Minor irritations can become major distractions
What is call answering psychology? Well, here’s an example. I have a dripping tap. I have had a dripping tap for a few days now. It should be simple to fix, but I have tried and failed. The amount of my limited ‘headspace’ absorbed by the issue of the dripping tap is way out of proportion compared to its relative unimportance and it is distracting me from more important issues.
I have just phoned a local plumber and arranged for them to come and fix the problem. I still have a dripping tap but I no longer have the uncertainty of when it will be fixed (hopefully!). Someone has listened to my tale of woe and given me a solution. I have been heard. I have ‘offloaded’ my dripping tap problem; it is no longer part of my cumulative ‘cognitive load’. Cognitive load refers to the amount of information that one’s working memory can hold at one time.
I have long had an interest in psychology and even studied it as a mature student a few years ago. I don’t use the language of psychology when talking to prospective Paperclip clients about customer service , but the concepts of offloading, reducing uncertainty and being heard underpin the message I try to get across. These terms are examined in more detail in the rest of this article.
Customer service and psychology
The trigger for this blog came when I read an article from June 2019 on the nextiva.com website. The article is titled ’15 Customer Service Psychology Tips to Master’. It’s a well-written article, touching on emotional intelligence, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, cognitive bias and more. It explains the importance of showing customers they matter, identifying customer needs, and keeping promises.
Tip number five in the article is ‘provide availability’. The author (Gaetano DiNardi) quite rightly states: ‘If you are unavailable, it can have a lasting impact, not just on customer experience but your company’s bottom line.’
Customer service starts with ‘being heard’
This, for me, is the crux of customer service. Customer service starts with ‘being heard’. Empathy, reliability, resolution and all the other valid psychological tips in the Nextiva article only come into play if you answer the customer’s call, reply to their email, or respond to their DM.
From my own experience as a consumer (witness the trauma of the tap incident at the start of this article!), I can attest that the most important aspect of my call being answered isn’t necessarily that my problem or query has been instantly resolved, it is that I have been heard and that I have effectively transferred my angst and concern to a third party whose job it is to solve the problem.
Customer service and the language of psychology
Let’s restate the customer’s service conundrum in the language of psychology. If you have a problem that needs solving and don’t have the answer, you are experiencing a degree of uncertainty. An article on the psychology of uncertainty (psychology.com, 17 March 2020) states that ‘…your brain will do almost anything for the sake of uncertainty’. It goes on to say that, ‘…if your brain doesn’t know what’s round the corner, it can’t keep you out of harm’s way.’
I prefer certainty; I’m not keen on the unknown. For some people, the unknown can lead to stress, anxiety and worse. Action is needed.
Two customer service scenarios
Scenario A
You pick up the phone and call your preferred supplier or service provider. No answer. You haven’t been heard, you haven’t had the opportunity to offload. This can reinforce the anxiety, compounded by frustration and feelings that you are ‘unimportant’. How many people are you going to tell about this negative experience?!
Scenario B
You pick up the phone and call your preferred supplier of service provider. In this case, if your service provider is unable to answer your call within ten seconds, they have had the foresight to transfer calls to Paperclip. Paperclip answers in their name, and listens to your question or problem (being heard).
In most cases, the Paperclip call handler can resolve your problem there and then. On the rare occasion, this is not possible, the Paperclip call handler, depending on the arrangement agreed with your service provider, takes a message, issues a customer service ticket, books a service visit or appointment and more besides.
- You have been heard;
- You have offloaded and reduced your cognitive load;
- You have significantly reduced your uncertainty and associated anxieties.
Paperclip, call answering and your business: a win-win-win!
In summary, using Paperclip’s call answering services is good for business and good psychology. It’s a win-win or, in psychological language, ‘…the realisation of self-interest and mutual benefit.’
If you would like to discuss your customer service challenges and how Paperclip may be able to help then please call me on 01246 418181.
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Hi, I’m Louise Bellwood, Director at Paperclip. I am responsible for delivering Paperclip’s customer service and growth strategies for 2024 and beyond, I am a crusader for the benefits call answering can deliver for organisations of all kinds; customer service, sales generation, customer retention and more. If you have a question about call answering – pricing, set-up, benefits – I would love to hear from you at louise@paperclip.co.uk or 01246 418 181.