In a service environment, the language that we use has a huge impact on customer emotions. In a sales environment this is even more critical.
Positive words have the power to convey kindness and uplift the tone of your advisors’ conversations. They can also help to strengthen your contact centre’s signature response and opening gambit, when used daily by all advisors.
This is highlighted in this video from Sandra Thompson about the importance of being conscious about the words you say to the customer:
Looking for some positive spiel to help brighten up your customer conversations? Here we have put together a list of positive words and phrases for your advisors to use.
Want some quick wins to get you started? Here’s a printable sheet of positive words and phrases your teams can begin using today.
The Top 25 Positive Words for Customer Service
These little words should win medals, as adding any one of them into a conversation has the potential to transform average customer service into great customer service.

# | Positive Word | # | Positive Word | # | Positive Word |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Definitely | 10 | Excellent | 19 | Brilliant |
2 | Absolutely | 11 | Enjoy | 20 | Exciting |
3 | Certainly | 12 | Splendid | 21 | Terrific |
4 | Exactly | 13 | Essential | 22 | Fascinating |
5 | Completely | 14 | Generous | 23 | Expert |
6 | Quickly | 15 | Recommend | 24 | Favourite |
7 | Fantastic | 16 | Friendly | 25 | Ideal |
8 | Great | 17 | Impressive | ||
9 | Marvellous | 18 | Interesting |
Examples of These Positive Words in Customer Service
We have put together some examples of these positive words in action that can be used in customer service conversations:
- I will definitely make sure that it gets sorted…
- I absolutely agree with you…
- I can certainly help you…
- That is exactly right…
- I completely agree with you…
- I will quickly run through this with you…
- That is a fantastic way to look at it…
- Great news!
- Marvellous choice…
- That is an excellent suggestion…
- I hope you enjoy your…
- Splendid! All that is left to do now…
- Yes, it is essential that you do this today…
- That is a very generous offer…
- I can highly recommend…
- Thanks, we try our best to provide a friendly service…
- That’s impressive, Mrs Smith…
- That it is an interesting idea…
- Brilliant! I’m glad I was able to sort that for you…
- Yes, it is an exciting and popular new service…
- I think that’s a terrific option…
- That is fascinating…
- You certainly are an expert on this…
- That is personally my favourite option…
- It would be ideal, considering your situation…
Positive Words on Display in the Contact Centre
We received a great example from a contact centre in the Philippines of how they printed our lead image on their contact centre walls, as shown below:

Closer to home, we have also seen other contact centres do this. Neopost’s contact centre in Romford was one such contact centre, using some of our words on their contact centre walls, like so:

The Top 25 Positive Phrases for Customer Service
There are so many phrases that work well in customer service, but knowing when to use the best statements can be tricky.
So, here we give 25 positive phrases to use at specific parts of the call, with different options suggested for each.
Positive Phrases for Greeting the Customer
In our article, “The Best Customer Service Greeting Phrases – with Examples“, our readers found the following two greeting statements to be the most effective in “kicking off” a positive customer service interaction:
- “Welcome to [INSERT COMPANY NAME] Customer Service. My name is [INSERT NAME]. How can I help you?”
- “Good morning/afternoon! You’re through to [INSERT COMPANY NAME]. My name is [INSERT NAME]. How may I help you today?”
Positive Phrases When More Information Is Needed
Staying upbeat when needing more information from the customer is a valuable skill.
However, if an advisor struggles to do this, encourage them to ask basic questions of the customer, while scattering in some of the positive words discussed earlier.
For example, advisors could use the following positive phrases when more information is needed from the customer:
- “So, what I understand so far is… it would be great if you could tell me a bit more about…”
- “For me to… it would be brilliant if you could give me just a few more details on…”
Positive Phrases for Acknowledging the Customer
We have previously quizzed our readers on their favourite acknowledgement statements to improve customer-advisor interactions, in our article “The Top 12 Acknowledgement Statements for Customer Service”.
The top three positive phrases for acknowledging the customer are highlighted below:
- “I realize that this situation is difficult, but let’s try and find a solution.”
- “I would feel the same in your situation, but we will sort this out…”
- “I’m sorry you are having this problem. Let’s see if there is anything we can do to help the situation.”
Positive Phrases for Reassuring the Customer
Once the advisor has a good understanding of the customer’s problem, and has acknowledged their concerns, it is now important to reassure them. Positive wordplay can be key here.
Take a look at the following examples of how positive statements can be used to reassure the customer:
- “Thanks, it is great that you alerted us to this.”
- “You are absolutely correct. Let’s look into this.”
- “Definitely, I will make sure that this gets resolved for you.”
Positive Phrases When Giving Instructions
When giving out over-the-phone instructions, it is an advisor’s role to make the process as easy as possible.
So, it is good practice to try and weave the following positive statements into conversations, to help the customer get from A to B with a smile on their face.
- “All you need to do is to just…”
- “A simple way / method to change it will be to…”
- “As soon as you receive…”
Positive Phrases When Being Courteous
Courtesy and positive language go hand-in-hand, as we discussed in our article: “The Best Courtesy Words and Phrases to Use in Customer Service”. After all, old-fashioned courtesy is a must for any service or sales team.
So, advisors should ideally be using positive statements like those below:
- “Would you be happy for me to put you on hold for a minute or two, while I quickly retrieve your details?”
- “I will send over the link to the email address that we have on our system and, if you would like, I can go through the rest of the process with you.”
Using positive words to give compliments is another great way to be courteous. Find out more by reading our article: 50 Great Complimentary Words to Use in Customer Service
Positive Phrases For Building Rapport
Using positive small talk is great for rapport building.
Therefore, advisors could try dropping some of the following positive statements into the conversation during these moments.
- “What I’m doing for you now is…”
- “Don’t worry, I often make that mistake myself.”
- “How is the weather where you are today? Better than here, I hope!”
To find more examples like this, read our article: Best Tips, Phrases and Words to Use for Building Rapport
Positive Phrases for Handling Angry Customers
Advisors are often told to try to stay positive when interacting with an angry customer. However, that is much easier said than done, especially if the advisor is having to deal with such a caller for a long period of time.
So, the focus should instead be on getting the frustrated customer to change their mood. The positive phrases below could help to do this:
- “We always value customers who are keen to give us their feedback. I will be sure to pass on what you have told me to our managerial team…”
- “I recommend that you (INSERT ACTION), Mrs Smith, so that I can take further action without delay.”
Other phrases to use when speaking with an angry customer can be found in our article: The Right Words and Phrases to Say to an Angry Customer
Positive Phrases for Closing the Call
So, the advisor has successfully helped the customer to solve their query, given them a quick summary of the call and explained the next steps. All that is left to do is finish with a positive call-closing statement.
We’ve found some great examples of these in our article: “The Best Call-Closing Statements”, with two of them being showcased below:
- “Thanks for calling, and if you have any additional questions, please call us.”
- “Have a nice time in [INSERT PLACE NAME] on your holiday.”
Positive Phrases for Making a Sale
While dealing with a customer complaint, it may also be part of an advisor’s job to “sell-up” other areas of the business.
Here are some useful phrases to help an advisor seal the deal – taken from our tips for selling over the phone article:
- “We have a variety of…”
- “It’s a wonderful service where instead of…, you can…”
- “This is the best plan/scheme for you…”
Phrases to Avoid
There are also situations where using positive language is contradictory to how you are trying to make the customer feel – and should be avoided.
There are some good examples here, typically heard on IVRs or when an advisor needs to put a customer on hold:
- Would you LIKE to continue to hold?
- Your call is IMPORTANT to us
- Your call MATTERS to us
They sadly come across as disingenuous when the contact centre isn’t delivering the high standards of service customers expect.
A-Z of Positive Words:
Here are even more words for you to add into your positive call centre scripts, as well as their handy definitions:
Word | Definition | Word | Definition |
---|---|---|---|
Accessible | friendly and amicable to talk with | Proactive | acting in advance to deal with an expected difficulty or change |
Approve | officially agree to or accept as satisfactory | Promising | showing or having the possibility of achievement or excellence |
Assure | tell someone something positively to dispel any doubts | Quick-witted | mentally sharp, nimble and alert |
Best | surpassing all others in quality or excellence | Quirky | merry and unconventional |
Clever | possessing quickness of intellect | Razor-sharp | extremely sharp; quick-witted or very clever |
Definite | free from doubt | Recommend | worthy of praise or to be recommended |
Delightful | bringing pleasure | Reliable | trustworthy |
Excellent | of the finest or highest quality | Remarkable | worthy of notice or consideration |
Fab | extremely pleasing | Resourceful | having the ability to find clever and quick ways to overcome difficulties |
Genuine | authentic | Respectable | worthy of respect or high esteem |
Goodhearted | generous | Sagacious | acutely wise and insightful |
Greatest | highest in quality or size | Savvy | well-informed, perceptive or shrewd |
Impeccable | flawless | Self-assured | showing or having confidence and poise |
Insightful | having or showing insight | Sensational | exceptionally good |
Inspiring | encouraging | Sincere | genuine |
Jolly | full of good humour and merry spirits | Snappy | energetic |
Keen | intellectual quickness | Stellar | exceptional |
Kind-hearted | having a friendly and cheerful disposition | Teeming | productive |
Knowledgeable | intelligent | Tender-hearted | having a great sensibility and kindness |
Legendary | extremely popular | Thoughtful | demonstrating careful consideration or thought |
Lovely | full of love | Thriving | very profitable and lively |
Magnificent | splendid or elegant in appearance | Timeless | classic and always in style |
Mindful | attentive | Tolerant | tending to accept, allow, permit or understand something or the existence of something |
Moving | capable of arousing deep emotion | Trailblazing | innovative |
Nifty | very good | Upstanding | respectable |
Noble | showing or having qualities of high moral, rank or dignity | Vibrant | lively and bright |
Obliging | showing readiness to do favours to others | Visionary | one who has visions or positive ideas about the future |
Observant | paying close attention to details | Vivacious | animated and lively |
Open-hearted | kind and generous | Warm | kind and caring |
Open-minded | ready or receptive to new and different ideas | Whimsical | playful and amusing |
Optimistic | disposed to take the most favourable or hopeful view of the matter | Wholehearted | unconditional commitment |
Orderly | systematic | Witty | clever and funny |
Outstanding | prominent or noticeable of others of its kind | Wizardly | remarkable in performance, execution or design |
Passionate | having or showing powerful emotions | Wondrous | extraordinary |
Patient | calm during difficult situations | Worldly | very sophisticated |
Peachy | splendid | Xenial | hospitable to others |
Peppy | cheerful and vigorous | Yay | an expression of approval and excitement |
Perceptive | having or showing ability and keenness of perception | Yes | an affirmative answer or decision |
Persevering | constant in the execution of a purpose | Zappy | energetic and lively |
Persistent | refusing to give up | Zealous | having or exhibiting strong enthusiasm or passion |
Have you discovered any other positive words and phrases that work for you?
Found this article useful? Why not also have a look at:
Because you are a valued client/customer
That’s a fantastic choice
Great !
Fantastic !
Perfect !
Marvelous !
Pretty well !
Your satisfaction is a great compliment for us Mr./Ms _____
Assuring you our best services Mr.Ms.___________. Have a great day ahead!
“Let’s have a look; I’ll not be a second”
“And that’ll all be with you on …”
But in response to above:
“I will surely ensure that…” sounds as if you’re getting tangled up…
and will either of you really be able to keep a straight face after “special customers like you”?
Certainly.
With pleasure.
I’d be delightly to assist.
Would you mind waiting?
Words such as Great, Fantastic, Marvelous should be avoided as they produce an underlying psychology of exaggeration.
Certainly, “sir/ma’am” I’d be happy to assist you with that today.
Also for proper a hold pattern you could use:
Do you mind holding 2-3 minutes while I research or process your request?
This way you are askign the caller permission to hold, you are giving them a reason for the hold, and your providing them an attainable timeframe for the hold.
Then when you return to the line:
“Sir/Ma’am, thank you for holding I appreciate your patience.”
This way you are acknowledging the imposition from the hold.
I am a trainer in a call center for a Mutual Fund Company and we are using a 3rd party business (Dalbar, Inc.) and they monitor and score our customer service skills.
I particular hate sir/madam/ma’am – please use their name, this, in my opinion creates a barrier that really doesn’t need to be there.
Agree with the comment about avoiding ‘great, fabulous, marvellous’ – just too much!
Speak to your customer like you would want to be spoken to and always tell them what you can do for them, not waht you can’t. Always try to offer as an alternative option where appropriate.
Many of our customers prefer to do/use……
What other customers have done/tried in your position is…..
Let’s look at this (very arm around and sorting it together)
P.S.
I would steer away from definitely – unless you can really and absolutely, definitely do it……..
P.S. again
commenting on Ben’s comment
“That’s one our most popular choices” – rather than fantastic
We understand the value of your time.
need advice
in a situation where the customer is facing dificulties due to company’s fault and no solution .what am i to do?how am i suppose talk my self out of it as call agent
Sounds very familiar…
What we need to do is basically listen to the customer, apologies for the great inconveniences, use all positive words & finally assure the customer that YOU will personally take this matter up (give your name & employee no.) & tell the customer you will call him back before the days end to update on his case status. Then you do just that & do call the customer back even if you do not have an immediate resolution as any human being, the customer will eventually cool down & reliaze that you are sincere in helping them out. Remember…a contact center is a huge sponge…we absorb all other departments short comings…the key is are we feeding back this crucial information to the relevant department else we might be running out of those positive words…;)
This is a very popular item.
Reinforce benefits of product, by using word phrases such as that. “that color is very pretty” “we have had alot of positive feedback on that item”
On a not about an upset customer:
Feel, Felt, Found process is a very helpful on, as well as the note about getting information and make sure you are the one to follow up with the customer. There is nothing more exasperation from a customers point of view, then having to repeat the whole story again and again. Take inituative in the call and make sure the customer knows your name to refer back to.
I have found some truly amazing things on this site and so glad Google brought it up as first choice.
I do have some feedback that may help some people from a course I went on with my company recently (Which I loved)
Just think of a few words and what they mean to you… The easiest way to do this is in a quiet room and with your eyes shut
If I mention the word WAIT to you… What file does the little man in your head go and pull out? What do you associate with wait? (Mine is waiting in a queue)
It doesn’t matter how friendly or polite you are, we need to re phrase the words we use..
If you can just wait on the line whilst I check that information for you..
I have that information here for you now, I will just get it for you
When you hear the word SORRY….
Sorry to keep you holding / waiting… (Must be something to be sorry about)
Thank you for staying on the line
DARK
HOLIDAY
PLEASURE …. Amazing how many of you will smile when you think of what this word means!
Well it’s been a please reading and sharing
Customer NOT ALWAYS Right
But Customer ALWAY IMPORTANT.
Yes,there are sometimes when the cust does´nt have reason but just remember they are paying 4 a service and they feel frustated when there are problems so the best way to speak with a cust is do your best … and not just using the phrase ill do my best… so just do it…stop and put yourself in their shoes..be respectful and friendly but not such a machine.. as u really want to help…SOMETHIN´IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER IS PEOPLE IS 4 U WORK FOR…IF U DO SOMETHIN´DO IT AS BETTER AS U CAN
ELI..
COMCAST…
Daryl:Thank you for calling___________,my name is Daryl,I’m your customer service representative for today,how may I help you?
Customer: I have problem with my Internet Service, my internet connection is very slow. I’m paying much for this service and yet I’m not satisfied with it.
Daryl: (Empathy)I do understand that its been very inconvenient in your situation right now that your Internet service is giving you a slow internet connection. If I’m on your situation, I would feel the same way too. Don’t worry Mr.Customer, (Willingness to help the customer)I can definitely handle this problem for you.
Emphathy is the most essential part of a call. It cools down a customer frustration.
FROM: Daryl Hall
CONVERGYS
I agree with the comment above that some words such as ‘great’, ‘brilliant’ etc, can sound completely over the top, leading to a loss of confidence in your sincerity.
What if customer asks a question we don’t have answer for. Let’s suppose our supervisor isn’t present on the floor too?
Please advise.
[ What if customer asks a question we don’t have answer for. Let’s suppose our supervisor isn’t present on the floor too? ]
>RE:
You may consider using a line to the effect of: “Due the (technical nature / sensitivity / nature) of the information I am unable to provide the information you are requesting, but I do know who can. With your permission I could give your contact information to my (supervisor / manager) and when he/she returns to the office (tomorrow / in an hour / Monday) he/she will give you a call as soon as convienient to answer your question.”
Typically, unless urgent, the caller will decline due to the sense of hassle and will be pacified. If the customer agrees, you must make sure you get the info to the appropriate superior and that they understand what information you and the customer discussed. Give your name and rep ID (only as allowed by company policy) to bestow a feeling of trust and commitment on your part to ease the callers agreement to wait for an answer.
How can I handle an angry and frustrated customer and swears a lot?
Angry and frustrated customers should be heard out, empathy statement ;and follow script as normal while ignoring the cussing, unless offending you where you can suggest that he calls back after calming down, where he could control his language, *1st wrning and 2nd warning- if he doesnt agree to call back, Sir, mr./ms.I understand that you are upset, yet I will have to end this call if you continue to use that language.
Some excellent comments, thanks guys helped out alot!!
Do you work in customer services? The customer is NOT always right.
Actually the customer is always right as they are the ones with the problem. The misconception is that they often are incorrect about the best solution and that’s where you come in to assure them.
Just wanted to make a note on the back of several references to the use of sir/madam (even ma’am at one point which sounds like a sheep). These terms are so impersonal and do not treat the customer as an individual. Plus sir is someone who has been knighted by the queen and a madam is someone who runs a brothel!!
Customer is the BOSS. If you talk with an irate customer, don’t take it personally. They were just angry on the service not with you. It’s just happen that you were the one they talk to. Just accept the responsibility and prepare to help.
speak what you want to tell your customer
Customers need to feel validated with there concerns. First and foremost – acknowledgement should be made – re-instate their issues back to them to validate their concerns as well as verify to them that they do have your complete attention. Second – let them vent – It’s not personal – they have an issue with either a product or the company itself- not you- Explain that you can empathize with the customer. If abrupt and offending language occurs then a low even tone should be used to take back control of the call.
I usually offer an apology – then advised that I am here to offer assistance to find an efficient effective resolution to your concerns, however I will not be verbally abused. We need to work together inorder for me to better assist you find the outcome you desire. If this language continues, I will be forced to disconnect the call, which will unfortunately, not give you the immediate resolution you seek.
In all the 10 years of working in a call center – this works very well.
Positive words or not- Treat the customer as if they are always correct.. this will ensure the customer comes back.
it’s not true that CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT…many of them are very demanding, abusive specially for a call center agent. i can definitely feel what they are going through specially if it’s the company’s fault. racist customers. if they weren’t able to get what they want instantly they’ll say all neagtive things in the world and blame you.
let it be customer service, collections or sales the very important hing in each n every call is customer service. without that in ur call, consider tht u r missing many things on tht call..
while speaking to customer the agent should have a normal rate of speech.
eg-
if customer is old then the agents hasve to be very slow and clear so tht he/she doesn’t have to repeat themselves. this will also assure a low talk time which is considered as AHT( average handle time).
I want you to know I am taking this call to help you and am paid just for that – helping you! Rest assured I’l be your partner on this issue
re: [Words such as Fantastic, Great, Marvelous are positive words and are definately appropriate during a telephone conversation. They help the agent to sound upbeat and interested in helping the customer]
I have an agent who repeats the word Wonderful several times over in a call. The caller commented that they felt they were back in 3rd grade. Unfortunately, the agent over-uses the word and it does start to come across a bit fake.
“Is ther anything else I can help you with?”
Though not appropriate at all times, this one sentence at the end of the call leaves the essential ‘last lasting impression’ among the customers. Further, many sales calls could be led to a second sale or discussion on a possible sale in future.
Also, while listening to a rude customer I have found it to be useful for me to draw some patterns on a paper. This has provided me with much needed patience to listen to the long, unpleasant conversation.
the customer is the most important person in the company….they inadvertidly pay your wages so be respectful and helpful.
customers are not always right but proving them wrong is always wrong…
If you use a higher piched voice, it sounds more positive, and it will get a great reaction.
My goodness!! Many CS advisors on here who have been bitten once or twice by ‘the customer is always right’ eh?
A customer is the most important visitor on our premises.
He is not dependant on us. We are dependant on him.
He is not an interruption in our work – he is the purpose of it.
We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us the opportunity to serve him.
Mahatma Ghandi
Back to positive words and phrases, I feel the most important part of positivity/positive language is the sincerity of the words being used.
Fantastic is a very positive word. But used in a monotone loses all positivity and impact. How many times have you received a ‘cold call’ where the advisor asks ‘How are you today?’ and then rattles straight into the rest of their script without even responding to or taking in your responce?
I feel positive words must be used naturally and sincerly.
CB
I would like to offer the following as a Contact Centre Manager with a great team……
We shouldn’t say “I know how you feel”. The fact is we don’t know how they feel, that doesn’t mean however that we aren’t compassionate (in the appropriate way) and sympathetic to their issue or complaint.
I think positive words can be a good and useful tool but I agree that they shouldn’t be over used, As a customer care manager it’s our responsibilty to train our team on appropriate words and when to use them.
‘The Customer is always right’. I would say not always but part of our skill as customer care advisors is resolving the situation to acheive a win win without pointing out to the customer directly that they may be incorrect. The is also which is more often than not, that the customer is actually right, it’s important in these instances to acknowledge the customers misgivings but not always directly admit liabilty. Particularly if you are a 3rd party/outsourced call centre. Whatever you say is reflected on the Brand/Client.
I’ve found this thread helpful and there’s some great points on here!
Thanks Everyone!
L
Thanks, the information was useful.
The customer is not always right, but they are always first. They should be treated as such.
If you don’t believe that’s true in this industry, then you probably shouldn’t be working in it.
To use empathy, you need to stay away from the word, “understand.” Many times I’ve heard customers yell because we don’t understand. We may have been in their shoes, but no two situations are the same.
The best way to help calm a customer down from an extreme emotional high (positive or negative), is to appropriately use empathy. Not sympathy.
Empathy is feeling plus contact.
Feeling = It certainly is frustrating when…
Content = your cable is not working and you are not able to see your favorite show.
Feeling = How exciting it is…
Content = when you are purchasing your new home!
(You can have content first and then feeling, try mixing it up a bit so you don’t sound like a machine)
Stop there! Don’t move onto resolution until the customer is ready. If you still feel emotions are high, let them vent and use another 1, 2, or maybe even 3 empathy statements.
What you have for a resolution will not be considered if the customer’s emotions are running high.
Hope this helps someone out there!
Thanks you friends, This info was of great help..:)
I dont know if this has already been covered but ill ask the question anyway. I work for a breakdown organisation I basically take the breakdown information off the customer. When I ask the relevant questions and the customer replys I say, “yea, yea, yea, yea, no problem” I want the customer know that I am listening its my verbal nod. The problem is that when I listen to my calls it sounds awful. Does anyone have any suggestions as to what else I could say. Please dont suggest fantastic or wonderful they are not appropriate in our world. We are not Customer Service as such.
Thanks
I may not be that long in the industry but hoping this will help…
after you’ve recognized the problem and empathized, set member’s expectation and goal…do not give false information nor lie just to escape from the irate member…
alright…going back on settings of goals…let me cite an example
“Alright Mr. _____, just to set your expectation…we may or may not resolve the issue over the phone and we may end up sending a tech to fully restore your service..yet, i guarantee that you and i are going to work together in resolving this issue while we are still on the phone..Let’s start with setting a goal to make sure we’re on the same page…blah blah..”
exhaust all that u can do over the phone…but…
weigh things..check if member is still willing to do the steps.. respect member’s time…don’t waste energy…if you are following a call flow, create ur own shortcut..be specific and give concise instruction…do not use flowering words much…
they don’t…
now…let’s think that issue is resolve..go back on ur goal…say “Wow…that’s so great Mr. _____..We did over the phone…we don’t have to send a tech…We did it together…this is indeed teamwork…Now that ut issue is resolved, i hope that made u happy…for that made me happy…”
Thanks for the comments people. I’ve Learned many things from this thread and I hopefully learn many more things from here in future.
I am working in customer support but my process is chat.I would like to know some more good phrases to be used while handling customers. I am new to customer service so, It would be really great help for me.
Thank you all for the Helpful comments.
thanks so much, this has upgraded my skills
This has been a helpful read. thanks alot
Thanks for sharing these information. It was really helpful…..
Thanks for the wonderful information guys. I just want to ask, what if a caller wants to talk to your superior immediately without saying any valid reason? What would be a good way to answer to that situation? Thanks!
What if the customer is insisting for something that you dont have?
thank’s it helps me a lot,.
Gosh….it’s great to see that what we say to our customers excites such a response from so many people, and I guess that is where the key is…individualism and our personal view of language, the world and how we are within that world.
It’s the same for our customers, who are all unique people with unique needs and unique understandings of the world – and that is, perhaps, what we all need to pick up on. “The customer is always right”, “the customer is not always right” – I guess it doesn’t matter as each customer has a right to their opinion whether they are right or wrong, and our job is to understand that opinion without discounting them or necessarily agreeing with them and use it within our response.
Our skills as frontline customer agents whether delivering service or sales, need to focus on truly listening, understanding and adapting to their uniqueness in oredr to then deliver (or not if appropriate) a relevant solution.
We adapt and change as people almost daily in our own lives to differing sets of people around us; loved ones, children, mates, colleagues, parents and we use a different approach, a different language to each of those sets – so perhaps we need to tap into the inherent skills we have and let them loose in a Customer Experience environment, trusting to the fact that as adults we generally enjoy the wonder of relationships, building them, managing them, developing them, whether for 2 minutes on the phone or for life with our loved ones. We enjoy adapting our language to suit – whether emotionally intense like “fantastic” or friendly or formal, polite or jovial…..we change to suit, to fit in, to make someone else feel comfortable – so perhaps we should be trusted on the frontline to deliver what we believe is right for that unique customer and not to ‘tar every customer with the same language brush’.
this thread is very interesting and helpful. thanks. 🙂
it help me a lot.,,.
nice work guys.,.,.
thank you sooo much!….
very helpful
Very helpful for front line technical supports agents like me.. We usually deal with a lot of angry and frustrated customer so all the statements posted here are amazing
Just say “I Love You customer” and they will surely be glad with the service and won’t ever call again because of over satisfaction
Anything for you,Though it is to forget you.
that’s great…
How can you offer a survey at the end of the call when the customer is in a hurry? positive script? with a 2 question survey….
I FEEL THAT DOING WHAT IT TAKES TO HELP THE CUSTOMER AND MAKE THEM HAPPY AND WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO BUSINESS WITH ME , IS WHAT I STRIVE FOR !!!
We appreciate the opportunity to assit you. I appericiate your patience on this. Please let me know if I can provide any other additional support.
when transferring a cust to M&T.i normally advice the cust that they are a specialised dept.who deal with all aspects of movers issues.this works quite well if a cust has been transferred thro to us at cust rel.then i have to pass them on.
When a customer immediately asks for a supervisor, the best response is…. Sure I can help you with that, in order to ensure that I get you to the best person to be able to handle your call, can you please tell me what your issue is?… After hearing the issue or concern, if I am able to assist the caller, I let them know…. Ok, well actually I can help you take care of that today, I just need your name etc. so I can take a look at your account… I also mention…if however we do need to have a supervisor help us, I will be happy to discuss your issue/concern with them and make sure that we get that taken care of. Generally they will allow you to assist. Also, by saying “we” and “us” and “I” it helps the customer feel that you are taking ownership of the situation. This is a great article…. Great responses.
Great points on this site, thanks. Im just about to embark on some telesales for my own company and dont have much experience. Now I have a good place to start and much to work on! Happy selling all!
This thread helped me a lot..Thanks for your insights guys!!!
Very interesting opinions here. I agree with the “feel, felt, found” approach. It seems to conver all grounds, UNDERSTANDING how your customer feels (which is so important), RELATING to how they feel (felt) and offering a solution (found).
Mel
ALL the ABOVE information are just great! Thank you.
24/7 Customer.
Why is my payment being held for so long?
Mr. / Ms. _______, that’s a good question and I know it can be frustrating to have your available credit held. I expect the hold may be released on ______, and that is based strictly on how long we estimate that it will take to receive the funds from your bank.
One of the very few posts where all the participants have made sense n added value lol!
Cheers
JOHN
All the posts here are really helpful. I can practice it…thanks guys!!!
Very helpful. , .thanx alot guys 🙂
ONE CALL RESOLUTION
-you do not have to call back! We have an amazing site called *****.com that I believe to be more convenient than calling in, PLUS same shipping!
Mirror the customer to an extent
Point out the benefits for the company when a customer has to take a survey at the end of the call: This is the best plan for your requirements….
For special customers like you……
Great news! You will ONLY be charged….
and POWER WORS really do help, plus smiling when talking!
Learned a lot, Thanks.
I’m trying to crossover from phone to chat support. Is there a list that i could use for chat and a more candid words? Thanks again.
these comments really helped me a lot 🙂
THANKS A LOT GUYS!!!IT WILL HELP ME A LOT SPECIALLY IN OUR COMPANY WE HAVE FIZZBACK!!!
EVEN THOU YOU WERE ABLE TO RESOLVED THE ISSUE CX WILL STILL GIVE U DIS SATISFACTORY SCORE FOR REP.
An advice to each and every Call center agent my friends:
Forget what happened previous. [Previous Customer Experience].
Concentrate on what is happening and what will happen with your responses and reply. [Impress customer with your current service].
This will make you to feel proud…!
We at ABC company take needs of each customers seriously and ensure that we earn your goodwill. Understanding your concern I’m happy to let you know that I’ve gone ahead and waived the late fee in your account. it’ll be credited back to your available credit.
.
I greatly apologize for any inconvenience caused. Please accept our sincere apologies.
.
Kindly allow me a minute or two to review your account and get back to you.
.
Thank you for being a great customer. We value your relationship.
.
I would be more than happy to look into your account to see why your account is restricted and guide you for the responsible team with their contact number.
.
thank you for being pleasure to talk with. I appreciate your time and patience. have a wonderful day.
.
etc
I agree that customers are not always right. However, we can’t handle each and every customer with a doubt. That would create a negative impact and customer would hung up. We need to believe what the customer says and we need to proceed with empathizing with the issue. If we don’t believe customers word and customer will certainly say that we are not helping them.
In some cases, we need to handle issues that fall under company policies. We need to be too smart to say no to the customers. We need extra soft skills to say no gently to the customers at this point.
In customer service, the points below would help to earn WOW customers:
Understand(Both issue and emotion)
Empathize
Personalize
Ownership
Resolve
Exceed customer’s expectation
Educate
I am a coach at a call center and we are trying to come up with different to present when we are unable to reverse a late fee for a customer. We are trying to come up with phrases that do not use the words “can’t” “unable” “won’t etc. We want to present this in positive way. Anyone have Ideas for me? I have created one to help relate to the customers and still present it in a positive way. I am looking for other ideas.
Here is what I currently use “I understand you are calling in today in regards to the late fee on your account , I have been in the same situation before so I understand how you exactly feel. At this time the late fee will remain on the account but what we can do is provide you with different methods to prevent this from occurring in the future (then provide options) (You have to use the right tone when relaying this to customers)
I am looking to hear others ideas in what they may use in the call centers
I am learning a lot from this thread. I just want to ask for this certain situation.
How about if you would need to transfer a call? What’s the best way to say this? or How are you going to relate to the customer wherein they will not get angry?
Thanks and more power!
Tiny–
If at all possible conf in the client. Don’t transfer. Customers when “polled” say that they build up more frustration from being transferred and having to repeat the problem then ANY other one thing.
What we do at our company is “Mr. Jones _empathy_ I unfortunately can not answer that question or resolve that concern, however I am not going to transfer you anywhere either. I am going to conf you with the department that can.” Before I do, what is your number just in case we get disconnected I personally will call you back.”
Once you have them Conf with the correct person. Simply excuse yourself from the call and move on to the next one.
when there is no other solution or alternative options for the customer I say: “If I would have the possibility to do it I will do it right away, trust me, but… it’s out of my hands…” so the customer understands that we are trying our best to solve their concern(s)/request(s)…
This is the BEST webpage I have come across.
So I am glad I came across this. Do you know how hard it was to find this “GEM:? Very hard!!
Thanks so much to EVERYONE…
THIS HELPED ME SO MUCH!!
One good suggestion you have to have a good tone together with the phrases IT WILL ABSOLUTELY WORK 😉 Thanks guys!
This a great site,with so many useful advice. I am a rookie when it comes to CS and I would really need any advice you have.I work on chat, CS for an online casino, we also have to sell promotions, so this is really new for me. Is there anyone that can tell me something about this, how to relate with customer, beside the caring part, how do I present the offer without abuse words such as Wonderful, Fantastic etc, also because I see that my colleagues use this words a lot so I am trying to be a little differnt. Anyway and Advice you have is well received.Thanks a lot!
This is Incredible! Imagine all these people who share their knowledge not just to showcase their knowledge and how good or great they are but the willingness to help other especially like us who seeks for this. You guys are amazing! Thanks for the help! 🙂
Sample Lead-Ins to Put a Caller On Hold
• “Mr. Smith, can you please hold while I retrieve your file?” {pause for a response} “Thank you. I will be back in a minute.” {caller on hold} “Thank you for holding Mr. Smith. I can now help you…”
• “Ms. Jones, I will check to see if Mr. Johnson is available to take your call. Can you please for a minute?” {pause for a response} “Thank you. I will be right back.” {caller on hold} “I’m sorry for the inconvenience. Mr. Johnson is not available right now. May I have him call you back?”
Hi thank you for all your comments…it helps a lot..Now Showing some loyalty statements to the customer let´s say that the customer is not upset and during the call you could handled a good call but at the end of the call you say a loyalty phrase such as “Mr.jones we appreciate a lot the time you have been with the company and we thank you for the opportunity you gave us to provide you our services, we hope we can serve you for many more years”…customer was thankful and he said -“I appreciate a lot you beautiful words but I have been about to leave the company because of xx issue with the service..I’m just waiting for contract expiration to go”…I would like to see some comments about loyalty phrases and any way to say them…and what to say if a customer say something like my customer said.
Waiting for answers..
Thank you all.
Certainly this page helps me a lot, I am a call agent for tech support and customer service too… good thing google put this on 1-1 page/options… thanks against for the creator and contributors certainly i will recommend this site to my colleagues…
I’m a team leader at a car insurance company & this thread has been brilliant! I’m currently working on a project to upskill our agents & this has been so useful so thanks to everyone who has posted!
i love this site! very helpful to me. more scripts on how you empathize, please.
This info helps a lot
Can anyone Help me with following “inbound Call Handling Phrases for Appointment Setting”, if there’s any mistake?
——————————-
QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED AT INBOUND
APPOINTMENT:
Thanks for Calling ABC Air Conditioning how may i help you ?
If someone says that he’s looking for an air conditioner.
Reply: OK sir, what we can do we can send our home comfort advisor at your doorstep, he will give you the estimate for that
and this appointment would be free of cost.
So can i have your name please?
and your contact number is?
Do you have any alternative number?
And your address?
is this a town house or a single one?
and you are looking for an Air Condition Right ? (Good)
How old is your house?
and the age of your existing air conditioner?
may I know the size of your house?
OK sir which date and time is convenient for you?
Let me check my database, please be online.
OK sir we can visit on Between . is that convenient for you?
——————————-
I learned a lot. Thank you people. 🙂
thanks a lot.. it is helpful for me because i am working as customer support in call centre
i really love this site.. thanks a lot guys..
This proves that 2 brains are better than one. Thank you so much! Cheers!
this site is cool. thanks for the good stuff. this will help hone my client service skills
its very helpful! thank you for having this…
“Customer Is Always First”
I understand your frustration but please be reminded that you’re already disclosed on it and the thing you wish is not possible.
Guys, whats a more positive way of saying “As much as I would like to help you….”
Help?
I am a call center newbie and this helped a lot. Thank you very much.
Customer Is Always First”
I learned a lot. Thank you people
I feel positive words must be used naturally and sincerly.
What is the best spiel for csat without saying the word “satisfaction” to caller?
When asked, “how are you doing?” never just say ‘good’ that is boring and almost expected. Instead, get creative with it, use these different words(with a smile of course)-
wonderful
excellent
terrific
splendid
marvelous
fantastic
phenomenal
fabulous
magnificent
What call centers and telemarketers in general really have to address is the predatory practices that they utilize to gain their ends in business. There is such a thing as good business practice, such as calling during business hours, not 8am on a Sunday morning. These practices are unethical and rude.
1. Definitely
2. Surely
3. Absolutely
4. Certainly
5. Fantastic
with my little experience in the call center industry, the use of positive words are very important. the concern here however is, knowing when, where and how to use them.
for me, knowing your caller is very important.i.e if the caller is an intellect or an average person. for an intellect, the words above may be an exaggeration but to an average person it will be appropriate.
I appreciate you patiently waiting. I’m currently looking up the information so that I can provide you with the best option. I want to make sure that I am able to provide you with an accurate answer.
:))
It is really very helpful and it will definitely make the customer feel special
Sorry to hear about that. Is that an empathy statement or apology?
it was great conversation which i came through and help me a lot. thanks guys
Hello, everyone.
I work as a customer service representative for a bank.
I want to excell my performance in assisting our clients.
I am not good at suggesting things to someone. I want to learn something from everyone.
If you could teach me some words and sentences to use while assisting our clients, that would be great.
That’s for chat support.
Thank you all. Have a nice day.
Welcome to xxx chat support. My name is Vernon. How may I assist you today?
Hello, xxx. A very good morning to you!
It’s a pleasure to have you onchat today.
May I place your chat on hold for a minute to check this for you?
Thank you for your time and patience.
Your satisfaction is our first and the top priority. Have I completely resolved/answered all your queries/questions today?
You are most welcome. It’s my pleasure assisting our clients.
we appreciate your business with us.
Xxx ,if you’re happy with my efforts to assist you, end this chat session and take a brief survey based on my assistance.
Please feel free to contact us anytime round the clock.
Have a pleasant day.
These are the sentences we use for most of the clients. We may change these depending on the client’s response and query.
Hi! everyone,I need your help on how am I going to explain to existing customer’s who are asking to take advantage of marketing promotions that are offered for new sign up customer’s?
Hello all, I have read all of your helpful comments and suggestions. learned a lot! Thank you all 🙂
this site helps me alot.. while i’m actually having my training right now. and i am on internet service acct. and we need positive scripting when delivering badnews. so can you help me with this.. for example, when you have to tell the customer that their account was transfered to the collections because they didnt pay their bills on the right time. please help me with this. asap response please.
excellent points very helfpful
thanka guys! Everythings wre great
Hi my friends ill be working as a customer service represantative in airlines company.. would anyone write me a phrases for that ?
Can someone help me with a spiel for down time.
Like for
• System Down\ Tools Down
• Site is currently experiencing an emergency ( earthquake, fire etc.
Thanks!
We work with the same customers over and over again. Sometimes we can find it frustrating to stay professional because we do know our customers so well (even personally). Are there some helpful hints/websites to assist with this type of customer service? Most everything I find is for random callers with no relationship.
Thank you.
Treat every single Customer, as if he/she signs your paycheck, coz they really do………….!!
I hope it will be helpful.. just want to share something..
When you are talking to your customer, of course there are five forbidden phrases:
1. Don’t say the word…”I DONT KNOW”
2.) Dont say the word “we can’t do that.”
3.) Dont say NO to your client.
4.) If you are getting in a situation that you can’t really handle, dont’t say negative responses to the customer. It should be always POSITIVE and DIRECT TO THE point and well organized.
5.) Don’t say ” JUST A SECOND” .. you have to say something positive again just to make sure that your customer will not really offend.
VERRRYYYYYYYYYY GOOD SITE!! YOU GUYS ARE GREAT!!!
Handling every call is like riding on a bike we need to be balance..PATIENCE is ALWAYS A VIRTUE!
I appreciate your efforts and willingness to help your buyer to resolve this issue.
I can realize the situation and truly regret for the inconvenience this has caused you.
It must be distressing for you not to receive the item on time.
thank you. that was very helpful
Putting the customer first and delivering service with a smile is an important part of a positive customer experience.
There are some interesting points here – and the use of positive language does have a really vital point to play in customer communications.
However I can’t help feeling that some of the phrasing and words recommended here aren’t appropriate for everyday conversations.
In particular the use of the word ‘surely’ simply wouldn’t sit right with most callers – who wouldn’t use (or be used to hearing) the word ‘surely’ in the context of ‘You will surely be able to enjoy…’.
There are other words and phrases that would sound more natural and less bossy. For example ‘I’m hoping you’ll really enjoy…’.
Never tell the customer what they should be thinking or feeling – just point them in the right direction to get there…
Oh yes, your choice of words can make a huge difference. A customer might just get turned off and walk away by one negative sounding word. So be positive and pass it on.
This is awesome! I really learned a lot. Thank you for your help.
– i understand how frustrating that might be
– i understand how inconvenient that must be
– i know that could be frustrating
– i understand how you feel
-It is unfortunate that.
-I truly empathize that.
-I sympathize with your situation/disappointment..
Great tips. Can anyone share more closing phrases and some open ended/probing questions or a website I can refer to. I spent 5 years in call center in sales/service/billing and just recently started in a cable/tv/phone tech support call center so that is new to me. Thanks
thank you for calling,my name is xxxx how may I assist you with today?
before continue.(before anything else )..please allow me to pull up my resourses first ( may I please have your first name and last name to properly address you..
Helloi i read your comments about call center conversations.. i need more help about it i just start job last week, and i m from turkey, i will speak with foreing customers.. so i m working aesthetic beauty center. so i need diffirent kind of conversations.. thank for your helping guys..
Hi All,
I’m new in customer services and want to know how to acknowledge any query or concern with positive note…
Regards..
Thanks everyone for sharing your ideas. It really helps and I’ll be able to improve now my communication skills. G
Instead of using “great, fantastic, wonderful” what other power words or positive words that is not too generic?
I learn a lot from you guys
tank you very much
Good content to learn from
Thanks, the information was useful.
Thank you so much for bringing this/these to our attention so that we can improve our services as well.
I appreciate you for giving us a call so that we can do something about it to improve our services.
Empathy acknowledgement, ownership.
Amazing thread! Helped me lot : ) Good going everyone of ya…
I’ve a question, what If customer wants to talk to superior as soon as the agent picks the call?? And the customer is not ready to listen what agent replying.
@Bhuvi
No worries, I am more than happy to find an available supervisor for you.
Escalate systemic problems and keep in mind the escalation time. It also adds frustration to cx
@Ram what works for me when I resolved the issue
“I hope in a way I was able to help you out with the concern.”
(if cx asks do I need to click on yes?)
“Any feedback will do.”
“I was happy that I was able to assist you for today….”
@Lyndsey: warn the customer.
Acknowledge the problem: I understand the frustration that you face right now, I am trying my very best to help you out. (add if customer is shouting) You do not need to be angry.
(Do not overly apologize) I do apologize is better than I’m sorry
We do not tolerate profanity, I will be terminating the call.
This is a second warning, I will be terminating the call if you will still use profane language.
This is the last warning. Thank you for calling.
Thankyou. I love positive words! :0)
This was an enjoyable read. Its all about positive words!
Really I’m happy after reading this. I got a confidence to handle the chat. Thank you for posting this comment.
could we end our conversation by telling “thank u for calling xxx have a nyc day bye bye “is there any alternative to end our conversation
I would suggest to also put more emphasize on technical knowledge of customer service staff, less on phrases. The customer might luke all the “Absolutely, fantastic” techniques, but if they realize their problem is not getting solved, they will start to hate the service even more because all it does is using marketing phrases which is disrespectful.
I was looking something like that. Thanks for sharing such a helpful article.
Thank you so much!
thanks for the help guys!!!
I am a customer and all customer service agents say the same script since the 80’s… I would really appreciate talking to a human who knows how i feel and connects with what i am feeling before/after conversation. I can feel who makes a drama vs. a real human connecting.i appreciate every conversation that i dont ask why…i hope this helps
When speaking to a customer I find it hard to say I understand…… because when Im calling into a customer service line it really bothers me when someone tells me they understand my situation does anyone have any other words I can use instead of understand
I get it very helpfull.I am gratfull for this.
What if I cannot help the guest in rectifying his actual complaint, but as a service recovery at times I need to offer him the best complimentary things. But even some guest become more angry stating they are not beggars to take my compensation, could you help me with right phrases to offer them politely, so that they do not disagree with my compensation.(Example : For a guest who complained about stains on bed sheet I need to offer him with complimentary dinner)
i’m a newbie in a voice account all the tips that were posted helps me a lot thanks…
It will help a lot those who are working in customer service. thanks.
Customer is not always right! What is right is “Customer is always First!”
I can understand the gravity of the situation.
This has been helpful I will surely be using these phases need them to improve
thanks its works
very helpful for 1st time call center agent like me 🙂
Bah. Adverbs are ugly and ignored by listeners.
Here are much better expressions for anyone trying to get his way without seeming to do so:
Yes, and…
Thanks for saying that and ….
Wonderful, and …
fantastic!!!!
Every one likes to hear these words 🙂
being a newbie, i’m getting my spiel here 🙂 God bless
thank you for this spiels it helped me much
Thanks for spiel.. 🙂 newbie here.
Hi, somebody here knows powerful words that starts with letter q, x and z?
Tnx alot …this helps me..
Guys at the end of the day for these spiels to work in your end deliver it with the right TONE/VOICE.
THE SO MANY IDEAS HERE REALLY HELPS ME A LOT.
Thanks for letting us know
Reasuring:
It will be a pleasure for me to help you,
No response:
Unfortunately I have not received a reply from you, do you wish to continue?
Put on hold:
Give me a moment I need to verify this for you, it will not be long.
Some really useful words and phrases for anyone in the customer service world! Language really can transform you communication with someone from negative to positive (and vice versa!!).
When speaking with a customer, THAT moment, is your most important moment.
This tips are very useful… guys can you please help me develop more my ability in communication skill?? I will be working as outbound customer service for floral company..thank u for your help guys..
Not “Customer always right” , But “customer always has the right”
to be listened, served, appreciated, valued …
These tips are really great, I always highlight the important of language to the team I manage. I manage a call centre that deals mainly with customer queries. We often over look how powerful words are and how they can completely change positive communication with a person to a negative exchange when words are chosen wrongly. I found the following resources really helpful when doing some refresher customer service training with staff I know have these 5 do not say words displayed around the office. goo.gl/dzSM9b
incredible!!!
Thanks a lot, You guys have been of immense help!
Thank you from the bottom of my heart
“We may agree that Customer is NOT ALWAYS Right,
but we have to consider that Customer is ALWAY IMPORTANT.”
The Customer Is NOT Always Right, But The Customer Is All We’ve Got!
Combined ideas, knowledge, curiosity and experiences result to an amazing web page that everyone must read on.
Congratulations to the creator of this.
Thanks to all accommodating contributors.
And lucky to us who were able to read this for free!
I love positive words. Thanks for these. I will definitely utilise them
I totaly agree with the post. We can always translate the negative phrases to positive. For example,
Why not? → Sounds good.
No problem → Definitely!
Can’t complain → Everything’s going well, thanks.
I’m exhausted → I need a rest.
I’m going to forget → I’ll make sure I set a reminder.
It will not be delivered on time → It will be delayed.
Constructive criticism → Constructive Feedback.
Please hold → One moment, please
By using this idea of positive responses we can have a cumulative impact on the customer.
Nice set of words to translate negative phrases