Your customer’s perception of you and your brand can be shaped in a single customer service interaction. So it pays to be careful with what you say and how you say it. One way to set the course of conversations in your favor is by using the right customer service phrases.
Customer service phrases serve as ready-reckoners that you can use in your day-to-day interactions with customers. Good customer service phrases pepper your conversations with the right amount of politeness and familiarity, and help in delivering a great customer service experience.
In this blog, we’ve listed twelve excellent customer service phrases that you can use to provide great, consistent support. We’ve also included a list of the customer service phrases that you need to be wary of using.
12 excellent customer service phrases to use
Part 1: Customer service greetings
“Nice to meet you!”
First impressions can go a long way in customer service interactions too.
When you’re speaking to a customer for the first time, offering a polite greeting like “nice to meet you” helps set a positive and conversational tone. Getting the tone right at the beginning of the conversation creates a good impression that can get carried throughout the conversation and subsequent ones.
You can also use “happy to connect with you” as an alternative.
“How can I help you today?”
The previous customer service greeting is perfect when you’re interacting with a customer for the first time. However, using the same greeting while interacting with customers you’ve spoken to might not be the best thing to say.
You need to treat repeat customers with a sense of familiarity. So, in this case, a greeting like “how can I help you today?” works better — it’s direct and shows that you’re eager to help.
“I hope you’re doing well.”
Small talk is not for all service reps and certainly not for all customers. However, taking the time to check on your customers is not wrong — especially the customers with whom you have built a strong rapport.
“I hope you’re doing well” is something that we often say to our near and dear when we want to check on them. So, using this phrase as a greeting shows that you care about your customers. The best part about this greeting is that it does not necessarily force the customer to dwell on how they are doing. It’s just a polite exchange that fits well given all that’s been happening in the world in the past year.
A word of caution: Use this phrase after sensing the customer’s tone. You might want to refrain from using this when the customer is angry and jump right into resolving the issue instead.
Part 2: Phrases for common support instances
“I hear what you’re saying.”
Empathy in customer support serves as a bridge that connects you with your customers, making it an important customer service skill.
Understanding where the customer is coming from helps you reason with their anger and frustration calmly.
Letting the customer know that you share their sentiments with a phrase like “I hear what you’re saying” helps them feel heard and understood. Another great customer service phrase that can help with this is “I understand why you’re feeling this way”.
“I’m sorry you’re facing this <issue>.”
In addition to being empathetic, you can also take things a step further by apologizing for the inconvenience caused.
By apologizing, you are doing your bit to ease the customer’s anger and show that you genuinely feel bad for the trouble caused. “I’m sorry you’re facing this <issue>” makes for an excellent customer service phrase, especially when the customer is visibly upset.
“Thank you for taking the time to explain that to me.”
Customers who take the time to calmly explain their issue and the steps they took to resolve it on their own most definitely need to be thanked.
When a customer explains their problem in great detail, they save you the time and effort spent to gather context. A simple, straightforward, and positive customer service phrase like “Thank you for taking the time to explain that to me” will do just the trick.
“I need a little more information to understand what’s going on.”
Asking your customers to give you more information about the issues they face is not an easy task. Customers expect you to know most of the information and are often impatient to receive a solution.
However, there is a quick, easy and friendly way to go about this. You can start with the phrase “I need a little more information to understand what’s going on”. Follow this up with all the details you need to collect in one shot.
This customer service phrase works perfectly because it succinctly explains why you’re looking for more information. It is also a welcome change from the overly formal and dull “could you please help me with <details>”.
“Although I’d love to help you with this, …”
As a customer service agent, you might come across instances where customers ask you to do something beyond your scope of help. These instances include asking for features that are not on the roadmap, heavy discounts, etc.
If you have trouble saying no, you might find yourself in a puddle of awkwardness when facing these situations. Fret not, “Although I’d love to help you with this, <reasons>” is an excellent customer service phrase that can come to your rescue. This phrase offers a polite and positive way to say no and shows that helping your customer is your priority.
“I will have an update for you by <time>.”
When you’re telling your customer that you’re going to get back to them about something, you need to choose your words carefully.
You can’t sound nonchalant when you’re saying that you don’t have the answer.
Nor can you spend too much time going to get more details about how you’re going to find the answer. The customer does not want to know if you’re going to speak to your product team or pass the ticket to the sales team. They just want to know when they can get an update.
Keeping all this in mind, “I will have an update for you by <time>.” works perfectly.
Part 3: Closing statements and questions
“Is there anything else I can help you with?”
Using the phrase “Is there anything else I can help you with?” towards the end of the conversation helps you stay a step ahead and capture those ‘oh wait’ and ‘one more thing’ from your customers.
This phrase makes you seem kind and genuinely helpful. Moreover, it’s best to make sure that your customers don’t leave with any questions hanging. You also get the reassurance that the customer is leaving feeling completely satisfied.
“Thank you so much for your feedback”
Customer feedback of any form is precious. Product and business success rides on the back of your customers’ likes and dislikes.
So recognize and appreciate customers when they share feedback on your product, pricing, and your service. “Thank you so much for your feedback” is an excellent customer service phrase because of its simplicity and straightforwardness.
“Happy to help.”
Another heartwarming phrase to end your conversation with your customers is “Happy to help”. This sentence reinforces your motto of wanting to help your customer. It proves that you value the customer and shows that you are true to your job.
5 customer service phrases to avoid
While customer service phrases help you converse more efficiently, not all of them are fit for use. A few common customer service phrases are outdated, seem forced, and might tick your customers off.
Here are five lines that could put you in dire straits, and how you could frame them instead..
“Thank you for reaching out” -> Let me know how I can help you today.
When a customer isn’t in the best mood, the phrase “thank you for reaching out” might only make them angrier.
Thanking your customers for contacting you won’t add any value to your conversation with the customer. Plus, this phrase has been overused to a point where it’s redundant to say it.
Instead, you can use the phrase “Let me know how I can help you today.” — it is to the point and helps the conversation progress forward.
“I don’t know” -> I don’t have the answer for this right now. “I will have an update for you by <time>.”
As a customer service representative, it’s realistically impossible for you to have all the right answers. But your customers reach out to you expecting to get solutions.
So when you don’t have answers saying “I don’t know” just won’t cut it — frustrated customers might just get more angry. When you don’t have the answer, you can use this phrase — “I don’t have the answer for this right now. However, I will have an update for you by <time>”.
“That’s not in our policy” -> Although I’d love to help you with this, <reasons>
When the customer’s request is not a part of your policy, it’s completely fine for you to refuse to help.
However, customers hate hearing that. Especially when you bluntly put it as “That’s not in our policy”. The phrase that we discussed earlier — “Although I’d love to help you with this…” — works best for this.
“Please refer to our help center” -> Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to <solution>.
Redirecting a customer to your knowledge base without any directions on navigating or looking for information can create a less than ideal experience.
Saying “Please refer to our help center” is akin to saying that you are just unwilling to help wholeheartedly.
Instead, sharing the direct link to the article you want the customer to read along with the phrase “Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to <solution>.” works better because you’re telling the customer what they can find in the article you shared with them.
Chatbot: “I’m not sure I get that” -> Let me connect you with an agent
Customers hate having to repeat information, especially when they are crystal clear with their requests.
When chatbots display something along the lines of “I’m not sure I get that”, it can throw a customer off. Instead, program your chatbot to say in “Let me connect you with an agent.” and hand over the request to an agent right away.
Conclusion
Words and positive language carry a lot of weight in customer service. Using the right words and phrases can help improve customer experience and increase customer satisfaction. It’s also essential for you to use the correct phrases after sensing the context of the customer conversation. Don’t forget to be authentic and display your personality while interacting with your customers — this is what makes you sound more human and strengthens customer relationships.
Is there a particular customer service phrase that you use often? Let us know in the comments.
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