150 Great Complimentary Words and Phrases to Use in Customer Service

Looking for some compliments to add into your call centre scripts?

We have put together a list of over 150 examples of complimentary words for customer service to help your agents boost their conversation with friendly rapport – every time.

What is a ‘Compliment’ (Not a ‘Complement’)?

Complimentary words are those that we use in a conversation to make the person we are talking to feel good about themselves.

They are generally words to describe an aspect of somebody’s personality/life or to describe something that belongs to the person receiving the compliment.

Not to be confused with complement words, which refer to how something completes something else. For example, “the carrots and potatoes complemented the ham I ate for lunch”.

Here are some examples of the very best compliment words:

25 Complimentary Words to Describe a Customer’s Personality

We have put together a list of 25 great compliment words that can be used in customer service conversations to describe a customer’s personality:

25 More Complimentary Words

Here is a list of 25 more great compliment words that can be used in customer service conversations:

These words can be particularly powerful in customer service and sales when looking to positively influence the emotions of a customer.

Examples of the Top Ten Complimentary Words for Customer Service

1. Honest

After an angry customer has vented at you, it can be difficult to know what to say next. The wrong thing can set the customer off again and damage their impression of you.

A compliment can work well in these situations, if used carefully. Thanking them for their honesty can help to show the customer that you are on their side, before you move forward with answering their query.

2. Loyal

When checking a customer’s information, you may have noticed that they’ve been loyal to your business for a number of years. This provides you with the ideal opportunity to give a compliment.

By using this compliment, you can show that loyalty is valued by your company in a sincere way that makes sure the customer feels appreciated.

In this example, we also use the word “great” to further emphasize the compliment.

3. Nice

During a conversation where the customer has clearly done their preparation and made sure they have gathered everything they need before the interaction, thank them for that.

Give them a compliment by telling them that it’s nice to speak to someone who has been so proactive. The word “nice” is not only complimentary but also a great positive word.

4. Wise

If a customer sounds unsure of a decision or a choice that they have made, support them by showing that you understand their thought process.

“Wise” is a great complimentary word to use in these scenarios, as it removes any sense of judgement from your response and reasserts to the customer that their decision-making has been logical.

5. Funny

If the customer makes a joke, simply passing over it can make things awkward. So giving a measured chuckle can be important to help move the conversation along.

When the joke does give you a genuine laugh, that’s great for rapport, which you can bolster by acknowledging the customer’s humour and complimenting them for it.

6. Good

When a customer opens up to you, validate that and show that you care. Using “good” as a complimentary word in such a scenario can be a helpful technique.

It is not easy for most people to open up, especially to a stranger, but if the customer is in a difficult situation, a compliment like this is the ideal way to show them that you are on their side.

7. Lovely

If the customer shares their address, which you know to be a nice area, this compliment is a great way to boost the customer’s ego and give the conversation a friendly feel.

Also, this phrase enables the advisor to demonstrate commonality, which is a great tool in building rapport with customers.

8. Excellent

From time to time, you will come across a “know it all” customer who challenges you on the advice that you give. These conversations can become a little frosty.

But if you instead praise their excellent research, you can compliment their dedication to the matter, helping to warm up the conversation.

You can then position yourself as someone with inside information to deal with the challenging customer.

9. Interesting

When a customer is explaining their problem, they can feel a little silly if they are describing a mistake that they made.

Remove this negative sentiment by telling them that you understand their thought process and found it to be an interesting or maybe even innovative idea.

10. Wonderful

“Wonderful” can be a great complimentary word to use when referring to something that the customer has done or, in this case, a choice that they have made.

It helps to reassure the customer that you support their decision and reaffirms that they have control over the choices that they have made.

More Examples of Using Complimentary Words

Let’s take a look at even more examples of how we can use complimentary words in the contact centre.

10 Examples of Words to Compliment a Customer’s Personality

These ten examples are great for complimenting an aspect of the customer’s personality:

10 Examples of Words to Compliment Something Linked to the Customer

The ten examples below are great for complimenting something that is closely linked to the customer:

How Best to Use Complimentary Words

While we have given lots of examples of complimentary words and compliments, the key is to deliver them in the right way. They need to come across as authentic.

A compliment cannot feel like just another box-ticking exercise, which are what soft skills are often reduced down to as part of a contact centre quality programme.

The compliment needs to land in the right way so it feels natural. This doesn’t happen when you are trying too hard to compliment someone.

So, according to Gavin Scott, a Customer Service Expert at Loaf Training, we must train advisors to be curious and demonstrate an interest and make sure the customer is willing and open to sharing information.

“You have always got to be looking for that opportunity to deliver the compliment with that simple one-liner that will not only act as a compliment, but also show that you’re really listening to the information they’re sharing with you,” says Gavin.

From this quote we realize that active listening can be a key component in giving compliments, making the soft skill even more valuable within the contact centre environment.

Find out how to improve listening skills within your customer service team by reading our article: Top Tips to Improve Listening Skills on the Telephone

Listen Out for Those Bits of Gold Dust

There are always opportunities, in every conversation, where the customer gives you the chance to build rapport. Let’s call these bits of “gold dust”.

In our customer conversations, we should be listening out for these moments and taking the opportunities when that gold dust presents itself.

Then, it is key to make your compliments sound sincere and introduce them to the conversation in a fluid way.

As Gavin says: “Frame them in a way that will make the person you are talking to feel good. Remember, it is all about creating a positive experience for the customer.”

These simplest little things will make the customer feel good and help you to create an emotional connection with them.

For more advice on making customers feel good, read our article: What Does Good Customer Service Look Like?

A-Z of Even More Compliment Words

We have also put together a great list of even more complimentary words for you:

We hope that some of these words inspire you to give more compliments to customers in your customer service conversations.

For more language advice to apply to your customer service interactions, read our articles:

• The Best Courtesy Words and Phrases to Use in Customer Service
• The Best Power Words and Phrases to Use in Customer Service
• 27 Positive Statements to Use in Difficult Situations