Customer Experience. Here’s What to Say Instead
Small changes in your words can create big changes in customer perception.
By Micah Solomon
Have you ever walked by an employee who you know in your heart is a nice person, but they don’t sound that way when they’re talking with a customer? Perhaps they sound a little aggressive, argumentative, or not professional? If you, as a colleague or boss, are noticing this, as a customer service consultant, trainer, and keynote speaker, I can assure you that your customers are noticing it too.
Here are some phrases and words that will rub most customers the wrong way, and what your employees should be saying instead.
Don’t tell your customers they “need to” do anything.
When an employee tells a customer, “You need to,” it can lead to resentment. The customer thinks, “I don’t need to do anything, buddy. I’m your customer!”
Instead of “You need to fill out this form,” try “May I trouble you to fill out our health history form?” Instead of “You need to come back at 11:00,” try “We’ll be ready to serve you at 11:00.” The difference is subtle but powerful.
Of course, don’t take this to ridiculous extremes. “You need to exit the premises now. The fire alarm is sounding” is better than “Would you be so kind as to make your way to the exit?”
Three phrases that you think are harmless but aren’t
Responding to a customer’s follow-up question with “As I said, …” or “Again, …” conveys that the customer hasn’t been listening well. As professionals serving customers, it’s your job to convey information, not to judge customers’ attentiveness.
“To be honest with you …” makes customers wonder: If you’re being honest now, what were you doing before?
“You owe us money …” is one of the many blunt ways you can talk about money. Since our society is generally reticent about money, when you do need to discuss it, do it gently. Try “Our records show a balance of …” instead.
Saying “no problem” is problematic in customer service.
Businesses can be as formal or informal as they like. A surf shop should sound more informal than a five-star hotel, and most businesses fall somewhere in between.
However, no matter how slang-positive you are or aren’t, when a customer thanks an employee and the response they receive is “No problem,” several things are going wrong here.
First, it sounds dismissive of the customer’s effort to say “thank you.” It implies their request could have been a problem. It also introduces the word “problem” into an interaction that didn’t have one. “You’re welcome,” “my pleasure,” or “glad I could help” all work better.
Don’t refer to people as equipment.
Avoid referring to people by their equipment. For example, “We have two wheelchairs on this plane,” “Two wheelchairs on this incoming plane,” or “We’re clear to go, no wheelchairs on this plane. Instead, try, “We have two passengers with mobility needs.”
The solution: Create a simple phrasebook
Create a simple phrasebook of discouraged phrases paired with better alternatives. Share it with your team and make it part of regular training. Record some typical customer interactions with permission. Listen for phrases that might be off-putting. You’ll be surprised by what you hear.
Don’t go to the extreme of providing scripts. Customers have a negative response to canned text. It puts a ceiling on how inviting the interaction can be. Instead, give your people a punch list of points that need to be covered and let them cover those points in their own words. Think of it as an eye-level, peer-to-peer service, with the employee and the customer feeling like they’re in it together.
Even when customers don’t consciously notice language missteps, they can damage the tone of a conversation. Small changes in the words your employees use can create big changes in customer perception.