VOICE OF

CUSTOMER
Objectives
At the end of this course, you will be
able to:
 Understand how VOC relates to our NPS
score
 Identify key concepts that lead to VOC
 Recognize the impact of listening,
politeness, patience, friendliness and
appreciation, and how it improves the
quality of service we provide to our
Customers
 Learn how to easily communicate bad
How does VOC relate to
NPS?

Listening
Carefully
Politeness
Patience
Being
Friendly
LISTEN CAREFULLY
Let’s see how well you
listen…
 Listen carefully to the story and answer
the question as fast as you can. The
question will only be asked once.
 The first person who answers correctly
wins a prize!
Techniques for Effective
Listening
 Give appropriate responses to a
Customer’s questions and
statements: Listen carefully to what
the Customer is saying to ensure your
response is appropriate.
 Limit distractions around you so you
can focus on the Customer’s message
and respond appropriately to questions
and statements.
Techniques for Effective
Listening
 Use passive listening: Passive
listening is an indication to the speaker
that you’re paying attention. These
cues are verbal since you are on the
phone (e.g., saying Yes or I see).
 While responses such as Uh-huh and
Yeah may be common in daily
conversation, you should avoid using
them in business situations.
Techniques for Effective
Listening
 Use paraphrasing: Paraphrasing is
rephrasing what the Customer said and
repeating the message as you
understood it. This reduces the
possibility of misunderstanding.
 To avoid mimicking, restate what the
Customer has said in your own words.
Use phrases such as:
 If I understand you correctly, you have a
question about your mother-in-law’s bill.
 You would like to receive the information by
e-mail, not direct mail. Is that correct?
Techniques for Effective
Listening
 Avoid interrupting: Listen all the way
through the Customer's message.
 Interrupting conveys rudeness and
gives the impression that you assume
you know exactly what they are going
to say. This is frustrating and can add
tension.
BE PATIENT AND
POLITE
What are courtesy
phrases?

May I also…

Plea
Do you
se.
mind…?
Have you ever been in a conversation
with someone where you said
something and the intention of the
statement you made was
misunderstood?

What was the experience like for you?

From Harmful to Helpful
"I can't do that." What do you think is
harmful about this message?
No one likes to hear I can't. It shows an
unwillingness to help. Instead, consider
using
“What I can do is…”
This gives a positive impression of you
and Alltel.
From Harmful to Helpful
"That's against our policy." If it really is a
policy we have, what would be harmful about
saying this to a Customer?
To Customers, saying “It's against policy” is
usually seen as an excuse and not an
explanation. Always explain the reason or
benefit of the policy to the Customer. One
way to do this is to say,
“To protect the confidentiality of our
employees, we don’t provide that
information without a signed release.”
From Harmful to Helpful
"I need you to give me some
information." What’s harmful about
this message?
Although you may need to get
information from a Customer, stating I
need doesn’t leave the Customer with
any options and is demanding. A better
way to get information would be to ask,
“May I get some information from
you, please?”
From Harmful to Helpful
"That's not our department." Why
would this cause a Customer to have a
negative perception of Alltel?
Although that's not our department
does sound as if you’re providing
information, it doesn't sound helpful. A
better way to say this is
“I can connect you to the
department that specializes in that
area.”
From Harmful to Helpful
"You'll have to hold." What may be
considered harmful about this
message?
Hearing what you have to do is
perceived as demanding.
“Will you please hold while I verify
the information?” is a more helpful
way of handling this situation. The
Customer will then think of you as
courteous, helpful, and friendly.
ACT FRIENDLY
What is friendly?
Components of Voice
Quality
 Tone of voice, the speed at which they
speak, and the way they enunciate can
make some people very difficult to
listen to at length.
 A voice with little inflection sounds flat
and can seem uninteresting or boring.
 Talking too fast makes it difficult to
hear all of the information and can
cause miscommunication.
 A voice tone that shows interest and
enthusiasm encourages interest in the
Acknowledging
Customers
 Customer Statement: “I was just speaking with
a representative and my call dropped. You’re the
third person I’ve spoken with today.”
 Try this! “I tell you what. You and I are going to
get this fixed so that I’ll be the last person you
talk to. How does that sound?”
 Customer Statement: “I lost my phone! The
lady at the store said I’m not eligible for a free
phone and I don’t have insurance!”
 Try this! “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. Let’s see
what avenues are available so we can get your
phone replaced.
Acknowledging
Customers
 Customer Statement: “I was trying to get a
number change. I don’t know what went
wrong, but my phone doesn’t work now.”
 Try this! “Well, we’re going to make
whatever went wrong go right!”

 Customer Statement: “I’ve been at work all

day. I don’t have time to spend on the phone
trying to get my charges fixed.”
 Try this! “Let me fix this issue so that you
can get back to things that you like to do.”
Acknowledging
Customers
 Customer Statement: “My phone won’t
turn on. I charged it all night, but it just sits
there with a blank screen.”
 Try this! “Oh, wow. That’s not good! Let’s
figure out what’s wrong.”

Presenting a great tone of voice and

acknowledging Customer statements are
two great techniques for being friendly.
Some Reps are naturally friendly,
however others may need some review
on these techniques.
THANK THE
CUSTOMER
Thank you…for what?
 Intheory, thanking the Customer
seems simple. But thank you for what?
 By using the Customer's name and
adding specific information about what
you are thanking the Customer for,
makes this statement much more
personal and specific.
Examples
 "Mr. Smith, thank you for calling in
today to advise us about the issue you
are having with your phone."
 "Mrs. Jones, thank you so much for your
payment you submitted last week."
Everyone Likes
Compliments!
 Thanking the Customer is like giving
them a compliment.
 Customers who feel we value their
business, will stay with us and tell their
friends to switch to a carrier that
appreciates them.
 Using value statements is also a way to
give compliments to the Customer.
Great value statements are personal
and specific, just like a great thank you
Examples
 "Ms. Caldwell, wow, I see you’ve been
an Alltel Customer for more than five
years! We appreciate your business and
your loyalty!“
 "Mr. Mayer, It looks as if you became an
Alltel Customer recently. We appreciate
the opportunity to be your wireless
company. How’s it going so far?"
Everybody Likes
Compliments!
 Whether you specifically say thank you,
or you use another value statement,
Customers like to hear they are valued.

Reps should look for creative ways
to compliment the Customer. When we
say the same compliment to each
Customer, the sincere tone of voice
may be lost.
COMMUNICATING
BAD NEWS
Communicating Bad News
is a Skill
 Humans are emotional beings and we don’t
stop being human when we get to work. Like
it or not, feelings are going to come up,
sometimes in unexpected ways.
 The thinking part of our brain functions poorly
when we’re in the grip of emotion. The “fight
or flight” portion of our brain has control.
 So, when you’re delivering bad news to
customers (or anyone else) you need to be
sensitive to the emotions. Logic, alone, won’t
work. People aren’t thinking clearly; their
brains won’t let them!
When bad news hits…
A person goes through a process that is
similar to the grieving process. The
intensity will vary with the individual
and the situation, but a form of grieving
takes place whenever there is change.
 As a Rep communicating bad news to
customers, you can expect them to
experience these feelings and
behaviors as they try to process the
information and work through their
feelings.
Breaking the Bad News
 Communicating bad news is an essential skill
for Reps.
 Many of you find this skill particularly
challenging.
 You probably fear that the news that you
present will be distressing and adversely
affect your customers and your relationship
with them.
 Breaking bad news to customers in a direct
and compassionate way can actually improve
the situation by not stretching the interaction
by endless suggestions when no alternatives
Group Discussion
 Relate
an experience when you had to
communicate bad news to someone.
Share about:
 What worked well
 What didn’t work so well
 What would you do differently in the future?
 RULES IN
COMMUNICATING
BAD NEWS
Rule #1: Show you care
 Remember your good communication
skills!
 When you are communicating bad
news, “empathy” is a critical skill. As a
reminder, to empathize, you must use
your imagination to put yourself in
someone else's head and understand
how they feel and why they feel that
way.
 When empathizing, you feel, to some
Rule #2: Be Responsive
 Remember that your customers need
your understanding more than your
agreement!
 Customers don’t need you to agree with
them; they need you to understand
them.
 Customers may not always be right, but
they seldom raise a concern they know
to be wrong.
 Don’t blame customers for things they
Different Perspectives
 Engage in different perspectives:
Different people may see the same
event or issue differently.

What do you
see?
What do you see?
 PARIS BIRD
IN THE IN THE
THE SPRING THE HAND
Rule #3: Be Face
Sensitive
 Allow your customers to “save face”.
 When our face is “stepped on,” we
react by suppressing, withdrawing,
seething, lashing out, retaliating or
becoming resistant.
 Use active listening skills to determine
and empathy with your customer’s
“face concerns.”
Rule #4: Give Information
 Communicate the following to your
customers:
 What happened?
 What does the customer need to do?
 What is being done to correct the problem?

 Remember:
 Never speculate about the cause of the
issue; offer facts only
 Don’t mix facts with reassurances
Rule #5: Don’t Get
Defensive
 Responding to criticism: When a giant
wave rushes towards you, you can
either stand up and get knocked down,
or you can simply dive underneath.
Rule #6: Fairness Matters
 What makes a procedure fair?
 The consistency rule: Consistency across
people and time
 The bias suppression rule: Personal self
interest and blind allegiance to narrow
preconceptions should be prevented.
 The accuracy rule: The process is based
as much as possible on good information
and informed opinions.
 What makes a procedure fair?
 The correctability rule: Opportunities
exists to modify and reverse decisions.
 The representativeness rule: The
process must reflect the basic concerns,
values, and outlooks of important
subgroups.
 The ethicality rule: Allocations must be
compatible with fundamental moral and
ethical values.
 HOW TO
COMMUNICATE
BAD NEWS
Planning What to Say
 Before starting to communicate any
news, plan what will be discussed
 Set customer expectations.

 Ensure that all the needed information

is available (e.g. Einstein articles, job
aids, etc.)
 If this is an unfamiliar task, rehearse
what you will say
 Don’t delegate the task
Guidelines for Breaking
Bad News
 Deliver the information in a sensitive
but straightforward manner
 Say it, then stop

 Do not over-react to the customer’s

emotions
 Avoid delivering all of the information in
a single, steady monologue
 Use simple language that is easy to
understand
Guidelines for Breaking
Bad News
 Avoid technical jargon
 Check for understanding

 Do not minimize the severity of the

situation
 Do not make promises about the future
that may not hold true
 Well-intentioned efforts to “soften the
blow” may lead to vagueness and
confusion
Explain Why?
 Explain why the action is being taken
 What is the logic behind the action?

 Explain how the decision is fair to as

many people as possible
 The test of “success” is reactions such
as, “I don’t like it, but I can see why it’s
fair.”
Examples
 You
might choose to break bad
news by using language like:
 “Mr. Lopez, I feel badly to have to tell you
this…………”
 “I’m afraid I have news that you may not
want to hear………..”
When and How to Say
“I’m Sorry”
 Beaware that the phrase, “I’m
sorry” may be easily
misinterpreted
 To imply that the Agent is responsible for
the situation
 If you use the phrase, adjust it to show
empathy. For example, “I’m sorry to have
to tell you this.”
 Acknowledge the customers’
emotions
 “I imagine this is difficult news….”
 SETTING
CUSTOMER
EXPECTATION
Setting Expectations
 Customer satisfaction is a primary focus
of Alltel.
 Even though it is difficult to tell the
customer that his issue is not going to
be resolved, it is still possible to
maintain high customer satisfaction.
 Setting appropriate expectations is the
way to deliver bad news and still
achieve the Alltel goal of customer
satisfaction.
Setting Expectations
 When customers contact Alltel Support, they
expect that their Alltel issue is going to be
resolved to their satisfaction.
 When customers are told that we cannot
provide the exact resolution they are seeking,
their satisfaction is in jeopardy.
 Customer disappointment can be reduced by
setting appropriate expectations at the
beginning of the call and using appropriate
empathy. After summarizing the customer’s
issue, provide facts on what it may take to
bring the issue to a resolution.
Examples
 Scenario: “Customer wishes to suspend a line
because of a stolen phone”

 Try: “Set expectations by telling the customer

that he will continue to be charged for the MSC
for the line even when it is suspended.”

 Scenario: “Customer wants to change the MDN”

 Try: “Inform the customer that there is a $15 fee

for every MDN change.”
How to Set Expectations
 To set expectations, create an action
plan for approaching the customer’s
situation. Then present your action plan
to the customer for agreement.
 When creating your action plan,
consider all the elements of the
customer’s issue, including the rate
plan, features and equipment involved.
How to Set Expectations
 After all elements have been
considered, tell the customer what
elements you are able to support. Then
clearly explain to the customer which
products or hardware may be causing
this issue, identifying any elements that
are not supported.
 Even if the issue and resolution are
known, an action plan is the best way to
set a customer’s expectations for what
How to Set Expectations
 An action plan consists of the
following elements:
 What steps will be taken.
 How the steps will benefit the customer.
 The hardware and other programs involved.
 The time frame in which the customer will expect
results.
 That issues may occur that may best be handled
elsewhere.
 Which contingencies may be available such as
refund, return of product, rate plan change, or
hardware replacements.
SAYING NO
How to Say No Effectively
 Your2 major goals when saying “No”
effectively are:
1. Say no without sounding negative
2. Be assertive and empathetic
Tips!
 Thereare ways of delivering the “no”
message without sounding negative.
Here are some tips:
 Know your boundaries. You must know
the policies and boundaries that guide what
you can and cannot do. Understanding
these parameters will help you say no with
authority.
 Emphasize what you can do, not what
you cannot do.
Tips!
 Avoid the word “policy”. The policy will
always be an unspoken presence; however, the
word “policy” can make many people angry.
The customer may feel they are fighting
against a huge machine or bureaucracy instead
of dealing with people.
 Avoid false apologies. Empathize but do not
apologize for Alltel support policies. If you
apologize, the customer will want you to do
something about it.
 State the bottom line, when required. Some
people may just want to hear you say, “I cannot
When You Have to Say
“No”
 When you have to say no, don’t
needlessly extend the length of the call.
 There are certain situations when the
answer will always be “no”! In these
“no” situations, follow the following 3-
step process:
3-step Process of Saying
“No”
1. Empathize with the customer to show
that you understand his feelings.
2. Explain the situation so that the
customer understands why final
decisions are made and why his inputs
may have been overridden in final
decision.
3. End the call appropriately; don’t
needlessly extend it.
Summary
 Communicating bad news is a difficult skill
but one that you must master to become a
successful Rep. The key take-home points
on this module include:
 1. Set expectations with the customer so you’re
both “on the same page”.
 2. Don’t extend the call needlessly. If there are no
viable alternatives for the customer, be polite,
explain the situation and end the call.
 3. Always remember to use your best
communication skills (active listening, empathy,
etc.)