Devoted to Help Desk and Technical Support personnel and applications

By reader request (thanks Gabriel), I'd like to share with you a telephone script. I'll start by sharing my script with a bit of explanation, and then I'll take a few future posts to break down each section in depth.

Greeting

"Good morning Help Desk, this is Phil, I can help you." Make it your own, but at a minimum, use a salutation, your name, and the fact you are there to help.

Respond to customer inquiry

Respond to the client's needs. If they need something, thank them for bringing the matter to your attention, and tell them that you are part of the solution and will work with them to fix the problem.

Explain Proposed Solution

"Mr./Ms. Customer, here's how we're going to fix our problem." Note: I didn't say fix YOUR problem, or fix MY problem, or fix YOUR COMPUTER'S problem. If a client calls in, it is OUR problem.

Ask for Agreement on solution

Ask the question: "Is this an acceptable solution to you?" in your own words. Rebuilding an Outlook profile may be no big deal if you're in IT. If you're in HR and you color code your calendar, and have custom shortcuts and forms, this is a HUGE deal. Ask the question. Then wait for a response. NOTE: If there is no agreement, go back to Responding and work your way down.

Thank customer for calling

"Thank you for calling. Is there anything else I can do for you?" Pause...Pause...If you ever need anything else, please call us back anytime.

And the NUMBER ONE way to make customers happy is...

Follow-up!!!!!

Follow-up ensures satisfaction and gives you a chance to make a lasting impression on your customer. Always ask if there's anything else you can do right now, to save a callback later.

That's my script. It works for me, and it works for many others I've shared it with. I hope it works for you.

[Phil Gerbyshak encourages YOU to make it a great customer experience by following the above script, or by sharing any script you've found that's better.]