Donna
Siegel

The Role Of Questions In Customer Service

A basic customer service transaction consists of two steps: the customer asks a question or states a need, and the rep responds. However, few service transactions are that simple, because customers seldom articulate their true needs without help. That is why everyone involved in service must understand The Role Of Questions In Customer Service.

From The Customer's Perspective

Last night I made my first try at a card. After several hours, I just gave up. The manual that came in the package did a good job of telling me how to install the software, and it has a brief description of each of the commands. But, to tell you the truth, I don't really understand what they're talking about. And the on-line help is even worse. It just tells me what I already know. There is an 800 number I can call, but what would I say? How would I even begin to describe what I'm trying to do and what I need? I'm too new at this software stuff to even know what I don't know.

What This Means To Reps

So often people like this customer really need help, but are so unfamiliar with the subject that they don't know how to start. Many times, they become so confused that they don't even take the first step of contacting a customer service rep. Instead, they take the product back, or even worse, put it on a back shelf, never to be looked at again.

Even customers who are are knowledgeable about various products and services are likely to have questions in their minds. While they may have the basic background information and experience, they may be confused by some of the more recent changes or details. These experienced customers are likely to have more focused questions on their minds for which they need assistance. And there may be gaps in their knowledge that they did not know they had.

Questions: The Primary Tool For Helping Customers

The most effective tool all customer service reps have for helping customers is their ability to ask good questions. Questions, as it turns out, are important in every type of conversation. Without questions, conversations would have no interaction. It would be as if each person's comments were being said in a vacuum, without any form of connection.

While a lack of questions can have an impact on any conversation, it's even more significant in a sales or service discussion. It is the only tool the rep has to make sure he or she has all the facts before making a recommendation or attempting to resolve a problem.

Reasons For Questions

There are many good reasons for customer service reps to ask questions before trying to offer a recommendation or a solution to a customer. Three most important ones are:

1. To get information from the customer. We need to know the details of what the customer is trying to do -- what’s on their mind? What are they trying to do? What have they already done? What do they know about the product or service of interest? Who else have they talked to in this company? In other companies? There is an abundance of information that is needed if we are going to be able to help.
   
   
2. To express our interest in the customer. Asking a question and then listening to the answer sends several messages to the customer. "I'm interested in the information about your need (which translates into I'm going to try to help you). I value you as a person and a customer, so I'm giving you my full attention." Questions help to build rapport -- to say to the customer that they're really important to your company and you.
   
   
3. To help customers help themselves. Sometimes customers are capable of resolving their own problem or selecting their own best products. By asking customers questions, we help them work out the details in their own minds, Our questions encourage customers to explore the options, using us as a sounding board just in case we need to fill in some additional details.

Types Of Questions

The typical customer service conversation begins with the customer giving a headline of their need, question or problem and then pausing and waiting for the rep to take the next step. The next step is likely to be a rep asking a question of some sort. What question is used depends on where the rep wants to take this conversation.

There are two types of questions we can ask customers, and each has a very different impact on the conversation. The most common type of question is a closed-ended question. This type is defined as one that can be answered by one or two words. Often the answer to a closed-ended question is yes or no; sometimes it's other words. For example, "When did you receive this bill?" or "Do you want the 3-month warranty or the extended warranty?" or "Did you try reinstalling the software on your PC?"

Closed-ended questions are useful when you need specific facts from a customer. Most often they are used toward the end of the customer service conversation. They help customers make choices: "Do you need help using the mouse or the keyboard?" Closed-ended questions are also used to gain commitment: "If we repaint your wall, will you pay the total bill?" In sales conversations, closed-ended questions are also used to qualify customers for the product or service: "Are you the person who is responsible for buying printing for this company?"

While most reps tend to lead with closed-ended questions, thinking this tactic will get them to the answer most quickly, this approach almost always slows the process down. With closed-ended questions you only get answers to the questions you ask. If you don't ask the question, you don't know about a predisposition, a concern, or some other factor that might make a significant difference in your ability to help this person. For that reason, early questions in a customer service conversation should be open-ended. An open-ended question is one that requires a long response. Most often, the response to an open-ended question is longer than the question itself. The major characteristic of an open-ended question is it does not presuppose the direction of the answer. It lets the customer tell the story in his or her own way. It encourages the customer to add details that the rep would never think to ask. Examples of open-ended questions are: 'What actually happened after you loaded the software?" or "Why are you bringing back this item?" In some cases, open-ended questions can come in disguise as statements, such as: "Tell me about this transaction on your statement" or "Describe for me what you would like me to do for you."

Open-ended questions are best to pick up important details that may help you figure out an effective solution for this customer. They help build rapport. Permission to talk is highly valued by people. Reps who take the time to really listen to customers report that their customers have more confidence that they know "exactly what I need" and that these customers are often more satisfied with the eventual outcome.

An Effective Questioning Technique

The most effective questioning strategy for customer service conversations combines both closed-ended and open-ended questions. It looks like this:

1. Customer begins by asking a question or making a statement.
   
   
2. Rep asks a quick closed-ended question that the customer can easily answer, such as, "Have you talked to anyone here before about this issue?"
   
   
3. Rep follows with several open-ended questions that let the customer describe their situation in detail. Rep also encourages the customer to keep talking until they understand most of the details.
   
   
4. Rep asks a few closed-ended questions to fill in any gaps.

Now that you have used your questioning techniques to gain a complete picture of this customer's needs, you're finally ready to make recommendations, offer opinions or help resolve the issue at hand.

SeaBird Associates Inc
3011 NE 7th Drive
Boca Raton, FL 33431
Phone: 561-750-9233
E-mail: Donna Siegel

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