5 Ways to Get Your AHT Down (Call Control)

when you can't tell your customer what
they want to hear how do you get them
off of your phone
that's coming up in this video
one of the biggest challenges customer
service professionals face is
controlling conversations getting a
customer off of the phone and this is
particularly a challenge when you have
to say no deny a request or give bad
news
well I have help for you there are five
psychological principles that you can
use to get your customers to stop
talking and listen to you principles
that will help you guide your customers
to the next steps principles that will
even help your customers help you
step number one is link the
communication chain psychologists talk
about what they call the communication
chain the communication chain says that
when we are communicating verbally that
can be in writing as in a text or in
chat we are attempting to link whatever
message we send we're attempting to link
that to the other person or persons and
if when we attempt to link we don't get
a response then the communication chain
breaks when the communication chain
breaks because we ignore the customers
Outburst or we tiptoe around the anger
if we don't validate when that chain
breaks people go into the emotional
right side of the brain the right side
of the brain is where we experience
every emotion and whether that's grief
anger shock joy we go to the right side
of the brain and we communicate from
that emotional right side that means
you're going to get more venting more
questions the customer is going to need
more validation and all that does is
make your talk time longer so we are
going to link the communication chain
with a verbal response if it's a chat or
an email you're going to give a response
if you tiptoe around the anger if you
flat out ignore it or you try to make
the customer feel less than for having
that emotion they're going to be harder
to deal with so I'm going to give you my
favorite phrases for how to link the
communication chain
I don't want you to think of linking the
communication chain as something that is
difficult to do something that involves
a lot of steps it does not there are
only three things that you need to do
and I know that sounds like a lot three
things but three things and they will be
super easy for you number one when you
link the communication chain what I want
you to do is validate your customer I
want you to validate their feelings
another way to look at this is empathy I
want you to empathize number two I want
you to come from a place of being
transparent and genuine what you say
needs to be true and finally I want you
to only link the chain link the chain
with only one sentence I should say so
here are three of my favorite ways to
link the communication chain and you're
going to be able to use these
ways as they are or even better you'll
build your own phrases as you get to
know get more familiar with link the
communication chain my first phrase is I
realize this is frustrating for you or I
realize this has been frustrating for
you if you have been here with me on
YouTube for for any length of time or if
we've had the opportunity to meet
personally for a workshop you've heard
me talk about the word frustrate I love
using the word frustrate frustrated
frustrating when it comes to validating
a customer now why do I love it the word
frustrate it doesn't assume too much I'm
not assuming that the customer is pissed
off or angry or upset they may be but
I'm not going to assume that and I'm
certainly not going to speak that and it
doesn't minimize what the customer is
saying we don't want to minimize we
don't want to be dismissive we want to
be right in the middle and frustrate is
a way to validate and empathize in the
middle without doing just a whole lot so
I want you to try this phrase I realize
this has been frustrating for you here's
my second phrase I can see your point on
that I like this because I do not have
to agree with a person to say I can see
your point I'm simply saying I see your
perspective I hear you I feel you this
is validation and you don't want to miss
it my final phrase is we want to get to
the bottom of this as much as you do and
you can say that with truth we want to
get to the bottom of this I want to
resolve this I don't want you to have to
call back or hop on another chat I want
it to be resolved when you link the
communication chain with one sentence
that is authentic one sentence that
validates you're going to keep your
customer out of that emotional talkative
sometimes irrational right brain and
you're going to have a great sense of
control over the conversation
step number two is Double Dutch your way
in when I was a kid I loved jump rope
and one of my favorite ways to jump rope
was the double dutch method for double
dutch you needed at least three children
there would be one child swinging the
rope from one end holding a swinging the
rope and another child on the other end
they're swinging the rope and your job
or your objective I should say is to
jump into the rope without tripping and
you had three options when you were
going to jump in to The Swinging rope
number one you could just stay there
stand there staring at that swinging
rope waiting for the perfect opportunity
you're waiting waiting for your moment
you don't want to jump in too quickly
for fear of tripping you want to be
perfect in that moment the problem with
waiting for the perfect mom moment is
there are people behind you who also
want a chance at Double Dutch and so you
annoy people the second option is you
just jump in you know I don't even think
about it I'm not going to be that one to
waste time I just abruptly jump in and
hope that I don't trip well if you do
that you might be successful or you
might trip because you didn't take the
time to get in seek and become one with
the Rope
the third opportunity for a double dutch
is you watch that swinging rope for a
few seconds maybe four five or six
seconds you're watching it and when the
moment feels right not perfect but when
it feels right then you jump in and you
begin to jump seamlessly in in time in
beat with the row controlling calls
using the double dutch method is not
unlike jump rope what I don't want you
to do is just watch that swinging rope
that is I don't want you to just let
your customer vent and storytell and
whine and blame I don't want you to keep
doing that waiting for the perfect
opportunity to jump in absolutely not
but then I don't want you to be abrupt
ma'am I need you to listen to me I don't
want you to take that response either I
want you to take the third option I want
you to listen to your customer I want
you to be fully present I want you to be
in sync with the flow of your customer
and then I want you to jump in not at
the perfect moment but when it feels
right you jump in and you take over with
a statement like Ms Jones I think I
understand what's going on here the
first thing we need to do is that's the
double dutch method don't wait for the
perfect moment and then don't be abrupt
if you're abrupt you might sound harsh
or rude or uncaring and we don't want
any of that double dutch your way in
step number three is signpost I want you
to sign post to your customers to show
them what is ahead this is not unlike
traveling on a highway in an unfamiliar
City you are on high alert for your exit
maybe you know the name of the exit you
know that it's 137a you are driving and
you are watching for that sign maybe you
see it it is a half a mile up you are
likely going to begin to merge your way
over to the right hand lane if you're
not already there and you'll be ready
you are braced for your exit that is
exactly what signposting is for your
customers you're going to let them know
what is ahead in the interaction so that
they can get ready and get over and give
you what you need maybe they need to
give you details such as a credit card
number or a claim number maybe they need
to have another party on the phone and
you are going to signposts so they can
get ready while you're doing something
else for the them in the computer I want
you to think of signposting as helping
your customer help you
here are some ways you can signpost in a
moment I'll need your credit card number
the signpost here is I'm going to need
you to get your credit card out and
accessible
I need to place you on a brief hole
while I blank when I return I'll need
blank so you may want to gather this
the first thing we'll do is blank next
I'll need you to have both I'll need to
have both you and your spouse on the
line to answer some questions in each of
these cases you're letting the customer
know what is ahead so that they can help
you they can help you help them now I
have a video on this channel dedicated
to how to sign post if you're interested
I'll put a link down below for you to
grab that video
step number four is recap it is in the
final moments of a call when you are
most at risk for losing control over the
interaction it's at the end of the call
or the chat when your customer has the
most questions they get a bit anxious
they don't want to let you go they don't
want to disconnect until they have all
of their answers it is a mistake to go
right into thank you Mr Jones for
calling customer care have a great day
without answering all the questions that
typically come up at the end of the call
I always tell my clients to think of
what are the questions that tend to come
up when I'm ready to end the interaction
maybe that is the customer asking well
how long will it take for whatever the
next steps how will you reach out to me
that phone call is an email what do I
need to do a lot of times my clients are
able to come up with three up to seven
I've had up to seven different questions
that customers ask at the end of at the
end of the call so I tell them as part
of your part of your recap if I can talk
today as part of your recap I want you
to just answer those questions so MS
Golden what happens next is we send this
over to our review team they are going
to review your file and within 14 to 28
business days they will reach out to you
at the email address we have on file
that email address is blank if you can
give a recap like that you answer all
your customers questions before they
have a chance to ask them and believe me
you are going to answer the questions
far faster than they would ask you and
then you have to wait for them to pause
and then answer the questions so listen
to your calls analyze your own calls per
issue category and determine what are
the questions that come up and then
answer those questions proactively
our final step is I want you to want
your customer to the door literally or
perhaps it's metaphorically you know how
when you have a guest in your home and
it's time for them to leave you've had
an enjoyable visit or they've worn out
their welcome either way you know in
your house how to get that customer to
the door perhaps you stand up and you go
grab their coat or direct them to their
handbag and you with the person walk
them to the door that is a metaphor for
what I want you to do with your customer
I want you to walk them to the door with
strategic phrases
I have everything I need on my end
the only thing left is for me to wish
you a fantastic afternoon
I don't want to take up any more of your
time so
I'm glad I was able to help you today
enjoy your afternoon
the final thing we need to do is give
you your claim number
one last thing I need to tell you
when you choose to adopt and apply the
five techniques for getting your aht
down good things begin to happen
when you link the communication chain on
a consistent basis you are going to
develop a practice of making your
customers feel heard making them feel
understood and this puts a cap on all of
that unnecessary venting
double dutching your way in is going to
protect you from interrupting your
customers or over talking your customers
sounding abrupt as you attempt to
control the phone call and it's going to
protect you from delaying jumping in and
offering your support because you know
now not to wait for the perfect moment
and you know not to just jump in but
you're going to jump in when it feels
right when you feel in sync and that is
going to shave seconds off of your talk
time signposting is going to help you or
help your customers I should say help
you don't leave that technique on the
table the comprehensive recap is going
to shave seconds if not a minute or more
off of the end of the call because
you're answering your customers
questions the questions you anticipate
before they have an opportunity to ask
you and then finally walking your
customer to the door metaphorically is
as powerful as walking a guest to the
door in your home you are leading them
to the next steps so that you can go on
to whatever is next in your afternoon or
evening personally and then over the
phone whatever is next that next phone
call or after call work so there you
have it apply these techniques and you
will get beautiful beautiful benefits
which are shaving seconds off of your
talk time
thanks for sitting with me today to
listen to my ideas for how to get your
aht down I wish you all of the success
you are prepared to work for
[Music]
thank you
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