Hear the Consumer Out
How can you determine what a consumer's issue is?
Hear them out
Does empathy focus on the consumer's emotional state?
Yes.
No, this is a poor apology and also implies blame.
Is it important to identify who is to blame when taking responsibility?
No. Accountability should be held, but blame is hardly important in most scenarios.
Does every call require affirming language?
Yes.
If you speak over the consumer multiple times - are you hearing the consumer out?
No.
What two things should you focus on to show the consumer you are attempting to empathize?
Facts and feelings of the situation.
Consumer: "I am irritated because I didn't get my order! Who is responsible for this?!"
Agent: "I'm sorry ma'am but lowkey that was Tony."
Did this consumer effectively apologize?
No, because they placed blame on someone as a part of their apology. We should apologize without placing or accepting blame.
"Please let me look into this."
Is this statement strong enough to pass as taking responsibility for taking action?
No. If the statement was, "Please let me look into this, so we can get try to resolve this for you." it would be strong enough, but the statement "Please let me look into this." by itself is not enough.
Can affirming language be a question?
No.
Consumer: "I need help getting my new ornament ordered."
Agent: "Absolutely I can help you get this subscription cancelled right away."
Did the agent hear the consumer out?
No. They commented about something completely unrelated to the consumer's issue. The agent did not hear the consumer out.
What are five emotions you can empathize with?
Upset, Overwhelmed, Irritated, Annoyed, Devastated, Disappointed, etc.
What are two ways different ways to apologize?
I'm sorry, My apologies, My condolences.
Should we tell the consumer we can "definitely" help them when they first describe their issue?
No. We should stay away from absolutes until we are sure we actually can help them. If we over promise early into the call and then can't take action, we run the risk of upsetting, or frustrating the consumer even more.
Which example of affirming language is stronger?
"Thanks for bringing this to my attention?" VS "I hope you have a good day today, enjoy your Tuesday!"
"I hope you have a good day today, enjoy your Tuesday!" - Is the stronger statement, because it is more detailed.
What is an action you can take to show the consumer you are listening?
Actively listening, being quiet while the consumer is speaking, telling the consumer "mmhmm" to let them know you are following along.
Consumer: "I am so annoyed I can't get into my account."
Agent: "I get how confusing getting into your account can be sometimes."
Did the agent provide the best empathy statement they could have provided?
No, the agent did empathize with the consumer however, it could have been more detailed to the consumer. The agent could have said, "I definitely know how annoying forgetting a password can be when we have a million of them!" providing a more on-brand empathy statement.
"I'm sorry that happened to you." VS "I'm sorry your device was unable to get connected to our app."
Which one of these apologies is stronger and why?
"I'm sorry your device was unable to get connected to our app."
This apology statement is better as it is better tailored for the consumer and sounds more genuine than the previous statement.
What are a couple of different ways you can Take Action?
Using probing questions to determine if there is anything else you can assist with/Providing the consumer with periodic updates as you work on their account/Sharing different resolutions with the consumer and asking what they would prefer.
"I'm so sorry I have to bother you guys by calling."
How would you affirm this consumer?Any affirming language statement.
Examples: "You could never bother us, we are glad you called!" "No apology needed, we love hearing from our members." "Thanks for reaching out, it was the right thing to do!"
Why is it important that HEAT start with "H: Hearing the Consumer Out?"
It is important that we hear the consumer out so that the rest of our HEAT model sounds more genuine and affirming. By listening to the consumer we are able to determine how the issue is making the consumer feel, allowing us to empathize with the consumer.
What are some ways you can show empathy for a consumer?
Validating their emotions, actively listening to the consumer, and showing them you truly care about improving or rectifying their issue.
What are some benefits of a genuine apology?
A genuine apology can repair trust with the consumer, ease tension on a call, defuse tense situations, and help start healing a situation.
Why is it important that we Take Responsibility?
It is important to take action to let the consumer know that someone is taking their requests seriously, and that action is being taken towards resolving the consumer's issue. This allows us to take accountability and be the main contributor in the resolution for the consumer.
What statement would make a great point to affirm the consumer on the call?
"Sorry for taking so long, I'm so stupid"
"I just ate some tuna fish and it's funky"
"I tell ya - I was on a hot streak at the casino last night!"
"Sorry for taking so long, I'm so stupid" - By affirming the consumer when we hear something like this we have the chance to turn the consumer's entire mood around. Definitely the statement we would want to make sure we affirm.