Rapport-Building Tips

Getting in rapport with callers in the contact centre is a key skill for agents. This is particularly true if they
need to sell or create customer loyalty.

Carolyn Blunt provides three simple tips.It can also be useful in generating an overall positive impression
about the organisation. It makes sense that if your callers leave with a lingering smile then they are much
more likely to recommend your organisation.

So how do you generate rapport with someone youve never seen, perhaps have not encountered before and
with whom you have no idea if you share any common ground?

1. Listen out for the mood

Within the first ten seconds of a call it can be quite apparent what mood the caller is in. The agile agent will
pick up this mood and will work with it not against it.

That means not being chirpy with someone who is angry, or sounding bored when the customer is in a happy
mood. By matching the positive mood of the customer or caller the agent can help to create rapport.
When a caller is in a negative state then pure listening followed by empathy helps to soothe them before the
agent can attempt to lift them to a more positive place with some good questions or anecdotal comments or
genuine feel-good praise.

For example, as well as ensuring that solutions to any issues are tackled, a good agent will also build on any
information offered: Whereabouts in Spain are you going? this gets the caller talking more positively and
visualising the longed-for break. Alternatively, if they are ordering items: Great choice, that is a really
stylish top makes them feel good about the decision they made. When done with genuine interest and
enthusiasm this approach can change a negative mood or reinforce a positive one.

2. Use their name

A really simple tip but extremely effective. The cocktail party effect is the term used when you hear your
own name used in conversation across a crowded room. You may not have heard what came before or after
but you can pick your name out a mile away over a hubbub of noise. This is how powerfully tuned in we all
are to hearing our own name. It is a powerful way to get attention and to build rapport.

Rules on the use of names

British people do not like to feel like their name is being overused in a cheesy, over-friendly way. Usually
three times in a call is plenty, once at the beginning, once in the middle and once at the end. You will know
yourself when it feels natural and appropriate to use someones name, so follow your instincts.

Another rule is to make sure you get the name right!

So often I get Caroline instead of Carolyn. It is only a subtle difference, and while Caroline is a lovely
name, it is not my name. Getting my name wrong actually breaks rapport with me, it makes me feel that you
dont know me very well and/or you dont listen and dont care. On the phone there is no excuse for getting
someones name wrong as you can write it down as soon as you hear it and you can write it phonetically
how it sounds to you! This is an easy way to make foreign or unusual names usable without resorting to the
tired and lame Sir or even worse, Madam.

If you want to create rapport and make your customers feel valued, special and loyal then using their name is
vital! Pay attention to how they introduce themselves. If I say Mrs Blunt then call me that. If I say
Carolyn Blunt then it is probably okay to use my first name but you can always check: Is it ok to call you
Carolyn? Most people wont mind if you check formality or pronunciation. It is the incorrect assumptions
that irk the most and lose rapport.

3. Avoid the tumbleweed

In my career as a contact centre trainer and coach I have listened to thousands of live and recorded calls and
still nothing makes me cringe quite so much as what I call the tumbleweed moment. This is when the
caller/customer makes a joke or a little comment and the agent ignores it. There is usually an awkward,
brief silence before the agent moves on.

Listening to that I can almost feel that cold wind and see the tumbleweed rolling by as a sinister bell chimes
in the background. Horrible.

Take the branch of rapport

If the customer offers the branch of rapport then the agent must take it! It is their job to do so! I can
understand that some agents dont want to get sidetracked for an hour talking about unrelated topics (staying
on track with call time is a whole other topic!); or that some feel bored or disinterested; but equally a few
seconds spent in building and maintaining rapport help to keep the call flowing nicely and give both the
caller and agent a more positive experience.

Getting the balance and avoiding either extreme is a key skill of a good agent. The easiest way to do this is
to acknowledge what was said with a stock phrase, something that shows you are similar: Oh I know, that
happens to me all the time! or Oh I do that too! (or if you dont, then mention that your partner, mum, dad
or someone else does) and then a little chuckle before, So, Mrs Smith, you mentioned before that your
policy expires on 25th It is easier to keep a call on track if you only spend a brief time off topic. The
challenge happens when you have been indulging the caller for ten minutes and then think about bringing it
back. This can be a bit too late and can sound awkward and feel embarrassing. Little and often work best
when it comes to making an effort with rapport rather than one, lengthy attempt.

When agents listen

Building and maintaining rapport on the telephone happens when agents listen, show energy and are self-
aware. Some agents seem to be naturally gifted with this knack whilst others have to work at it.

A learned behaviour
It is a skill that can be trained, learned and practised. Product/service and system knowledge also assist with rapport as this
safety blanket of knowledge helps the agent to relax into the call enough to focus on rapport. Opportunities to play back calls
and coach on rapport will assist agents to feel confident to avoid those tumbleweed moments.

Top Tips for Building Rapport on the

Telephone
Rapport building is an integral part of the communication process. Lack, or absence, of rapport can
fundamentally affect the outcome of any conversation. Christine Knott shares her top tips with usIsnt it
true that sometimes we just click with some people and get on really well with them? In such instances the
conversation runs smoothly, it is enjoyable and the results are so much better than when the communication
is strained and we fail to gel with the person we are talking to.

Telephone conversations in call centres are a prime example of how rapport can help the outcome. You may
have a limited time to allocate to your caller so you need to use that time effectively to get the information
you need to be able to provide the best service. Good rapport will get you there faster.
Good rapport isnt about making best friends with your caller. It means creating a comfortable state
where all parties converse freely and comfortably. The extra benefit is that it makes the time you spend with
your caller more enjoyable.

Here are some tips for creating good rapport.

Open the call with a smile

Believe it, a smile can be heard and a smiling voice is more welcoming and relaxing. Your caller will
subconsciously appreciate it and like you.

How you would start a conversation with your customer

Start the conversation with a warm up. A simple question that will let your caller know you are human!

This could be how is your day so far? or how is the weather where you are today? Better than here, I
hope! Most people will respond to you in a friendly manner and it helps to relax you and your caller by
breaking the ice. Reply to their answer with a relevant but positive response and then move the call
forward:
Thats great, Im glad you are having a good day. How can I help with your call today? or So the weather
is as bad as it is here, never mind, the sun could be out tomorrow for us. How can I help with your call
today?

Listen well

Avoid distractions and allow yourself to concentrate on your caller and their conversation.

Let the caller know you are listening

Let the caller know you are listening by responding with gentle and soft ums and ahs as they speak.

Allow the speaker to finish what they are saying practise this with every call. If you interrupt, your caller
could become frustrated.

Use words that your caller uses

Use words that your caller uses in their conversation, especially any adjectives the words they use to
describe something. They have chosen to use the words, so they have a relevance to the content, an
alternative word may not have the same meaning for them.

Example: your caller says The results were excellent.

In this instance the word excellent was chosen because it reflects what the speaker felt. To build rapport
use the same word back at any relevant time. Example: I agree with what you said earlier, the results were
excellent. If you were to reply with: I agree with what you said earlier, the results were ok, it will
subconsciously confuse your caller because they didnt say ok; their chosen word was excellent.

Show empathy with your caller

To show empathy means to share in anothers emotions, thoughts, or feelings, and is a great way of building
rapport. Empathy can be shown by using phrases such as: I understand what you mean. I can see where
you are coming from. That must have made you feel really good, I understand why you would think that
way.

Be yourself and relax

If you are uptight or trying to be someone or something you are not, it will act as a barrier to building
rapport.

Go off script

If you read a script as part of your job, put your own personality into it so that it sounds as though the words
are your words and that you are not reading from a piece of paper. Use inflection, modulation and pitch to
help make the script interesting for the listener. Your caller will thank you for it. Isnt it true that we
sometimes switch off when we hear what sounds like a script being read to us?

Be friendly

Be friendly. It is possible to remain professional and courteous and still be friendly. This is easily achieved
by using good inflection and modulation in your voice, by showing an interest in your callers conversation
and by sharing laughter and lighthearted moments when the opportunity to do so arises during the call.

Enjoy your rapport building. It will make your calls more productive and pleasant for both you and your caller.

Best Words to Use For Building Rapport

Whether youre investigating a query, addressing a complaint or just giving general advice, building rapport
is enormously important for the contact centre.

Here, we take you through the three main stages of a typical customer service call and show you how the
right choice of language can help your customer satisfaction levels.

Being the cornerstone of any good relationship, it is vital that agents exhibit a strong level of understanding
from the very onset of each and every call.

Mirror the customers tone

To get the ball rolling, agents should take care to mirror the customers tone, rate and style of speech
throughout each call. Their strong listening skills another key ingredient in the creation of rapport can
also be put to good use through the application of verbal nods and the brief repetition of each of the callers
main points. This should be complemented, for best results, by an expression of empathy on the part of the
agent.

Repeat the problem

Take, for example, a customer who has called to report the delivery of a faulty product. The agent who
repeats the situation (Your toaster is broken? Thats terrible, Mrs Brown), rather than proceeding
immediately and emotionlessly to the resolution, will gain an invaluable affinity with the caller, whilst
simultaneously providing the subtle assurance that the complaint is now in good hands.

Key phrases
Im (very glad/so sorry) to hear that, Mrs Brown
Constructing a sense of personal empathy, and suggesting the agents intention to act.

Thank you so much for letting us know about this

Creating the unspoken suggestion that your company values feedback, and takes matters of this kind
extremely seriously.

Id just like to ask for a little further information, Sir/Madam

Always request never tell.

Hopefully, we should be able to help you, Mrs Brown

Reaffirming the agents intention to provide a swift resolution.

Youre absolutely correct, Sir/Madam

Demonstrating your respect for the customers opinions and your sympathy for his or her personal
predicament.

Now that your caller has confidence in the agents telephone etiquette, its time to show that your companys
compassion is not just skin-deep.

Assert control

This is the call handlers opportunity to assert control of the situation, to take ownership of the problem, and
to convince the customer that the matter in question will be put right. This can be conveyed through the
agents employment of a positive, emphatic style of speech, the adoption of an especially courteous
vocabulary and the consistent use of concise-yet-energetic sentences.

If, as is likely, apologies are called for, the agent should avoid repeating his or her regret using the same
terminology. Instead, an assortment of contrite synonyms should be used, with the word sorry being
substituted for I apologise, oh dear, and so on.

Provide a sense of immediacy

As the following phrases show, words which give a sense of immediacy can also prove incredibly helpful in
the construction of rapport.

Well look into this for you right away, Sir/Madam

Displaying a recognition of the urgency of the matter.

Lets see what we can do to fix this, Mrs Brown

The collective we suggests partnership, and implores reciprocal cooperation.

I can see where the problem is, Sir/Madam

Demonstrating the agents experience in such matters, and hinting at his or her ability to provide a solution.

What Im doing for you right now is

Asserting control and hinting towards spontaneous, possibly discretionary action.

Thats now been done, Mrs Brown

Providing a pay-off and showing that the callers trust had not been placed in vain.

The words and phrases best suited for use during a calls conclusion are largely dependent upon the actual
outcome of the conversation. Where, for example, a satisfactory resolution has been provided to the
customer, it is possible to further bolster the existing rapport by amicably offering support in other areas. In
doing so, your agent will illustrate that he or she has genuinely enjoyed helping the customer and can be
trusted to do so again in the future.

Is there anything else I can help you with today, Mrs Brown?
Illustrating that time is no object when it comes to helping your customers.

Well be in touch if there are any problems, Sir/Madam

Putting the onus on the company to chase up the customer, and not the other way around.

Do let us know if you have any other questions, Mrs Brown

Inviting future contact will pave the way for further development of your rapport.

Provide reassurance

If, on the other hand, the call has ended without a resolution, it is necessary to provide reassurance to the
customer that his or her complaint will be seen through to its conclusion.

This can be done by utilising a number of heartening yet slightly informal phrases.

This will be fixed by the end of the weekend, Mrs Brown

Setting a definite timeframe for the resolution.

Well give you a call as soon as weve had an update

Promising contact and following through with this commitment will help form a basis for long-term
trust.

Dont worry. You just enjoy your (Birthday/Easter Break/Bank Holiday), Mrs Brown, and well be in touch
shortly
Recognising and commenting on the customers personal circumstances will lend the call closure a more
pleasant, personal touch.

Phoney rapport building (dont try to

build rapport too quickly)
Here is a common scenario. Guess what type of call this is likely to be?

Agent Hello, can I speak to Mr James Smith?

Customer Speaking.
Agent Hello, Mr Smith, how are you doing today?

I wonder if you can guess what type of call that is likely to be? Thats right, its a sales call.

Its what I call phoney rapport, trying to build rapport too early.

I think people are getting wise to this type of call. I certainly know if I get asked how are you doing today
I instantly know its a sales call, and start to build up the mental barriers on how to deal with this type of
call.

Its much better to give a brief value proposition and quickly say why you are calling. For example Hello,
Mr Pearce, Im calling from the Energy Company and we think that we have a way that we can help you
save some money on your electricity bill. Would you be interested in finding out more?
Opinions vary on this type of approach. One manager confirmed my opinion. Phoney rapport! Just had the
same conversation with one of my agents warning them of exactly that! However, with some agents it seems
to work really well and I think this is due to their tone.

Another contact centre manager felt that early rapport building was important. It is perhaps overly pre-
emptive to dismiss the phoney conversation? Rapport is related to gift of the gab and is intrinsic to the
nature of outbound dialling, she said.

27 Effective Ways to Build Customer

Rapport
Building rapport with customers is all about creating a common bond of trust, particularly over the phone.

So, you must learn to empathise with your customers, have a genuine interest in their situation and make
them feel valued.

This is so important to providing good service and increasing sales.

Here are some tips from our readers on how to build customer rapport.

1. Get their name first

Ask for the customers name first, rather than reference number, address, etc.

It is easy to get the details we need after we have their name. This makes the customer feel like an individual
and agents feel as if they are speaking with a person, not a caller.

2. Smile

Always start the call with a smile the customer will notice this in your voice.

3. See it from the customers perspective

Encourage agents to imagine themselves in the customers shoes. Or, if they are struggling to display
empathy, ask them to imagine the customer as a close friend or family member.

4. Share their priorities

Every customer, particularly in an emergency situation, will have a list of priorities. Making them also your
priorities and addressing them in the right order (mirroring them) will reassure them that you know what
they want and are taking care of them.

5. Allow them to get it all out

When the customer is angry, allow them to vent without interruption. Use this time to figure out what you
can do to fix their issue.

6. Repeat back

Repeat sentences or important details back to the customer, saying Okay, just to recap
This reassures them that you are paying attention.

7. Make their problem your problem

Take ownership of the enquiry, especially if it is a complaint. Have a one-to-one relationship with your
customer so that they have a point of contact that they can come back to.

8. Remember the value of an apology

For those who deal with complaints all the time a simple, genuine apology at the appropriate time can
defuse a difficult customer and break down the barriers to allow space to build rapport.

9. You dont have to have things in common

Some agents may worry that they do not have anything in common with their customers and will therefore
be unable to build rapport. But this doesnt have to be the case.

Our contact centre is based on a particular sport the best agents with the best customer service skills dont
always share our customers love of the sport.

10. Be adaptable

Agents should be able to adapt their approach there is no reason to think that all customers should be
approached using the same style. Use personal experience to build rapport so that the caller feels you are
putting yourself in their shoes.

11. Pace and lead

This technique is extremely useful when someone is in an over-excited state. Start by showing urgency,
confidence and concern in your speech patterns and manner to match and reassure them.

Then gradually begin to calm and slow up your speech patterns. As long as the customer feels things are
happening and that youre in rapport, they will follow you down and become calmer in response.

12. Dont rush

Sometimes agents can identify an issue they have seen regularly and then rush to rectify the problem
quickly. But its always best to focus on building rapport first.

13. Take a personal interest

You can build rapport by showing a personal interest in the customer. For example, if a customer says they
have been in hospital, ask them how the recovery is going.

If you were speaking to somebody face-to-face and they told you that they had just come out of hospital, you
would normally check how they are.

14. Be aware of your intonation

Go up at the end of the sentence for questions, go down at the end for command (discourage further debate).

15. Know what youre selling

Know your product well enough to know your customer this is where rapport begins.

16. Really listen

Be a good a listener and try to repeat what the customer says to assure them that you are listening.

17. Be respectful

Make sure you talk to the customer with respect and in common language. Never talk down to the customer
or talk over them.

18. Start off with something positive

If the customer has spent some time explaining a frustrating problem to you, then beginning your response
with a short, direct statement of intent can gain the customers confidence.

Something like Okay, we can fix this or Right, lets get this problem sorted for you will reassure
the customer that you are taking ownership of the problem.

19. Keep focused

Stay one hundred percent focused on the customer and dont let colleagues or other things in the office
distract you.

If the customer doesnt have your full attention, they will always pick up on it.

20. Not all customers want to chat

Remember that angry customers dont want to build rapport they just want to tell you what the problem is
and for you to fix it.

21. Avoid assumptions

Dont make assumptions about what the customer is telling you actively listen!

22. End on a high

Always ask the customer if there is anything else you can do for them before you end the call. This shows
that your priority is giving good service, not just getting the call over with.

23. Be flexible with formality

We address our customers in the way that they introduce themselves. The screen may show them as
Christopher Jones, but if the customer calls himself Chris, we will address them in the same way.

Some customers prefer to keep things more formal and may introduce themselves as Mr Jones. It depends on
the business.

24. Smile through the complaints

You need to always smile, even when the customer is complaining. They dont want to hear that the agent is
having a bad day they want to know that you will be able to solve the issue and then in turn make the
customer smile.

25. Dont linger on the tough calls

Leave the last call behind and start afresh every time. Every customer is different.

26. Beware of inappropriate jokes

Everyone must be careful with humour. Sometimes there is too high a risk of a jokey comment being
misunderstood, just like sarcasm in emails.

27. Dont leave them waiting

Be careful when putting people on hold or transferring calls this can damage rapport as wait times always
seem longer when you are lingering in dead space.

Dont leave them waiting keep the customer informed as to what you are doing, going to do.

Thanks to our readers for adding in even more tips

Showing empathy
After asking the customer for his name, i address him by calling him by name
Make his problem my problem

Let your customer be involved in everything you do. Updating them from time to time on the things that youve been doing to
resolve there issues will make them feel not alone. They will surely appreciate it.

Get any post-call survey results, ESPECIALLY verbatim recorded comments, back to the agent that took the call, in real-time.
There is nothing better at bridging the gap between what the agent does on the call and what the customer felt about it.

Be good to the customers even if they are not good to you.Maybe they are not in a good mood. eventually they will realize that
they were rude or bad to you.

18 Empathy Statements That Help Improve

CustomerAgent Rapport
Here are 18 empathy statements that can help build customer to agent rapport.

Empathy is different from sympathy. Empathy is the ability to walk a mile in someone elses shoes
while sympathy is feeling the same feelings as the customer and agreeing with them. A person feels
sympathy but shares empathy.

What is an empathy statement?

Empathy statements are short phrases that help you establish a connection with the person you are talking to.
They show that the other person is your sole focus and that you are taking personal responsibility for them in
this conversation.

They help create trust and mutual understanding.

What should be included?

Personal Pronouns

The words I and you are essential in an empathy statement, as will be highlighted later.

When you use personal pronouns (and especially I rather than a more corporate we) the listener
understands that you are personally involved and interested in them as an individual. They feel that you
understand their situation and that you want to help them as a priority.

Active Verbs

Compare: This will be resolved by our team with: I will ask our team to resolve this.

The first version is anonymous, lacking personality and has no underlying responsibility, whilst the second
makes you believe that there is a real person actively working to fix an issue, and who might physically
chase the team until it is done.

So, replace passive verbs with active verbs, which add a sense of immediacy.

Authenticity

Be genuine, honest and be yourself. Reading standard phrases without being authentic creates resentment
and can increase anger. It is more important to be natural, calm and positive than to get the exact phrasing
correct.

Authenticity means using a natural tone, and less formal ways of speaking.

Use thanks instead of thank you; hi instead of hello; enjoy the rest of your day instead ofgood
bye. Use contractions/short forms of verbs: youre, cant, hes, dont, etc.

Empathy statements Assessing the situation

The first duty of an agent when handling a customer query is to assess the situation. When doing so, the
agent should use empathy statements to convey their interest in and attentiveness to the customers enquiry.
These two statements will help advisors to do so:

1. Is there anything I can do for you today, big or small?

Assuring the customer of your desire to resolve their complaint should allow them to recognise your care
and understanding for the individuals problems.

2. Can you tell me a little more about it, please?

Establishing that you want to extract as much information as possible from the customer indicates your
attentiveness and curiosity in the matter at hand. However, you must be careful that advisors are being
respectful when using this line!

Clarifying the situation

Once your advisor has all such information at their fingertips, the situation must next be clarified to ensure
that your frontline worker and their customer are both on the same page. Here, empathy statements are
vital so that the customer does not get frustrated at having to repeat themselves. These two remarks will
allow the agent to avoid this.

3. I want to make sure that I really have an understanding of what youre telling me. Im hearing
that

Expressing the desire to listen deeply to the customer, by giving them the opportunity to correct your
understanding of their query, reinforces the customeradvisor connection.

4. When I am done, if I have got something wrong, I would appreciate it if you would correct me, if
that is ok?

Involving the customer in the process of clarifying and solving their enquiry allows them to feel encouraged
as to its progress and does not leave them stuck in the middle.

Reassuring the customer

When the advisor has a full understanding of the matter at hand, that individual should make the process of
what happens next clear to the customer. This involves reassuring the customer that the company is striving
to resolve their issue and further building customeradvisor rapport. The three empathy statements below
demonstrate how to do so.

5. Thank you very much for alerting us about this

Highlighting that your company appreciates feedback, whilst alluding to the notion that youd like to act on
it, demonstrates your will to relieve them of any future hassle.

6. We will help you get this issue resolved

Reaffirming the intention for a quick and appropriate resolution again builds rapport. But the use of the word
we also indicates that it is a team effort and that you are prioritising the matter.

7. Youre absolutely correct, Sir/Madam

Displaying respect and empathy for the customers opinions demonstrates the advisors consideration for
their clients predicament.

Tip As well using respectful, compassionate and attentive language to empathise with the customer, reassuring noises can also
serve for same purpose. Pure silence on the
agents part can cause the customer to feel helpless, so agents should use such noises to assure the client of their focus and
understanding.

Providing a sense of immediacy

Whist reassuring the customer of their enquirys importance to the business, it is also important for advisors
to provide them with a sense of immediacy. In order to minimise customer frustration at spending too long
on the phone, your agents should use the five statements below to alleviate such feeling on behalf of the
client and demonstrate a caring approach.

8. I appreciate you bringing this to our attention, so that we can deal with this immediately

Recognising the urgency of the query and assuring the client that they were right to contact the advisor
allows the customer to believe that all their efforts are valued by your company.
9. I can see where the problem is, Sir/Madam

Conveying the advisors experience in handling calls of this nature provides the customer with a strong
indication of the ability of the call centre professional to find a swift solution to the query.

10. What Im currently doing to help you is

Your taking control of the situation allows the customer to feel as if the problem has been lifted from
them, and by phrasing the statement in this way, you are personalising the matter and making the customer
feel special.

11. This should be fixed by the end of the weekend, Mr Smith

Providing a close, but realistic, timeframe for when a customer query can be answered, if it cannot be solved
immediately, should again take responsibility away from the customer and allow them to relax.

Making a commitment

As well as reassuring the customer and providing them with a sense of immediacy, making a commitment to
them helps to comfort customers with the knowledge that their issue is being treated. The following three
phrases present ways in which you can make such a commitment.

12. I will contact you as soon as we have had an update

Making a commitment such as this and then following it up should help you to establish a basis of trust
between the company and the customer, which helps in forming a long-standing relationship.

13. We will work to resolve the problem. You just enjoy your (birthday/holidays/Christmas break,
etc.), and I will be in touch shortly

Acknowledging a customers personal holidays and future plans allows your advisor to add a personal touch
to the interaction, and basing your actions around a customers schedule demonstrates an empathetic
approach.

14. Do let us know if you have any further questions, Mr Smith

Encouraging future contact helps to show your companys commitment to strengthening your relationship
with the customer and fosters the progression of the customeragent rapport.

Maintaining strong customer relations

After the process has run its course, there is a chance that the customer will not be completely impressed by
the answers that they have received. In such a situation, building an empathetic atmosphere is key to
maintaining strong customer relations. The two examples below will help to quell such issues and rebuild
customer faith in your businesss processes.

15. We always value customers who are keen to give us their feedback. I will be sure to pass on what
you have told me to our managerial team

Exhibiting that you are proactive when receiving criticism and that your advisors are in constant
communication with their superiors helps to assure aggrieved customers that the right procedures are in
place to handle their complaints.
16. I have experienced a similar problem recently, so I understand what you are saying. Let me see
what I can do to help you out

Drawing on their own experiences singles the advisor out from the company that the customer feels
aggravated by. Then, by signalling that the problem has now gone, the advisor has demonstrated that a
solution is available.

Closing the call

Now that the call is coming to a close, agents must still maintain a respectful tone and maintain their
empathetic attitude so that customers feel comfortable voicing more concerns and stay satisfied with the
service received. The next two statements are crucial in signing off with a customer and staying empathetic.

17. Is there anything else that I can help you with today, Mr Smith?

Demonstrating that there are no time limits in the job description of your agents, this phrase illustrates that
there are not company constraints on providing great customer service.

18. Your satisfaction means everything to us. Have we covered everything that you wanted to discuss
today?

Reminding customers of the businesss ever-willing support for them helps to conclude with a sustained
empathetic approach, and the use of the word us summarises the collaborative culture on which empathy
is based.