Sometimes calls can drag on. Here are our best tips on keeping calls efficient and effective.
When you have an insured on the horn and you have completed the "insurance" related conversation it's time to go! You have activities to tackle and now the work to do from this call. But sometimes you get the talker and you are now in a difficult situation.
If you are like me, I see my mom saying don't be rude to the person. Maybe they are lonely, I may be the only person they speak with today. I'm Irish Catholic so I wear guilt like Gucci!
But I want you to also think of the silent customer.
Silent Customer: The silent customer is the one that you made a promise to but they aren't directly breathing on you. You still owe them service or a quote but we can't seem to get there because the less than silent customer is now talking about their colonoscopy.
The first thing you need to do is remember your role. You are their insurance agent, you are not their:
- Grandkid who doesn't call
- Financial planner. They need to afford insurance
- Doctor (Why do people talk about their medical issues?)
You are here to insure their protection and the protection of the rest of your book of business.
Now I say this as someone who has 2 talkers in their family:
- My aunt can literally talk to a wall, a cat, a stuffed animal for 24 hours straight
- My grandma is just so happy to chat and doesn't want to let go of the call
What I'm saying is I practice this in real, live, life.
Here are the steps to take with a chatter:
- Identify you have a chatter on the horn - you know this early on so make sure you have control of the call
- Get them to state their case, where possible transact what they need on the call - remember a follow up call won't be any less brief. First call resolution is your absolute friend with a talker. They can talk while you work and you don't have to be rude.
- If you can't practice first call resolution then your next step is practice not breathing. Not for long don't worry. You need to confirm what steps you are taking and then, without breathing, thank them for their business and let them know you will call them if anything changes - then hang up.
You need to balance the idea of being efficient and effective. In general you may be the nicest service person ever to a talker! Your goal is to steer them back to the goal and point and speak without breathing!
Watch the video to learn this ninja trick!