Compliment Your Customers With Positive Statements
by Debra J. SchmidtIf
A customer calls and says he saw “the coolest software while he was at a convention in Las Vegas”.
Don’t immediately ask the brand and type of computer for which it’s needed. Instead talk about the convention in Las Vegas for a couple of minutes and what the customer likes about the software. Then you can go into the details of the actual software he would like to order.
If a customer comes into your bank and says, “I need to transfer money from my savings to checking account because we’re remodeling the house and I have to pay the contractor,” ask her about the remodeling project, and then transfer the funds.
If you’re going to spend time on the phone or on the floor dealing with customers, you might as well have some fun. Better yet, why not make it fun for your customers to do business with you? Make it your personal goal to “make friends” with your customers by showing interest in their interests, praising them, complimenting them, and making them feel good. “Your children are so well-behaved” you might say, or “Your remodeling project sounds like it’s going to be beautiful,” or “You have such a pleasant voice on the phone.”
When you make these types of statements, you reinforce your customer’s feelings of self-worth. No matter how good your products or marketing may be, business success or failure is often determined simply by how customers are treated. You don’t need to limit your positive statements to just compliments. You can pepper any conversation with language that’s guaranteed to bring a smile to your customers.
Examples of positive statements
Here are more examples of positive statements:
“Mr. Jackson, thank you for being so patient. I’m sorry for the delay because I know that nobody likes to be kept waiting.”
“Mrs. Schmidt, welcome home. How was your trip to Hawaii?”
“Thank you for placing your order with us. We appreciate and value the fact that you choose to do business with us.”
“I’m delighted to hear from you every time you call!”
Avoid communications that serve only to annoy customers. Here are some examples of negative statements:
“We’’re very busy right now. Can you call back later?”
“I’m with another customer, you’ll just have to wait.”
“I don’t know. I don’t work in this department.”
“You’ll just have to be patient. We’re short-staffed today.”
Learn to use positive verbal and non-verbal communication to make your customers feel good about doing business with you and your company. Make customer recognition and praise a consistent element of your service delivery. Compliment your customers with positive statements.
Hear more from the experts
Debra J. Schmidt is known as the Loyalty Leader®. She is an author, consultant, trainer, and professional speaker who helps companies boost profits by leading the way to greater customer and employee loyalty.
Subscribe to her free online newsletter at Loyalty Leader
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