The Top Words and Phrases Customers Use to Express their Dissatisfaction

“I can only apologise” is an awful expression and sounds very non commital. If something has gone wrong, then stating that you’re very sorry is the first thing that should be done and can be the most important thing that you do in the call.

I absolutely agree with you, it is a very insincere phrase. Sadly you would be amazed at how often it occurs.

It’s very easy to give a genuine apology without actually putting the blame on yourself.

“…I’m really sorry we sent your package to the wrong address…” is an apology, but in it, you’re squarely laying the blame at your door.

“…I’m really sorry for the inconvenience caused by the address mix up…” is a genuine apology without actually admitting it was your fault (it might not have been

Most of the time, customers just want an acknowledgement and some genuine empathy.

I think what particularly interests me is not the verbal cues by which the client expresses their disatisfaction, but the other cues, such as tone of voice, sighing, pausing, etc. These cues are often the ones which enable you to get in there *before* the client is kicking off, and potentially resolve something before it becomes critical.

“I can only apologise” is one of the worst phrases you can use. It diminishes the agent to the role of message taker, never use it! If someone said it to me, my reply would be “Can you transfer me to someone who can do more than ‘only’ apologise?”.

Offering to refer to another department is also a potential minefield – does the caller need to know the internal workings of the organisation? Why not take responsibility for that call? Take control – take ownership: the agent may have to speak to another department, but do that on behalf of the caller: not only are you saving them from explaining themselves again, you are the one going back to them with a solution, and will look much better in their eyes.

Also, be aware of long pauses in the conversation, that can often indicate that a caller is unhappy. If they take deep breaths before speaking, they can be either worked up, or are working up to something. If a caller uses the word “Listen…” that’s also a sign that something is amiss…

A agree wholeheartedly with all the “I apologize” comments. Don’t just say it – make it specific and sincere. One of the things I’ve said is that I can’t change what’s happened in the past but I can make the experience better starting with this call, email, etc. That puts a lot of responsibility on me to ensure that what I commit to gets done, but that’s the level of care that customers in that position deserve. Perhaps in the process something can be learned that will help change the business so it doesn’t happen to other customers.

With the repeat calls, “I’ve been called a million times”, my agents respond by saying
“I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused, I assure I will not call again.I can have you removed from our data list if that would help you?”

This gives i-rate clients a chance to vent, feel heard and also resolve the issue. It then helps the contact center because there won’t be airtime wasted calling the same non-receptive clients again.

Yep agree with ‘Apologise’ being very neutral when dealing with complaints, and it is usually matched with a non-committal tone to boot. Callers, as some have commented, want the call to be handled personally without seeming like they are being offloaded or spoken to insincerely.

nice

Dealing with complaints is the same as objection handling for sales calls – using the APAC (Acknowledge, Probe, Answer and Commit) There is no need to answer with ‘sorry’, but listening, acknowledging, asking questions to get the bigger picture, and committing by offering timescales, and ensuring that we set expectations is crucial to turning a negative journey into a positive one.