A stellar customer service team can be a top revenue generator for your business. Companies that invest in providing exceptional customer service generate a whopping 80 percent more revenue than those that don’t. So how can you build a customer service team that excels at handling diverse customer issues on the spot?
This is where customer service scenario training comes in. Customer service scenarios are complex, varying situations your reps are likely to experience as a support agent. Preparing flexible, customizable scripts for common support scenarios gives your team a blueprint to follow during daily interactions and provides guidance for resolving each issue.
Let’s dive into some frequently experienced support scenarios and explore adaptable scripts that your team can use as solution guides.
Jump right to scripts for:
- Customer demands a refund
- Customer experiences long wait time
- Customer demands a phone call
- Customer is angry or upset
- Customer uses abusive language
- Customer won’t accept no as an answer
- Customer doesn’t understand product
- Customer experiences a billing issue
- Customer claims they were given incorrect information
- Customer experiences a late delivery
<h2 id="Demands">Customer demands a refund</h2>
No matter how great your product or service is, you can expect that, eventually, a customer will ask for a refund. If it’s within your power and company policy to issue a quick refund and send the customer on their way, that’s great.
But customers often demand refunds outside your required return window or on ineligible items.
Let’s say a customer signs up for a digital marketing service and doesn’t see the expected results. If your service team determines the situation doesn’t qualify for a refund, it can create a delicate situation for you to manage.
What to do:
Sympathize with the customer and apologize. Be polite and understanding, yet firm.
Explain that while this issue doesn’t qualify for a refund, you’d be happy to offer partial credit and schedule a demo call with a product specialist to help them get the most out of your product.
Template response:
“I understand how important it is to see results from your investment, and I’m sorry to hear that you haven’t yet reached your goals. While our policy doesn’t cover refunds for performance-based issues, we definitely want to make sure you’re getting the most out of our service.
I’d love to have one of our marketing specialists look at your campaign setup and identify possible areas for improvement.
Are you open to a strategy session?”
<h2 id="Wait">Customer experiences long wait time</h2>
Most people have experienced a long wait time in one customer service experience or another and understand how frustrating it can be.
Long wait times impact customer satisfaction, loyalty, and the overall reputation of your business. That’s why skillfully handling long wait time complaints is a crucial customer service scenario to master.
What to do:
A sincere response is crucial. Acknowledge the customer’s inconvenience and demonstrate that your brand values customer time. You’ll want to avoid phrases that seem artificial or overused and explain the long hold times.
Let customers know this isn’t a usual occurrence and your team is working to correct the problem. Finally, do your best to address the customer’s issue as promptly and efficiently as possible to further de-escalate the situation.
Template response:
“I’m so sorry for the inconvenient wait. I know your time is valuable and sincerely appreciate your patience today.
We’re experiencing a much higher call volume than normal, but we’re working to get the wait down as quickly as possible! How can I help you today?”
<h2 id="Phone">Customer demands a phone call</h2>
Occasionally, a customer may want to interact with your business in a way that isn’t possible or is against company policy.
Let’s say you’re chatting with a customer via live web chat, and they are unhappy about their current bill. The customer demands a phone call from your customer service team, but your operating policies don’t allow representatives to call customers. Here’s how to handle it effectively.
What to do:
While you won’t be able to comply with the customer’s request, the key is to acknowledge their preference and frustration, provide alternative solutions, and reinforce the value of your available communication channels.
Re-focus the conversation on your alternative solution and resolve the issue at hand.
Template response:
“I understand that you’d prefer to speak over the phone, but we’re currently focused on providing support through this channel or via email only. I’d be more than happy to go ahead and quickly troubleshoot your billing issue via chat!
I can review your bill right now and see what adjustments or explanations I can provide. Does that work for you?”
<h2 id="Angry">Customer is angry or upset</h2>
Angry and upset customers are an inevitable part of customer service. Oftentimes, customers have complex reasons behind their frustration, and the billing, product, or service issue they’re venting to you about is likely exacerbated by many external and internal factors.
While it can feel like a lost cause to try and please an angry customer, it’s an opportunity to turn a negative experience into a lasting positive impression.
What to do:
The first step toward de-escalating an angry customer is to shift the interaction from confrontation to collaboration. Sometimes, acknowledging the customer’s frustration and adjusting your approach can be all it takes to change the trajectory of the overall experience.
Rather than remaining neutral or dismissive, respond empathetically and validate their experience, even if you don’t personally agree.
When dealing with angry customers, consider using the Triple-A Approach:
- Alter: When you first notice a customer is angry or upset, soften your tone to acknowledge their emotional state and work to diffuse tension.
- Avoid: Rather than intensifying a customer’s frustration by reinforcing policy or taking comments personally, remain empathetic and solution-oriented.
- Accept: Certain situations are out of your control. Acknowledging that you may not be able to completely change the customer’s attitude can help you respond honestly and with understanding.
Once you’ve resolved the customer’s issue, it can be beneficial to send them a follow-up message reiterating your empathy and encouraging them to contact you again should they have further issues.
Template response:
“I’m truly sorry for how frustrating this experience has been for you, Kelly, and I appreciate you bringing this to my attention. I would feel the same way in your situation. I’m going to expedite this issue and make sure we get it resolved as quickly as possible.
While I investigate the problem, I’d like to offer you a 20 percent discount on your next purchase as a thank you for your patience today.”
<h2 id="Abusive">Customer uses abusive language</h2>
While part of the customer service role is handling angry or upset customers, there should be a clear boundary between a customer expressing frustration and a customer becoming openly abusive toward you.
Abusive customers may:
- Use aggressive language
- Make personal insults
- Threaten support representatives
What to do:
If you’ve attempted to calm the customer down and diffuse the situation, it’s time to escalate the issue. Report abusive customers to leadership as soon as a boundary is crossed, and stop all direct communication with the customer.
Leadership teams should value the mental and physical well-being of customer service representatives and should make it known to the customer that this behavior is unacceptable.
Template response:
“Gianna,
We’ve reviewed your conversation with our support team and have decided it’s best for us to discontinue our business relationship. Respectful communication is a fundamental value of our team, and unfortunately, that standard hasn’t been met in your exchanges.
As a result, we’ve canceled your account and issued an adjustment on your final bill. Thank you.
Samantha Jones
Head of Customer Support”
<h2 id="No">Customer won’t accept no as an answer</h2>
Every once in a while, you’ll encounter a customer that just won’t take no for an answer.
This can be an uncomfortable situation, as you’re likely to be stuck between adhering to company policy and satisfying the customer.
What to do:
The key to pleasing a stubborn customer involves a balance of empathy, firmness, and skillful redirection. If your customer feels you are on their side, they’re much more likely to relent and eventually accept an alternative solution.
Template response:
“I completely understand why this is so important to you and wish I could accommodate your request.
But since our policy doesn’t allow that, I want to make sure we get your issue resolved as quickly as possible. Here’s my alternative solution.”
If the customer continues to push back, you may have to move to end the conversation.
“I wish we could help you resolve this issue, but since we can’t move forward with your request, I’ll have to wrap up our conversation now. If you want to take advantage of the alternative solution I’ve laid out, I’m more than happy to do that for you.”
<h2 id="Understand">Customer doesn’t understand a product</h2>
Sometimes customer complaints or frustrations come from simply misunderstanding your product. A customer who believes your product isn’t functioning as promised may just need a step-by-step overview of the product’s features and uses.
What to do:
The key to helping a customer understand your product is to first pinpoint what particular feature is giving them trouble. Ask open-ended questions, actively listen, and then paraphrase their questions back to them to make sure you’re on the same page.
Once you’ve positioned yourself as a resource to the customer by actively listening and engaging, you can work to provide solutions.
It’s also useful to try and understand the best learning style for the customer. While some individuals can understand instructions verbally, others require visual materials to help fully grasp the information. If possible, provide visual references — such as a PDF, video, or demo — to best suit their learning style.
Template response:
“Hi Mark, I completely understand that this can be tricky at first. I’m more than happy to help.
First, can you tell me what you’ve tried so far and which part of the process specifically is giving you trouble?”
Once you’ve identified the particular issue, tailor your explanation to their specific needs.
“That makes total sense. We can walk through this together. Before we begin, would you like me to share a step-by-step video with you as a reference?”
Once you’ve walked the customer through the part they’re struggling with, confirm their understanding before disconnecting.
“Does that make sense? Are there any parts you’d like me to go through again?”
<h2 id="Billing">Customer experiences a billing issue</h2>
Billing inquiries directly impact customer trust and satisfaction. Customers experiencing billing issues can quickly become frustrated if they feel their money or account details aren’t properly managed.
What to do:
Immediately acknowledging the customer’s issue can assure them that you’re taking the matter seriously. Billing issues can range from incorrect charges to unexpected fees, so it’s important to gather the necessary details from the customer to ensure you’ve pinpointed the issue.
Billing problems often involve other departments in your organization and may require further investigation to identify the source of a fee or unexpected charge. It’s key to resist promising compensation — such as a discount or refund — to the customer before investigating.
Template response:
“Hi Sam, thank you for bringing this to my attention. I completely understand how frustrating billing issues can be! Let’s get this sorted out.
Can you confirm your invoice number and let me know which part of your bill seems incorrect?”
If you can provide an explanation right away, try to deliver the answer in a clear, simple way.
“It looks like this charge was applied because your first year’s promotion ended last month. This will be your new rate going forward. Does this make sense? Is there anything I can clarify?
If you can’t provide the customer with an answer right away, assure the customer that you’re investigating the issue with other departments and will get back to them with an answer as soon as possible.
“I’m going to work with our billing department to identify the source of this charge. As soon as I have an answer from them, I’ll send you a message with an update. I appreciate your patience and apologize for any inconvenience this situation has caused.”
<h2 id="Claims">Customer claims they were given incorrect information</h2>
Occasionally, customers will insist that they were given incorrect information by someone at your organization. In an ideal world, your company encourages representatives to notate each conversation to verify previously communicated info.
Most of the time, a simple misunderstanding is to blame. But it’s important to take the customer’s claim seriously and work to locate the conversation details that the customer is referring to.
What to do:
After acknowledging the customer’s frustration, ask clarifying questions to help pinpoint the misunderstanding. If incorrect information was given, take responsibility and correct the issue.
It might become clear that a customer simply misunderstood what they were told. In this situation, it’s crucial to clarify the topic without blaming the customer. Handling the situation with care helps to preserve customer trust and can prevent future misunderstandings.
Template response:
“Thanks for bringing this to my attention, Melissa. We always try to provide our clients with accurate information, so it’s important that we get to the bottom of this!
Do you remember who you spoke to and can you clarify what information you received from them?”
Once you’ve identified the miscommunication, provide clarity and ensure the customer feels comfortable moving forward.
“Billing for individual plans can be a bit confusing. Let me clarify the information you received. Your plan comes with 100 free credits. Once you’ve spent those, your account will be charged individually for each credit over 100 that you spend. Does that make more sense?”
<h2 id="Delivery">Customer experiences a late delivery</h2>
Let’s say a customer ordered your product online and didn’t receive it by the expected delivery date or the shipment is delayed. There could be multiple reasons for the delay, some of which may or may not be in your control. It’s important to identify the root cause of the delay to know how to proceed.
What to do:
When you’re able to, proactively notify customers of shipping delays. It’s always better to get ahead of the issue and show the customer you’re on top of it.
If the shipment hasn’t arrived yet and the customer is frustrated, it’s crucial to express empathy and provide clear information, even if you can’t solve the issue immediately.
Template response:
“I’m so sorry to hear you haven’t received your order yet! I know that can be so frustrating. Let’s look into this and see what the issue is. I appreciate your patience.
It looks like the shipment provider is experiencing a higher-than-normal volume of shipments and has delayed quite a few orders. Your new delivery date is tomorrow.
I apologize for this inconvenience — we always strive to meet our delivery timelines but sometimes things are out of our control. I’ll continue checking in on your order to ensure it arrives as soon as possible.”
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