Any tips on how to relax and gain more confidence in a customer service job?

[Riesstiu IV]

Recently I’ve taken a summer job as a “reservation agent” for a hotel chain. I’m generally a subdued person who tries to avoid unnecessary social situations, so as you might understand, this job makes me uncomfortable. Ever since middleschool, any friend or girlfriend I've had has always approached me first instead of vice versa, and I'm hoping this job will force me to change. I mean spending 40 hours a week talking to strangers must force you to change, right?

Today was my first day answering phones and booking reservations and I feel like a wreck. Before and after every break, my body feels shaky and nervous. There are butterflies in my stomach and I haven’t eaten all day. I’m able to do my job with no problems but in the back of my mind, I feel like I’ll fudge up badly along the line.

My biggest fear is getting a call from an angry customer and not knowing what to do or breaking under pressure. It's somewhat unsettling to know each new call brings a complete stranger you don't know.

Does anybody have advice for relaxing and speaking with more confidence in such situations?

 

[BCLG100]

well first day nerves probably account for a lot, just take a deep breat and just realise 'whats the worst that can happen? i get fired? so what i'll just get another job'

 

[Sahkuhnder]

Debates in the OT should have provided you with at least a small bit of training for how to deal with other, often upset and hostile people.

Really, you already seem to have the key. You recognize the potential problem and that is the first step to keeping it under control. If you are always aware that at any time you may get a rude and angry customer, then that will help you to be in the right mindset when it does eventually happen.

Just be cool, remember it's only a job, and no matter what they may say, be polite right back at them.

 

[The Omega]

Well, if an angry customer calls, and asks something you don't know, you just grab your buddy Smith, and tlel the customer, "Hey, Smith here knows what to do!" and let poor Smith there deal with it.

 

[BCLG100]

you can be overly polite but still get some real good insults in

 

[Abaddon]

I currently have 3 jobs that throw me in the way of negative opinion.

-cold calls for insulation company
-charity fund raising
-"science explainer" at childrens science centre

Generally i just try have remeber what i am getting paid, and what im going to do with my money,

Also, the nerves get less every passing day

 

[Raisin Bran]

Recently I’ve taken a summer job as a “reservation agent” for a hotel chain. I’m generally a subdued person who tries to avoid unnecessary social situations, so as you might understand, this job makes me uncomfortable. But I'm hoping it will force me to be more forward in social situations.

Today was my first day answering phones and booking reservations and I feel like a wreck. Before and after every break, my body feels shaky and nervous. There are butterflies in my stomach and I haven’t eaten all day. I’m able to do my job with no problems but in the back of my mind, I feel like I’ll fudge up badly along the line.

My biggest fear is getting a call from an angry customer and not knowing what to do or breaking under pressure.

Does anybody have advice for relaxing and speaking with more confidence in such situations?

I can help ... I think !

I work as a salesman ... I have to speak with people all the time. Im also the manager of the store i work in, so I get the customer complaints all the time.

1 - Practice makes perfect, Get a couple of days behind you and already you should be more comfortable.

2 - Use humour, It works miracles in breaking the shyness (that is if you are good with humour)

3 - Put a smile on your face .... it releases andorphine thus making you more relaxed. Clients like a smile.

for the angry customers :

1 - Know your limits, You have to know where you can go and where you can't. Your boss should be able to tell you what to answer when an angry customer calls.

2 - Be calm, The most important thing is keeping your cool, clients will sense nervousness a mile away and will use that to their advantage. If a client really gets on your nerves put him on hold for a few seconds.

3 - Use your boss, If a clients is really frustrated and you can't fin anything to calm him down, shove him to your boss. Also listen when your boss talks to a client, you can learn a lot from ''shadowing'' your boss.

4 - Remember past experiences, use past experiences to answer future clients.

Those are some tips that could help you !

EDIT : ALWAYS BE POLITE !!!!!! (most important of all !)

 

[Riesstiu IV]

Debates in the OT should have provided you with at least a small bit of training for how to deal with other, often upset and hostile people.

I rarely debate on OT but usually try and bring a little goffiness or humor to heated discussion. but even so, I don't think it really is the same. If OT debates were in real time, I'd be terrible. Stuttering... probably even apologetic. Forums allow you to think about you responses.

Prior my current reservation job, I answered customer emails. That was easy. There was no pressure because I could think and formulate my ideas.

I probably wouldn’t even be answering phones if it wasn’t for a cute girl in my training class forcing me to open up more and not be so much of a shut in.

Really, you already seem to have the key. You recognize the potential problem and that is the first step to keeping it under control. If you are always aware that at any time you may get a rude and angry customer, then that will help you to be in the right mindset when it does eventually happen.

Just be cool, remember it's only a job, and no matter what they may say, be polite right back at them.

Thanks for the encouragement.

 

[Birdjaguar]

Learn to listen and wait. Especially with angry customers. Keep a list of questions to ask for different situations. The most important goal for CSRs is to figure out what the customer wants. Use the questions to collect important information that you or a supervisor will use to provide the best solution. Most customers will respond to "How can I help you?" You don't want to necessarily solve the problem too soon. It may be the wrong problem or the wrong solution.

 

[Riesstiu IV]

Thanks for the advice so far. Does anybody know any good techniques for relaxation and better concentration? Maybe breathing or mind exercises.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

My brother told me this based on his experience as a shoe salesman, and I found that it served me well:

When a customer gets rude, get polite. The ruder they get, the more polite and cheerful and friendly you should be. This is because there are two reasons why customers are rude. The first is that they are usually polite people who are having a bad day and taking it out on you. By being polite you can make them feel better and be more polite. The second is that they are jerks. Generally, the more polite you are the madder they'll get. Serves them right. Plus being polite and friendly will always (well, usually) make you feel better.

 

[The Yankee]

Recently I’ve taken a summer job as a “reservation agent” for a hotel chain. I’m generally a subdued person who tries to avoid unnecessary social situations, so as you might understand, this job makes me uncomfortable. Ever since middleschool, any friend or girlfriend I've had has always approached me first instead of vice versa, and I'm hoping this job will force me to change. I mean spending 40 hours a week talking to strangers must force you to change, right?

Today was my first day answering phones and booking reservations and I feel like a wreck. Before and after every break, my body feels shaky and nervous. There are butterflies in my stomach and I haven’t eaten all day. I’m able to do my job with no problems but in the back of my mind, I feel like I’ll fudge up badly along the line.

My biggest fear is getting a call from an angry customer and not knowing what to do or breaking under pressure. It's somewhat unsettling to know each new call brings a complete stranger you don't know.

Does anybody have advice for relaxing and speaking with more confidence in such situations?

Remember that they're calling you because they want to talk to you. I'd understand more fear or uneasiness if you were calling them, for instance, if you had an old job of mine conducting surveys via telephone.

When you get an angry customer, just act calm and respond with your facts. Also be gracious. Find out what the problem is and do what you can to fix it. That usually calms them down very quickly.

Still proud of completing an interview where an angry guy was calling me all sorts of things. And since it required quality control...I was being monitored by my supervisors through the tapped phone.

Maybe you should remember there's always a supervisor on the line listening in on you.

 

[CaptainF]

1. Inflate your ego. Exercise gives you confidence, so train hard.
2. Be sure to speak eloquently. Don't stutter.
3. In your case, be glad that you aren't speaking to them face to face.

 

[Godwynn]

I've noticed that when I work at Kroger when I'm nice mean people try to take advantage. But when I walk in not going to take crap from anyone people can sense it for some reason and do not complain or ask me questions.

 

[IglooDame]

Though thankfully not in a public-facing job, I've had to attend mandatory training in that area, and remember one thing vividly: people can hear you smile on the phone. And it is true, I've tested it.

Write things down in advance, checklists to go by, problem resolution steps, etc, and work off them while on the phone.

Be nice to people, and 90% of them will be nice back. Mean it when you say thank you, you're welcome, have a nice day, etc. These people in effect pay your wages.

The other 10% - if they're not nice back, so what? They might be having a bad day in which case your being nice might be just the thing to turn theirs around, or they might just be terminal sandpounders, in which case you can just help them out and wave them goodbye.

 

[Turner]

Always identify yourself as the guy sitting next to you. That way, when they call back to complain, it's not on you.

Envision reaching through the phone lines and imagine yourself beating them over the head with a very large and heavy blunt object. The heavier and blunter, the better.

There is no person too obnoxious that the phrase "Hey, go take a long walk off of a short pier" won't get them to calm down and see things your way.

Don't be afriad to use a foriegn accent. People are much more...what's the word? Oh, yeah, tolerant of foriegners helping them out.

Above all, Relax! It'll get easier. I had a job at Dillions once that I hated. By the end of my first break I was ready to just chuck it all and leave it. Then I figured out I could have some fun with it, and it actually got to be a decent job. Don't get me wrong, I'd never do it again, but I was able to make the best of it, and it worked out pretty good.

Obviously, you're gonna want to ignore all but my last point. Well, the second one might work.

 

[BCLG100]

just think that whatever your doing it could be worse, you could be the customer ringing up to complain because something's gone wrong

 

[bathsheba666]

I used to have the same problem, but ended up making board level presentations.

If I knew I had to make a presentation, it would ruin the 4-5 weeks in the lead-up to the event itself.

No-one gave me any advice, so what happened?

One day I simply woke up and realised that this gut-wrenching event had now actually happened a number of times. I was still alive.(!?)
From that point on the nerves subsided. Now I don't care, unless I'm having a problem with the content....

So each day, just look back on it as a positive achievement, and realise nothing bad happened, and you won!

If people yell at you, stay calm, don't let them get to you.
Their temper is not your problem.
If you stay calm, you win.
If you get angry, it doesn't do you or them any good.


Relaxation Breathing:
Breath in through the nose and slightly over-inflate the chest.
Breath out through the mouth, and contract the chest to squeeze the air out.
(Don't breathe out through the nose)

 

[Riesstiu IV]

Thanks for the advice guys. It's been two weeks and I can safely say that I no longer get nervous when answering calls. I've taken around 1,200 calls and maybe 3 or 4 where from irate callers. I'm at the point when customers don't know what they want or where they want to stay, I get mildly annoyed.

I have to give out a compliment for Canadians being the nicest customers to deal with, and keeping their cool when I'm forced to quote overpriced hotel rooms.

 

[Kan' Sharuminar]

Excellent work Riesstiu IV.

Last Christmas I had job as a sales assistant...over CHRISTMAS. I'm a very shy and hate social contact sort of person, so I can understand where you're coming from. And to be fair, it's only answering a phone

In the end practice did make perfect, I learned to have fun and get on very well with the other staff members and remember that if I failed, it would teach me for next time.

Or it was the customers fault. Customer's always right my arse.