We asked our Twitter panel “What are the Best Words and Phrases for Building Rapport?”
Carolyn Blunt @CarolynBlunt
“How are you today?”, “How is your day going?” – Showing genuine interest in the other person means a lot.
Beverley Hughes @BeverleyHughe5
“Please” and “thank you”, not forgetting “sorry”.
Ann-Marie Stagg @CCMATALK
Tone of voice and pace are key to building rapport.
Magnetic North @MN_Cloud
Talking on a personal level can help build rapport. Always talk about “your” order/query/issue and use customers’ names.
ININ
“Right, let’s get this issue fixed…” Be positive, gain a customer’s confidence, and show that you’re on the case.
NewVoiceMedia @NewVoiceMedia
“We’ll look into this immediately.” – Recognise the urgency of the matter, keep the customer informed, provide quick resolution.
Magnetic North @MN_Cloud
Customers want to be firmly assured. Phrases like “I can help” or “I will take care of that” can achieve this.
ININ
You can easily build rapport with your customers by expressing genuine empathy e.g: “I can’t imagine how stressful it is…”
Richard McCrossan @dossan
“I’ll sort that for you immediately” suggests a customer request is a priority and will be dealt with urgently.
Steve Morgan @SteveBMorgan
How about “I understand”?
Richard McCrossan @dossan
Show customer feedback is taken seriously – “We thank you for letting us know about this”. It makes them feel valued.
Click here for our Positive Words to Increase Customer Satisfaction
What do you think are the best words and phrases for building rapport?
Tweet your answers in 140 characters @callcentrehelp, or comment below.
As someone who spends a great deal of time helping customers via Twitter, I’ve always found to just be totally human.
Granted many of the customers are younger, tech savvy and understand all the latest jargon so this is a little easier.
It becomes a bit of a conversation.
Saying “hi”, “really sorry about this, I’ll get it sorted for you”, “can you tell me your account # and i’ll have a look for you”
It’s not the place to be formal at all, and unless you really have to, don’t go over one tweet. If you think it’s going to need a few, try and get the customer to send a direct message. It is much easier to keep control of.
Bear in mind this is a business that may answer 100+ customers per hour just via Twitter.
Always keep in mind that it is a public forum. Everything needs to be right.
I’m on your side however we should find a solution right now which is…….
using WE is very important to build rapport
You have a great name works for me. ^_^
Great tips the one most people overlook is your appearance, we still reside in a judgemental society. Part of your charm is your appearance. The other is away greet with a smile you want all customers to feel that each purchase is an welcoming experience.
This will really help me to improve my skills!!!
I find that using “I” is on a more personal and connective level than using “We”. After all, there is only you and the customer on the line. Let them know that “I” will fix that issue for them. Ownership ownership ownership is key
How can I put a big smile on your face? That’s a big impact to the customer.
It would be hard for me to understand how you feel, but I can tell you that “I care…”