For me, there’s always been a unique thrill in turning an irate customer into a true brand advocate in just
one call. Back in my early days, I’d keep a blank sheet of paper pinned to my cubicle wall, adding a
checkmark (with of course, plenty of flourish to entertain my teammates) every time I turned a tough call
around.
Those checkmarks weren’t just about celebrating my wins, they were reminders that every tough call
carries the same opportunity: to turn a frustrated customer into a loyal fan.
If you know that same rush of solving a frustrated customer’s problem and leaving them feeling heard,
valued, and loyal, you share the same traits I see in today’s top-performing CSRs.
You already understand that success in customer service isn’t magic, it’s intentional. It comes from a
blend of empathy, skill, and a deep understanding of your customer’s needs and the company you
represent.
Here are 12 reasons why you’re the “go-to” agent when it comes to handling even the most
challenging customer situations:
1.) You look at things from the customer’s perspective and assume goodwill. You assume the
customer feels their issue is legitimate and they’re not trying to exploit the company; they just want a
resolution that feels fair to them.
You know your customers’ expectations are the culmination of all the experiences they’ve ever had with
every company they’ve ever done business with before they called you.
You know that if they were a Zappos customer, they were used to unlimited free returns so it’d make
sense they’d think your company would do the same.
2.) You are the customer’s advocate and they’re lucky to have a seasoned pro like you on their side to
champion their cause within your company to resolve their issue.
3.) You know fairness is a higher standard than consistency and you’ll ask the right open-ended
questions to get the information you need to make a fair decision, regardless if it might appear
inconsistent with similar customer situations in the past.
4.) You know it’s important to consider your company’s mission, vision & values, the lifetime value of
your customer and the loaded cost of denying the customer’s request when making your decision.
5.) You know that ‘every interaction’s an interview’ and every call is an opportunity to reinforce your
company’s brand. Social media has made that abundantly clear.
6.) You know that subtly offering a less desirable solution first, will make you look like a hero when
you offer the best solution you can, even if it’s not everything the customer wanted.
7.) You know that having a little empathy can go a long way and are able to emotionally distance
yourself from an irate customer’s behavior because you know they’re just in a state of stress and don’t act
like that normally.
You know it may even be a result of a bad experience they’ve had with another company or possibly
something going on in their personal life that’s unrelated to the company entirely.
8.) You know not to take their behavior personally and you actively listen to their answers to your
open-ended questions so that you can accurately identify their core feelings and issues.
9.) You know how to restate your understanding to ensure you’ve captured how they feel and what
the core issue is correctly and know to sincerely apologize for their experience and make it easy it for the
customer to get their issue resolved.
10.) You know there are times that it has to be a “hard no,” such as when the customer is asking the
company to do something that would violate a law, code or regulatory requirement.
If they’re swearing at you or threatening you, you know it’s no longer a productive conversation and you’ll
need to establish boundaries.
You know to calmly warn the customer that you understand they’re frustrated, but you’re required to
disconnect the call if they continue to threaten or use abusive language.
You know to give them a chance to collect themselves, but if it continues, you know how to remind them
that you’re now required to disconnect the call but they’re welcome to call back when they feel they can
keep the conversation professional.
11.) You know when the right time is to escalate the issue to your manager since you’ve exhausted all
other possibilities to ensure the customer’s issue gets resolved in a timely manner.
12.) And finally, you know to make a note of every time you’ve had to deny an awkward customer’s
request so you can review it with your manager to see if any policy, process or product changes need to
be revised to better serve the customers going forward.
At the end of the day, you know not every call will be easy, but every call is an opportunity.
Being great at customer service isn’t just a job skill, it’s a calling. You don’t just represent your company,
you represent the very best of what service can be.
One positive interaction can shift a customer’s entire perception, influence what they tell others, and
strengthen your company’s brand for years to come.
That’s the ripple effect of great service and loyalty, and you’re right at the center of it.
Keep up the great work!
This post was submitted by Adam Boelke, a CCNG Academy member who helps fellow members and leaders optimize call center performance and establish a culture of engagement that drives bottom-line results.
