Recently, I called customer support for a customer rewards program for a business retail store, and encountered a series of recorded messages that made me feel increasingly less valued as a customer.
The first message I heard was:
“All CSRs are busy. We’ll be with you momentarily.”
I had to puzzle over this for a moment before I realized “CSR” likely meant Customer Service Representative. This term is problematic for several reasons:
- CSR is internal jargon to this organization. They likely refer to this position with this acronym, but a customer does not immediately identify with it.
- Using jargon to an external audience who does not use this term causes an immediate customer-disconnect.
I had to hold for several minutes, and the subsequent messages became increasingly unwelcoming:
“All CSRs are still busy. They’ll help you as soon as they can.”
The intonation here is fully focused on the speaker, not the customer; “…when they can” places most value on the Customer Service Representative, instead of the customer.
A simple shift in both tone and structure, placing value on the customer, would capture the communication opportunity:
“Thank you for calling the company name rewards program. A representative will assist you shortly.”
The second message, if needed, should engage the customer and acknowledge their time and value:
“We’re sorry you are encountering a delay, but representatives strive to answer all questions fully and are still working with other customers. We will assist you shortly, and thank you for your patience.”
Good business communication focuses on the reader or customer, not the writer or speaker, and uses language that best resonates for that reader or customer.
Mary Cullen
Instructional Solutions
