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Easy Ways To Stop Talking Jibberish To Your Customers

A client recently told me that he called his insurance company to inquire about an unpaid medical bill. He was asked if he had his EOB from COBRA, and was there any possible COB involved? Right away, he felt alienated and insecure.

By: Kristina Evey
Kristina-Evey_273283
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He had absolutely no idea what the representative was talking about. He was confused and felt frustrated. As a result, his customer satisfaction was very low and he didn't want to even continue the conversation.

How often has this happened in your world and to your customers? Each and every field of business has their own lingo, jargon, and acronyms that mean absolutely nothing to those outside of their world. The challenge for us is to make sure that we are distancing our customers by speaking a language foreign to them.

When you do use an industry term or acronym, explain to your customer what that means. Present and explain it in a way that your neighbor would be able to understand so that they can learn for their next encounter.

The example first given could have gone like this.....

"Hello Sir, when you get a statement from our company explaining what we have paid, it is called an Explanation of Benefits, or EOB. When you leave a job and you continue with their medical insurance plan, that is the COBRA plan we are talking about. Now, since your wife is employed, we are wondering if there might be a Coordination of Benefits, or COB, involved. We want to be certain that we are considering and paying the claims in the correct sequence of coverage."

Still, it is not an everyday conversation, but at least some of the acronyms and functions were explained. By educating the customer in this way, they will feel more confident when interacting with you in your world. Customer satisfaction levels rise when consumers feel that they have a good working knowledge about the specifics and details that pertain to them. Customer service is also at work here because you are taking the time to educate and engage them.

It is good practice to avoid industry jargon. If you must use it, be sure to explain it and its meaning. By serving your customers from an educational perspective level, their customer satisfaction and loyalty will be on the rise because they will be feeling as though you are on their team and going to walk through the process with them.

Remember, customers make their buying decisions based on emotion, backed up by logic. By developing a relationship with them and increasing rapport by educating them, you'll win their business for life.

Discover WHY it is so important to Promote Customer Service and HOW your bottom line will benefit ...
Helping you focus on your customers-
Kristina Evey
www.CustomerCentricTraining.com

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