RAPPORT

WHAT IS IT AND WHY IS IMPORTANT

  Rapport is all about creating a bond with our customers over
the phone.
WHAT IS  Is all about to empathise with your customer, having a genuine
RAPPORT? interest in their situation and make them feel valued.
 Next we are going to see some tips to get rapport in every
call…
  It is easy to get the details we need after we have their name.
This makes the customer feel like an individual and we can feel
as if we are speaking with a person, not a caller.
1.  Also, it is equally important to get the customer’s name right, if
the customer has an unusual name, write it down phonetically
when the customer is saying it, instead of reading it off the
system.
Getting the  We address our customers in the way that they introduce
name first themselves. The screen may show them as Christopher Jones,
but if the customer calls himself Chris, we will address him in
the same way.
  It creates a warmth in your voice which a customer or
2. prospective customer can hear. It makes it far less likely that
the customer will be rude to you.
 Think how hard it is to refuse to take a call when someone
rings up sounding sunny and warm, and if our mood improves,
Speak with a they will be more likely to be invested in the rapport-building

Smile process.
 3.

See it from the

Customer’s
Perspective
For those who deal with complaints all the time
– a simple, genuine apology at the appropriate
time can defuse a difficult customer and break
down the barriers to allow space to build
rapport.
 Showing empathy is often a crucial part of building rapport,
as it helps to create trust and mutual understanding, while it
enables us to show the customer that they are our the priority.
 This is not as easy as it sounds, imagine yourself in the
customer’s shoes, and if you are really struggling to display
empathy, imagine the customer as a close friend or family
member.
  Every customer, particularly in an emergency situation, will
have a list of priorities, making them also your priorities and
4. addressing them in the right order (mirroring them) will
reassure them that you know what they want and are taking
care of them.

Share their  We need to be really focused on what the customer is saying to

us and what clues and signals there might be about how we can
Priorities say similar things to demonstrate commonality.

Commonality:
Is the fact of sharing interests, 
Experiences.
 Pure silence on the agent’s part can cause the customer to feel helpless,
so agents should use such noises to assure the client of their focus and
understanding. (MMhhmmm…)

5.  Angry customers are the most difficult callers to build rapport

with, but it’s not impossible, as long as we lets them “get it all
out” first.

Allow Them to  So, it is perhaps best to wait, and when the angry customer
finally takes a breath, an empathy statement could be used to
‘Get It All Out’ highlight that the situation has been recognised and understood.
Like…
“Thank you very much for alerting us about this…”
“We will help you get this issue resolved”
“You’re absolutely correct, Sir/Madam”

DO NOT INRRUPT!, this will  Use this time to figure out what you can do to fix their
make the customer more irritated issue.
 6.  Is encouraged to do reflective
listening, where we repeat sentences or
important details back to the customer,
saying “Okay, just to recap…”.
 This reassures them that you are
Repeat Back paying attention.
 Is also important to mirror the tone, if
the customer is really bubbly and
enthusiastic, we should play to that to
achieve rapptor in the call.
 7.

Make Their  When a customer voices their issue, it is important

acknowledge it and signal that their concern has been
problem Your understood, so the customer feels that the problem has been

Problem “lifted from them”.

 We can use expression like: “I realize that this situation is
difficult, but let’s try and find a solution”. This statement
begins with personal recognition using “I”, while also finishes
with “we” to create a notion of teamwork, which can boost
rapport.
  If we can tell which is the dominant driver behind the call and
alter their style accordingly, we will increase the emotional
connection with the customer and consequently build rapport.
8.
 These drivers are: movement away from pain or discomfort and
movement towards pleasure.
Understand the  If the customer is:
Customer’s
Emotional Worried,
Empathy
Drivers Negative,
Agitated
Statements

Upbeat, Stay
Releif, Enthusisastic
Peace of
Mind
  List of positive alternatives can be beneficial: This aids the
rapport-building process, turning negative language, into
9. positivity that can instead trigger optimism.

DON’T DO

Use Positive
Scripting
 10.  Involve the customer step by step in what you are doing. This
will avoid/minimize dead air in the call:

Minimise Dead Air “I’m cheking the information on the system…”

Time and Use  Also, asking questions like:
“Stock Book “How is been you experience with us?”
Phrases”  Avoid to put the customer on hold, This can damage rapport as
wait times always seem longer when you are lingering in dead
space.
  Use Feel, Felt, Found, this helps to show empathy and reassure
the customer.

BONUS!
 THANK YOU!

DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?