Engaging the Customer
“Can I help you?” It’s the quintessential customer care question. Unfortunately, it’s often the only one that frontline service providers know how to ask. The ability to craft, and ask, good compelling questions is one of the greatest skills we can have in customer interaction.
Great questions start with ‘how’ we ask the question, and is as important as ‘why’ we ask. That’s why being prepared and learning how to craft questions is basic to customer care. Remember, people remember 20% of what they hear, but 85% of what they say and do. The conversation is more apt to ‘stick’ if they’re engaged. Once engaged in the conversation and doing most of the talking, your customer is more likely to give us the information we need to help them.
Questioning keeps the focus on the customer, their needs, and their problems. It allows us to uncover the real issue, while building their trust in us. Questioning also keeps us on track, and in control of the conversation. Remember, the person asking the questions is the one in control. It ensures that we don’t mind read, or assume that we already know what the customer needs. Finally, questioning can dissipate conflict, simply by asking, ‘Tell me more about that ….’
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