- Comfortable
- Smart
- Cared for
- Special
- Relaxed
Smart: Now, this customer did not take time out of his or her day to call me about a $15 t-shirt. This customer is about to spend a good $3,000 on an item that won't be seen until it is assembled in his or her home. I need to convince him or her that this is a smart purchase. So I confirm that we are looking at the same item and go on to point out the features of the furniture that separate it from other items. I show the "quality" hardware used for the handles. The "designer" lines and curves used to accent the set. The words I use build confidence that the customer is making a smart purchase, even if he or she isn't getting to see it.
Cared For: A customer needs to feel cared for. I will ask about the room he or she plans to put this item in: "Do you have a theme in the room you expect to put this set in?" "Are there certain colors you are trying to work with?" No matter what, my mentality always remains that this person is going to purchase. Thus, I want him or her to feel cared for during the entire experience. I will also remind him or her about our white-glove delivery service. The purchase will include a white-glove delivery, meaning that the shipper will inspect the entire item before it's shipped, make a appointment for a convenient time to deliver, then assemble the item in the customer's home exactly where he or she wants it. This is something that isn't offered by many other delivery companies.
Special: Throughout the conversation, I refer to the customer by his or her first name. I am very candid about my opinion of the furniture. I many times tell them that I come from a very large family and might even tell them a great recipe for cherry pie. The rapport that is built between a customer and myself will make the customer remember this experience and relay it to his or her family and friends.
Relaxed: Now that I have made the customer feel comfortable, smart, cared for, and special, he or she feels ready to make this large purchase. It is very important to remember to keep the customer relaxed while going through the final details of the purchase and when charging his or her card. The cost of the item is usually where buyer's remorse is most likely to kick in. In order to keep things simple, when I give the price I always break down the number into double digits. If a set costs $2,550, I say, "Your total comes to twenty-five fifty." I don't say, "Your total comes to two-thousand, five hundred and fifty dollars." The customer can add up the total, but making the price reasonable isn't my job. The service of allowing the customer to feel relaxed while I charge his or her card is my job. Reading the number this way does just that.
The job of a customer service representative is invaluable. It's the customer service representative who sits between the dollars and the warehouse full of merchandise. It takes patience and persistence to help a customer shop over the phone and to gain a sale. It's important to always maintain the mentality that the customer is going to buy. As a customer service representative, I focus on making customers feel as comfortable, smart, cared for, special, and as relaxed as possible.
About the Author
Irvina Kanarek has over 10 years of customer service experience. Kanarek is currently the customer service manager for the online retailer FurnitureFromHome.com. A passionate writer, blogger and poet, Kanarek is currently working on publishing a children's book called I am a Princess.
A native of Newport Beach, CA, Kanarek graduated from California State University, Fullerton in Orange County with a degree in photographic communications.
More information and writing samples by Irvina Kanarek can be found on her blog www.HonestChitChat.Wordpress.com. She can be reached at (949) 903-4784 or at IrvinaK@gmail.com.
