Taking control with a customer service ‘pause’ – a powerful tool to aid positive customer interactions
Taking control with a customer service ‘pause’ – a powerful tool to aid positive customer interactions
Customer service teams who are equipped, through training, with the skills to remain calm and in control of their emotions, responses and behaviours will rise to challenging situations and achieve excellent outcomes, whatever comes their way. Having the ability to step back, self-manage and rise above uncertainty is a powerful skill that can be learned and embedded as an integral part of a positive, customer service training programme.
When every member of your team can demonstrate they are taking time out to really listen and assess with a clear and solution-focused mindset so that they can address any situation, however challenging, successful outcomes will follow. Positive, calm and clear thinking will influence others and is especially valuable when we consider that negative communications tend to have a disproportionate influence over the feelings and behaviours of those around us.
Everyday challenges – managing our shifting emotions
Every day brings its highs and sometimes lows and inevitably, its share of issues and situations that have the potential to shift our emotional state from positive to negative and back. Having the emotional resilience and optimism to take stock, control and self-manage these highs and lows will stop us from spiralling into emotional overwhelm where it’s difficult to make sensible decisions to help the customer, colleague and ourselves to see and navigate a clear way forward.
Taking a conscious, strategic ‘pause’ to guide our actions and behaviours
Here at MGI, we teach the importance of taking a conscious, strategic ‘pause’ which provides us with space and the opportunity to use our thoughts to guide our actions and behaviours, enabling us to influence and encourage everyone into a positive place where we can all collaborate effectively to find the best way forward. It’s an extremely powerful tool – especially valuable in times of uncertainty – and helps us to manage our emotions and harness our positivity.
Having the ability in that moment to move yourself back into a positive mindset means you are more able to come up with solutions, problem solve, listen and collaborate.
A key moment of choice
When faced with challenging situations, there is a key moment of choice and opportunity in between something happening – a conversation or correspondence with a customer or colleague, for example – and our reaction or response. We may find ourselves dealing with rising emotions, and it’s at this point that stepping back and asking ourselves a few questions is the wisest course of action. Recognising our own and others’ triggers and the things that are most likely to send emotions spiralling into a negative place is important. It enables us to hit the pause button so that we can take control and think clearly about the solutions, options and alternatives and find a way forward, together.
An opportunity to question
When we press ‘pause’, we give ourselves the opportunity to think; to check in and ask some important questions of ourselves to ensure we are in the right mindset to enable us to respond positively and with confidence. For example:
“Am I really listening to this person and am I truly understanding exactly what they are trying to tell me, and not jumping to conclusions?”
“Do I understand what they are asking of me; what they need for a successful resolution, and do I need more information?”
“How best can I help this person and support them to find the right way forward, how can we work together?”
It’s effective whether at work or at home
Proactive questions such as these and taking the necessary ‘pause’ to consider them fully, is equally effective whether we are at work or at home. Taking a pause, really listening and considering the full facts of the matter carefully will empower us to provide what the other person is looking for or an acceptable alternative and keep all interactions on a positive footing. It’s just one of many powerful, strategic tools in MGI’s uniquely flexible Mindset, Language & Actions Toolkit which combine to empower us to find the right solutions for each individual situation, whether it be with customers, colleagues or loved ones.
Pause to acknowledge and build on our successes, too
While a proactive ‘pause’ is especially helpful in challenging situations, it’s also important to take that pause when things are going well as it enables us to acknowledge and celebrate our successes and use them as strong foundations for the future. This bolsters our wellbeing by building resilience and stamina and strengthening our resolve to strive for excellent outcomes in our customer service every day, whatever comes our way.
How can we help?
Find out how our customer service training and Mindset, Language & Actions Toolkit can empower your teams with the skills to respond positively to everything that comes their way at work. Book a consultation here.
Our Resources
Discover our free downloadable tools, checklists, guides and eBooks, designed to help you and your people thrive at work.
Checklist and guide: Phrases to listen out for and eliminate from customer service responses
Our simple Checklist and guide will help you to determine whether your teams need more help in understanding how to respond positively, constructively or empathetically.
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Information Guide: How to ensure long-lasting impact from training
We know that strategic, all-encompassing embedding support is essential for achieving long-term behavioural change and success from any significant training investment. Use our information guide to ensure you are considering all aspects of the training experience to gain maximum benefit from your investment in training, whether it be a focus on your culture, a transformational […]
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Assessment tool: Do your people have an Optimal Mindset?
Use our checklist assessment tool to find out whether your teams are displaying a positive, motivated and optimal mindset in their day to day activities and whether they are equipped to deliver great service, collaborate with others in the team and contribute to excellent outcomes every time. This will help you to gain invaluable insight […]
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Checklist: Do your people demonstrate Ownership & Responsibility?
Use our Assessment tool to find out whether your team members clearly demonstrate ownership and responsibility in their interactions with customers and colleagues. Is this consistently demonstrated? Do they need a reminder? Or is it something that needs to be developed? Having a clear understanding will allow you to gain invaluable insight and plan to […]
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Assessment tool: 12 Questions to ask your customer service team
How are your team thinking about your customers? Use our 12-question assessment tool to keep your finger on the pulse of what your people are thinking and feeling about their interactions with customers and whether they truly feel equipped to give great service. Build this assessment into your team meetings, or 121’s and gain important […]
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Guide to assess your listening skills
If you pause to reflect for a moment, consider how well do you truly listen? When we assess listening skills on our programmes, senior executives to the frontline participants tell us they realise they could do better. They become aware that they could substantially enhance and build on their listening skills so that we have […]
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Assessment Guide: Management Training Needs
Do your managers have what it takes to be exceptional leaders who influence and inspire? Use our Management Training Assessment Guide to gauge your managers’ self-awareness, self-management and communication skills; their proficiency in advanced listening and questioning techniques; and their overall potential to be exceptional leaders who value diversity within their teams and can flex […]
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eBook – How to Excel at Customer Complaints
How are your customer service teams handling the feedback and complaints that come their way at work? Do they welcome them as opportunities to showcase their skills as confident and capable customer service advisors, always happy to rise to challenges with a positive and solution-focused mindset, determined to do their best every time? Or is […]
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