Tone bears a significant impact in the way an interaction is perceived. Not the toned abs and biceps of the daily runner that circles the neighborhood, but YOUR tone of voice. The inflection, energy, and expression upon greeting sets the stage for the entire correspondence. A bored, sleepy, or depthless greeting will not convey a willingness to help but rather a sense of disengagement, almost as if the recipient is an irritant.
The first impression has the power to determine the course of the call. An already upset customer will not be uplifted by an underwhelming “Hello”. A patron approaches the counter, untrusting, anxious, or fearful that their problem will be met with excuses instead of solutions will go on high defense when addressed with indifference.
You may in fact be sleepy, possibly recovering from overindulgence the previous night. You might have troubles at home, or even plain hate your job. You may not even know you sound like a sleepy toddler that just woke up from a nap.
NO ONE CARES.
The Customer that is ordering your product, the one responsible for making sure you continue to get a paycheck that clears the bank, does not give a hoot that you partied too hardy, or that your significant other packed you a dry bologna sandwich for the fourth time this week.
My mother lacks a filter. There’s no denying that I am her child, however as she ages the emotions and feelings and words most would not let out, spew from her mouth at 90 mph, downhill as if the brake pedal is nonexistent.
Mom has not boarded the online banking and bill pay train yet, likely never will. She waits for bills in the mail, writes a check, stamps and addresses an envelope, sends it off with the carrier and files the stub away. Efficient and timely, no, yet it works. Most of the time.
Recently she has acquired a rented medical device which requires a monthly payment. Auto pay will never be a viable option for her. However, the company's billing schedule doesn’t leave room to allow the postal service to do its job. Late fees, double billings, checks that clear but don’t post in time all have led to multiple phone calls from good ol’ Ma.
Four calls, multiple transfers, and an unfortunate line disconnection fed the festering frustration. She paused, cleared her head and dialed for the fifth time that day.
The ringing finally stopped and Mom’s call was acknowledged by a monotone, faint, aloof voice that muttered “Billing”. No “Hello”. No “How can I help”. Simply a lackluster acknowledgement that my mom had been connected to an agent.
My mother is typically very patient, she had to be to raise me, nevertheless she had reached her daily limit of unhelpfulness and incompetence.
Filter disengaged.
“Miss, did someone run over your dog this morning, or are you just a miserable woman that hates her job?”
The agent was taken back and her only rebuttal was a gasp of air filled with disbelief and embarrassment. There was a long pause, the agent collected herself and apologized. The apology was followed by excuses which negated the prior atonement. She was a bit under the weather, the phone calls have been back to back all day, the computer systems have been lagging with every keystroke.
Sorry Stephanie, NO ONE CARES.
As a customer facing agent it is your job to make the customer feel safe, secure and most importantly wanted.
I suggest all customer facing representatives listen to their calls. No one likes to hear their own voice but there is benefit in seeing how the world sees you.
Mom continues to make her monthly call to the medical supply company. Sometimes there is resolution, other times just more frustration.
However, there has been no more Stephanie.
I can sleep solidly believing that she has moved on to a career in counting pieces of candy rolling down a conveyor belt.
