Information Sheet 1.2.

1 Vocabulary and Phrases Commonly Used in Customer

Service Interactions

Learning Objectives:
At the end of this module, students/trainees MUST be able to:
1. Define key customer service terms and phrases used during various stages of
customer interaction.
2. Identify effective customer service phrases.
3. Demonstrate the appropriate use of customer service phrases in different stages
of customer interaction (e.g., opening, handling complaints, closing).
4. Use alternative phrases in place of common negative expressions to maintain
professionalism and customer satisfaction.
5. Differentiate between positive and negative customer service phrases and
analyze their potential impact on customer experience.

Introduction
The words you use during a customer interaction can be the difference between a good
customer experience and an incredible one. The right customer service phrases can
help teams assist customers effectively, build long-term customer relationships, and
provide an outstanding.

Excellent Customer Service Phrases for the Early Stages of the

Conversation
Incorporating positive, professional words for customer service into
your daily interactions can set an upbeat tone for your team and
establish customer courtesy. These magic words for customer
service can help you start each call on the right foot and keep
things positive while gathering information.
1. “How may I assist you today?”
This classic customer service phrase is equal parts polite and professional, and it
lets the customer know you’re ready to listen and eager to help with whatever
issue they may have.
Example:
“Good morning [Name], thank you for calling Zendesk! How may I assist you
today?”

2. “Great question! I will find the answer for you. Is it okay if I place you on a brief
hold?”
You can’t have all the answers in your back pocket. When the customer drops a
question, you need to research, this phrase lets them know you’ll do what it takes
 to get the answer—but be sure to ask permission before you put the customer on
hold. This quick check-in is courteous and demonstrates that you value their
feelings throughout the customer interaction.
Example:
“Great question! I will find the answer for you. Is it okay if I place you on a brief
hold?” “Thank you. I’ll be back as fast as I can with your information.”

3. “Thank you for taking the time to explain that.”

A complex issue may take some time for your customer to explain. During their
explanation, they may relive some negative feelings from their experience. After
they finish, offer an authentic “thank you” as you process the details.
Example:
“Thank you for taking the time to explain that. Let me do some quick research to
see how I can help you.”

4. “From what I understand, the issue you’re experiencing is [paraphrase the

issue].”
When you repeat information back to the customer, it shows them that you’re
actively listening and processing the conversation. Summarize their issue into
key points and confirm them with the customer. That way, they can correct
misunderstandings or add details so you can start forming a plan.
Example:
“From what I understand, the issue you’re experiencing is you are having trouble
logging into your account from the mobile app. Is that correct?”

Empathetic Phrases for Upset Customers

Two examples of empathetic phrases for upset customers.
A frustrated customer is often easy to read. Their inflection—
even through messaging channels—can suggest they’re
unhappy. Showing empathy is crucial when dealing with angry
customers to help you prevent escalation while continuing to
build stronger customer relations.
1. “I understand how frustrating that must be.”
Let the customer know you are on their team and understand how they feel. This
phrase suggests that you’ve been in their position before and that you
understand how to help them reach a satisfactory resolution.
Example:
“I understand how frustrating that must be. Do you mind if I ask you a few more
questions to determine the best way to solve your issue?”
2. “Thank you for bringing that to our attention. We understand it’s important to
you.”
Show appreciation to the customer for telling you about an issue you might not
have known existed with this classic phrase. It’s a quick and polite way to
recognize their efforts and express gratitude for their feedback.
Example:
“Thank you for bringing that to our attention. We understand it’s important to you.
Let me see what I can do to make this right.”

3. “I’m sorry you’re going through this.”

Being genuinely apologetic is a great way to transform an uncomfortable
situation into a positive experience. This phrase communicates customer service
skills like empathy, transparency, and assurance to learn from the mistakes that
led to the issue.
Example:
“I’m sorry you’re going through this. You have every right to be frustrated.”

4. “That would upset me, too.”

This phrase validates your customer’s feelings and creates a compassionate
environment conducive to working toward a solution together. Once you’ve
demonstrated to the customer that their issue has merit, and you would have
reacted similarly, you can move forward more comfortably.
Example:
“That would upset me, too. I completely understand where you are coming from.”

Customer Service Lines that Offer

Solutions
Three examples of customer service
lines that offer solutions.
Once the customer has fully
communicated their issue, it’s your
turn to offer solutions. What you say
here can improve your customer
experience or harm it—ensure you
are saying the right things.
1. “I will make sure this gets resolved quickly.”
This phrase tells your customer that you are overseeing the plan of action and
working quickly to resolve their issue. They will appreciate you taking ownership
of the situation and value your customer-centric approach to ensure their
satisfaction.
 Example:
“I will make sure this gets resolved quickly. I can either put you on a brief hold or
email you when I find a resolution. Which would you prefer?”

2. “While we are unable to do that, here’s what we can do.”

Sometimes, the customer may want a specific resolution after you exhausted all
avenues to make it happen. When the answer is no, this phrase enables you to
offer an alternative solution that you can provide.
Example:
“While we are unable to issue a full refund, here’s what we can do: I can give you
a 30 percent discount on your next purchase and complimentary access to our
member rewards. Would that work for you?”

3. “If you can [action], then I can [action].”

If a customer is frustrated, the last thing you want to do is add a task to their
plate. However, some solutions require the customer to take the first step so you
can do your part. Use this phrase to politely ask them to accomplish what you
need them to do to help you resolve the issue.
Example:
“Thank you for explaining that to me. If you can log into your account and enable
screen mirroring, I can walk you step-by-step on how to change those settings.”

4. “I’ve passed your feedback to our team.”

Customers want to know their feedback is being heard and taken seriously.
Assuring them that you’ve looped in a team that can consider and implement
their suggestions amplifies the voice of the customer and communicates their
value to your business.
Example:
“I’ve passed your feedback to our team. I will have my manager follow up with
you over email.”

Perfect Customer Service Phrases to End A Call

You’ve handled the interaction splendidly, and you’re ready to wrap up the call. Here are
a few perfect phrases for customer service reps to use at the end of the conversation.
1. “You can expect an update from us by [date/time].”
When a customer knows you’re actively working on their issue, they tend to be
more patient during the process. Providing the customer with a tangible date or
time for an update can put them at ease while allowing you to work behind the
scenes to identify all possible solutions. You will convey reliability and build trust
by communicating with the customer when you said you would.
 Example:
“You can expect an update from us by Thursday at noon CST. Is an email update
fine, or would you prefer to be contacted through another method?”

2. “Please let us know if there is anything else we can help with.”

Show customer appreciation by extending an open invitation to reconnect if the
customer has additional questions or issues. When customers know you’re
willing to help them whenever they need assistance, they will be happier with
your service.
Example:
“Thank you for reaching out to our support team. Please let us know if there is
anything else we can help with.”

3. “If you’re ready, I will connect you to the [manager or specialist].”

If you reached out to another internal resource for help with a resolution and
you’re ready to connect them with the customer, ask the customer if they’re ready
for the transfer. They may have another question or piece of information for you,
so asking for their consent makes for a smooth transition. It’s also good practice
to do a warm transfer or bring all parties on the line for introductions before
disconnecting yourself from the call.
Example:
“Hello, [Customer Name], thank you for holding. If you’re ready, I will connect you
to the technical support team.”

4. “Happy to help!”
Not every customer will tell you that they are walking away unhappy — in fact,
few will. So, it's important to make sure that the customer leaves satisfied.
Ending your emails without a closing message can be risky as it’s not inviting the
customer to share further issues — issues you sincerely want to hear about.

Power Phrases for Customer Service to Boost

Customer Satisfaction
You can always add more good things to your customer
service script to enhance the situation. You can inject these
customer service words and phrases into any situation to
improve the customer experience.
1. “I appreciate that.”
Add a sprinkle of positivity to the interaction with this statement of gratitude. Use
the phrase as a follow-up to say, “Thank you.”
 2. “Absolutely.”
This magical one-word response is packed with positivity. It conveys complete
agreement with the customer, is loaded with confidence and a sense of reliability,
and builds trust.

3. “Definitely.”
This word reassures the customer that you will address their issue and that they
will be satisfied with the resolution. It can also show that you are confident in
finding a solution.

4. “Thank you for being our customer.”

Customer support teams are on the front lines and are often the first—and last—
points of contact with your company. After a satisfactory resolution to a question
or issue, wrapping up the call with this ultimate phrase of gratitude can leave the
customer with a glowing experience that builds customer loyalty.

Nine Phrases To Avoid in Customer Service (And

What To Say Instead)
One or two negative phrases can quickly shift a
conversation and result in an escalation. Here are
customer service lines to avoid awkward interactions
and help you deal with difficult customers.
1. “I don’t know.”
No one has all the answers, but customer service
lines like this tell the customer that you aren’t
interested in working toward a solution. You
represent the brand, and this phrase can lead to
a negative experience that the customer might
not forget.
What to say instead:
“Great question! I will find the answer for you.”

2. “That’s not my job.”

This phrase can single-handedly cause permanent damage to your relationship
with the customer. Not only is it unprofessional, but it shows them that you don’t
care.
What to say instead:
“I’d love to help you with that, but our [specialist title] has had incredible success
resolving this specific issue. Would you mind if I connect you?”
3. “You misheard me.”
Even if the customer did mishear something you said, this negative phrase
insinuates to the customer that they’re in the wrong. Build stronger customer
communication with confident, positive language.
What to say instead:
“My apologies! May I rephrase that for clarity?”

4. “No, I can’t.”
Even when you don’t have options left, telling a customer you can’t do something
could upset them and make them turn to a competitor. It’s critical to always use
positive customer service words and phrases.
What to say instead:
“While we’re unable to do that, here’s something we can do.”

5. “Actually.”
This word may come across as condescending and suggest that you’re
correcting something that the customer was wrong about.
What to say instead:
“Actually” is a filler word, so you can “actually” eliminate it from conversations
altogether.

6. “What else do you need?”

Your customers shouldn’t feel like they’re bothering you or that you’re rushing the
call to satisfy call center metrics. This phrase has that connotation and can easily
result in a bad experience.
What to say instead:
“Please let us know if there is anything else we can help with.”

7. “I’m not the best person to help with that issue.”

Customer success and satisfaction are the goals of each interaction but saying
this tells the customer that you cannot help them—literally. Instead, position
yourself as a resource to connect your customer with a specialist.
What to say instead:
“I’d love to help! Our subject-matter expert, [specialist title], specializes in
resolving this specific issue and would love to work with you on this. Would you
mind if I connect you?”

8. “No.”
The phrase ‘no’ gives off a finality that is both rude and unhelpful. There are
several positive ways to say no without saying it.
 What to say instead:
“While we’re unable to do that, here’s what we can do.”

9. “Calm down.”
Telling an angry customer to calm down is like throwing gasoline on a fire. It’s
unprofessional and can damage the relationship instantly.
What to say instead:
“That would upset me, too. Here’s how I can help.”
.
Customer Service Terms And Definitions: The Ultimate Glossary
1. Customer Service: Customer service is the act of supporting and advocating for
customers in their discovery, use, optimization, and troubleshooting of a product
or service. It’s also the processes that support the teams making good customer
service happen. A successful customer service team is important for attracting
new business, boosting retention, and increasing sales among your existing
customer bases.

2. Customer Support: Customer support is the team of people who provide help
when customers have trouble with a company’s products or services. It’s
ultimately about making sure customers are successful in solving whatever
issues they came to your business to help solve.

3. Benchmarking: Benchmarking is a comparison of agent or team performance

against the performance of peers or competitors. It can also be used to compare
the current and past performance of the same agent or team. Benchmarking
helps in assessing a relative position versus the competition, and in developing
plans to maintain or improve on that position.

4. Business Hours: Business hours are the days and times that a company’s
customers can access agents for support. Though customers may consider 24/7
support ideal, a company can set business hours based on regional demand by
looking at its customer types, available support channels, and customer
feedback. This data provides insights into a company’s optimal hours for agent
staffing.

5. Business Process Outsourcing: Business process outsourcing, or BPO, involves

assigning responsibility for a function or operation to an external party. A growing
company can use this strategy to maintain service standards and meet an
increased demand for support as its business expands. BPO options include
 onshore (same country), near shore (same hemisphere), offshore (any location in
the world with lower labor costs), and virtual or home-based operations.

6. Change Management: Change management is the process of overseeing and

implementing change within a company. These could be organizational changes
or shifts in procedure or technology. Effective change management employs
processes, tools, and techniques that minimize disruptions to productivity and
promote acceptance and adoption of the change.

7. Customer Experience: Customer experience describes a customer’s relationship

with a company over the duration of their interactions. Evaluating the customer
experience enables a company to better meet customer expectations and
increase satisfaction and retention. Evidence shows that customers today expect
consistency in the quality of their interactions with a company and to be able set
the terms of these interactions at all times.

8. Customer Journey Mapping: Customer journey mapping involves documenting

the steps a customer takes in interacting with a company. Companies can use
this tool to better understand the customer experience, identify areas for
improvement, and increase customer satisfaction.

9. Customer Satisfaction: Customer satisfaction, or CSAT, is a metric that measures

a customer’s immediate happiness with a company’s service as well as a
customer’s overall loyalty. CSAT is determined using customer service metrics
collected from a clear and simple survey sent to a customer soon after an
interaction with a company is complete. Companies can use this transactional
metric to fine-tune service and track the effect of new customer support
measures.

10. Customer Segments: Customer segments are groupings of customers who share
a common need or characteristic. A company’s customer base might be divided
into segments according to location, industry, product usage, organization size,
revenue, or any other meaningful distinction. Creating these segments allows a
company to tailor its approach and interactions to the specific needs of each
group of customers.

11. Escalation Management: Escalation management involves identifying tickets that

call for extra attention and routing them to the appropriate agents to provide the
support. Effective escalation management ensures high-priority and difficult
 tickets can be handled and resolved quickly and capably, leading to more
efficient operations and happier customers.

12. Feedback Loop: A feedback loop is a mechanism enabling customers to

communicate with a company about their individual service experiences and how
they think the organization can improve. A closed feedback loop allows the
company to collect and learn from the customer input, take necessary action, and
communicate this follow-up directly to the customer.

13. Knowledge Base: A knowledge base is an organized online repository of

information that serves as a resource for customers and agents seeking answers
to common questions and issues. A knowledge base often complements a
company help desk and can include articles, news, product information, and
answers to frequently asked questions. Maintaining a knowledge base saves a
company time and money by eliminating the need to respond to the same
questions repeatedly and encouraging community members to interact with each
other. One-to-many solution resources like this can compel customer traffic to
deepen community participation and facilitate many-to-many operational gains.

14. Knowledge-Centered Service: Developed by the Consortium for Service

Innovation™, Knowledge-Centered Service, or KCS®, is a method of
empowering agents to capture new information and expand the company’s
collective knowledge. It is based on the principle that agents are best equipped to
create the knowledge base and evidence that they are more likely to capture
information when given the responsibility. KCS incorporates content guidelines
and quality measures to assist agents in developing useful knowledge to
enhance customer service.

15. Lifetime Value: Lifetime value is a measure of the projected revenue a customer
will generate for a company over the entirety of their relationship. Increasing
customer satisfaction has been shown to have a positive influence on lifetime
value.

16. Customer Service Channels: Customer service channels are the multiple ways
customers can contact your company for assistance, based on their preferences.
These channels can include phone, email, online information, text support, social
media such as Facebook and Twitter, chat, and SMS messaging. Omnichannel
support enables customers to choose different methods at different times, based
on their need and convenience, and ensures customers don’t have to repeat
themselves as they move from channel to channel.
17. Net Promote Score: Net promoter score, or NPS®, is a metric developed to
predict a customer’s loyalty toward a company. An NPS score is typically
determined by collecting data from a simple survey that asks customers how
likely they would be to recommend the company to someone else, using a scale
of 1 to 10. Studies link a high NPS score to long-term business growth.

18. Quality Assurance: Quality assurance is the process of monitoring and

maintaining a predetermined customer support standard. This process defines
the appropriate level of service, sets expectations for agents, and helps in
measuring performance. Quality assurance methods include email, chat, and call
monitoring; contact scoring based on the support standard; and regular feedback
to agents.

19. Self-Service: Self-service most frequently refers to when customers

independently access information and resolve issues rather than interact with a
company’s agent or submit a request for support. Self-service can also benefit a
company internally, helping agents find information easily and resolve customer
issues quickly.

20. Self-Service Ratio: The self-service ratio compares the number of help center
views with the number of tickets submitted to agents. This measure helps
determine how readily customers are able to find information on their own, by
going to the help center rather than needing to submit a ticket. A company can
use a self-service ratio to understand whether users feel empowered to serve
themselves, when new content is needed for the knowledge base, or whether
business changes may account for customer behavior.

21. Service-Level Agreements: A service-level agreement is the standard a company

and customer set as the target for a support team’s average ticket response and
resolution times. Service-level agreements give a team a predetermined level of
support to maintain, enable tracking of performance against goals, and help a
company both deliver predictable service and meet obligations to customers.

22. Subject-Matter Experts: Subject-matter experts are support team members who
have deep knowledge of a particular product, topic, or technology. These experts
serve as a valuable source of information and support to agents and others on
the team and are often responsible for creating and updating knowledge-based
content.
23. Support Operations: The support operation represents the entire team
responsible for providing, measuring, and improving customer service. A support
operation may include several job functions in addition to a general customer
service agent, including workforce management, training, quality assurance,
customer relationship management, specialist agent, and analyst.

24. Support Ticket: A support ticket provides a means of communication about a

customer request, tracking the actions taken from the time it is created through
its resolution. A ticket can be generated via a variety of support channels and
captures the pertinent details about the request.

25. Ticket Routing: Ticket routing is a process used to determine which agent on a
support team will resolve a customer request. Assignments can be based on skill
level, how long an agent has gone without a ticket, prioritizing the most important
tickets, or routing to the agent or group best suited to resolve the particular ticket.
These ticket-routing strategies help support teams stay organized and deliver
high-quality customer service.

26. Tiered Support: Tiered support involves organizing agents according to the types
of tickets assigned to them. Doing this helps a company manage the support
workflow, including ticket escalation. Tiered support often has three levels with
Tier 1 made up of generalists who handle basic requests, Tier 2 requiring agents
with a higher level of technical knowledge, and Tier 3 consisting of specialists
who can respond to complex issues.

27. Conversational AI: Conversational artificial intelligence (AI) is a set of

technologies that can recognize and respond to speech and text inputs. In
customer service, the term describes the use of AI-based tools—such as
chatbots or voice-based assistants—to interact with customers.

28. Chatbot. A chatbot is a type of conversational AI that enables businesses to put a

layer of automation or self-service in front of customers in a friendly and familiar
way. And with companies increasingly adding messaging channels to provide
faster resolutions and always-on support, bots have quickly become a key
component of any messaging strategy. They can be deployed over any
messaging app or channel and ensure customers get instant responses when an
agent is busy helping other customers.
29. Help Desk: A help desk is a centralized team within a company that serves
employees or customers en masse, using a software product to organize
conversations.

30. Ticketing System: A ticketing system is a help desk software program used to
process, manage, and track customer issues from submission to resolution.
Ticketing systems automatically organize and prioritize support requests in a
central dashboard. Users can tag, categorize, and assign tickets as they come in.
These systems also indicate ticket status so you can keep tabs on active
requests.

31. Messaging Platform: A messaging platform is a type of customer experience

software that equips developers or admins with tools to build interactive
messaging experiences. These tools include APIs and integrated development
environments that empower companies to go beyond SMS (Short Message
Service) with RCS (Rich Communication Services)—think: chatbots, quick
replies, carousels, picklists, audio, video, and more.

32. Call Center: A call center is an organization of sales and customer service agents
and managers who handle incoming and outgoing communications from
prospective and existing customers.

33. IT Service Desk: An IT service desk is where your employees go if they need
something fixed. It traditionally supports a business’ technology infrastructure.

34. Average Resolution Time: The average resolution time is a customer service KPI
that refers to the average time it takes for a customer care agent to resolve a
customer issue. This customer support metric directly correlates to customer
satisfaction and reflects your team’s efficiency.

35. First Response Time: First response time (FRT) measures how long it takes for a
customer support agent to reply to a request (not counting automated
responses).

36. Customer Effort Score: Customer Effort Score (CES) is a customer service metric
that measures the amount of effort a customer must expend to resolve an issue,
get an answer, or complete a task.

37. Agent: An agent is the support team member who is assigned service tickets and
responsible for resolving customer requests. Agents may also interact directly
 with customers to address service requests via communication channels such as
phone, email, chat, and social media.

38. Agent Experience: Agent experience refers to the quality of interactions between
support team members and the company employing them. It determines how
satisfied agents are with their work and career paths and has an impact on both
their interactions with customers and the company’s bottom line. It also refers to
the tools and processes that enable support agents to not only provide the kind
of support customers love but avoid providing the kind of frustrating experiences
customer hate.

39. Agent Life Cycle: An agent life cycle describes all of a customer support agent’s
interactions with the company employing them, from the time of recruitment for
the job through the end of the agent’s tenure. This encompasses the sourcing,
screening, and hiring process as well as measuring and evaluating performance
and developing career paths. For companies, the time and resources invested in
the agent life cycle can have an impact on the quality of customer service,
satisfaction with an individual interaction, and the lifetime value of a customer.

40. Customer Loyalty: Customer loyalty is when customers reward a company with
repeat business over time. Loyal buyers consistently choose to do business with
a particular brand and often defend it against its competitors.

41. Customer Retention: Customer retention refers to a company’s ability to turn

customers into repeat buyers and prevent them from switching to a competitor. It
indicates whether your product and the quality of your service please your
existing customers. It’s also the lifeblood of most subscription-based companies
and service providers.

42. Customer Needs: Customer needs are the psychological and physical
motivations that make someone want to purchase a product or service and stay
loyal to that business.

43. Customer Intelligence: Customer intelligence (CI) is the process of collecting

customer data and pulling insights from it. CI (also known as consumer
intelligence) allows companies to figure out who their customers are—where they
live, what products they like, what problems they’re looking to solve, and so on.
The goal is to use the information to tailor each interaction to individual
customers and improve their experience.
44. Customer Engagement: Customer engagement is the interactions between a
brand and a buyer across various communication channels, such as social
media, email, and community forums. It’s a two-way street—it doesn’t take place
unless your buyers either respond or reach out to you.

45. Customer Expectations: By definition, customer expectations are your customers’

ideas of how each interaction with your company should go. From how long they
wait to what channels they can use, this holds true for any part of the customer
journey. Customers want (and expect!) the absolute best, and if you don’t give it
to them, they’re happy to look elsewhere.

46. Issue Tracker: An issue tracker records all the problems customers experience
with a software product or app. It enables support agents, engineers, and
managers to monitor those issues until they’ve been resolved successfully.

47. Ticket Escalation: Ticket escalation is the process a company follows to move a
customer issue to a higher-level support agent or manager. The goal of
escalating a ticket should always be a quick resolution. The less time you keep
your customers waiting, the happier they’ll be.

48. Conversational Commerce: Conversational commerce describes the interactions

between companies and customers through third-party messaging apps or digital
assistants. These interactions may occur through live agents, AI-powered
chatbots, or a combination of the two.

49. Digital Customer Service: Online customer service is the process of answering
customer questions digitally using tools such as email, social media, live chat,
and messaging apps.

50. Customer Dissatisfaction: Customer dissatisfaction is the antithesis of customer

satisfaction. It happens when customer expectations are not only not meant, but
also when the company fails to do anything about the complaint.

51. Customer Care: Customer care is when companies treat their customers with
respect and kindness and build an emotional connection with them. It’s
something that can—and should—be handled by everyone on the team, not just
a customer service representative or a customer success manager.

52. Personalized Customer Service: Personalized service is providing customer

experiences that are tailored to the consumer’s individual needs and
 preferences. Personalization often makes customers feel more valued, which
inspires greater brand loyalty.

53. 360 Customer View: A 360-degree customer view is the concept of consolidating
customer data from various touchpoints and systems in one place. This helps
you and your team gain an accurate picture of your customer and what they need
from your company.

54. IVR: IVR is an automated phone system that answers incoming calls, gathers
information from callers, and directs them to the right agent or self-serve option.

55. Customer Data: Customer data is the demographic, behavioral, and personal
information that companies collect about the people they serve. It is critical for
gaining a better understanding of consumers—from leads and prospects to
current customers and those who’ve churned. Businesses can leverage those
insights to improve their sales, marketing, and support efforts.

56. Customer Segmentation Analysis: Customer segmentation analysis is how

businesses identify, and group customers based on certain characteristics. These
factors can range from behavior and age to purchase histories and physical
location.