Power Words for Customer Service: What Are They?

Find the most common power words for call center success. We list some of our favorites and explain why they work.

Regardless of what type of business you run or what industry you’re in, one thing remains true: your customer interactions are at the foundation of everything you do. How you and your team communicate with your clients and leads will determine your entire bottom line—after all, there’s no quicker way to lose customers and ruin your reputation than by providing poor customer service. Sounds scary? It can be, but you have nothing to worry about if you have an excellent customer service strategy.

One of the best ways to provide excellent customer service is through language. Words matter, and how your team speaks to your clients and leads is important. This is where call center power words come into play. These words or phrases can instill confidence and satisfaction in your customer base rather than confusion, mistrust, or offense.

Are you unsure which customer service words to use? We’ve written an essential guide to power words for customer service. If you have any questions, get in touch with our TeleDirect team. We’d love to speak further about one of our favorite topics and help you develop more ways to optimize your customer service strategy.

Call Center Power Words: Examples That Work

Wondering which customer service words to use and which ones to avoid? Our simple guide will help get you started.

Positive Customer Power Phrase Examples

Now

While you can’t help how quickly some issues and cases are resolved, firmly using the word “now” reassures your customers that your team is prioritizing their needs and working urgently to solve things.

Understand

Your customers want to feel heard. What is the best way to do this? Tell them you hear and understand them, then demonstrate that by looking for solutions.

Always

Consistency is key. When you speak about your company, use the phrase “always” when applicable. It shows that your company’s quality is not just a case-by-case experience.

Pleasure

Words that directly express positive experiences, like pleasure, will leave a good impression on your customers. When they say “thank you,” be sure to remind callers that they have been a pleasure to help.

Change

When a customer has an issue, they are hoping for something to change, big or small. Using the word “change” shows flexibility and the ability to offer these solutions.

Negative Customer Power Phrase Examples

Impossible

The term “impossible” is negative and does not instill much (if any) confidence that your team will be able to solve your customers’ issue or that you even really want to try.

Won’t

“Won’t” often sounds like a refusal and can come across more negatively than intended. Instead of saying, “that won’t work,” try saying, “that might not work, but I am happy to give it a try.”

May/Might/If

The terms “may,” “might” and “if” all sound innocuous enough, but they can be wishy-washy. Let’s say your customer is upset that they were left waiting for an appointment. By saying, “we’re sorry for the inconvenience we may have caused,” you are not directly acknowledging the truth. After all, your customer has already expressed that you caused an inconvenience. The term “may” turns it into a question rather than stating it as a fact, as in this example: “We are sorry for the inconvenience we caused by being late.”

Please note that certain words and phrases are never acceptable in customer service, like swear words, name-calling or hate speech.

Factual Customer Power Phrase Examples

Qualified

When an expert is required, customers are glad to hear that a qualified professional is involved. When appropriate, it’s always ideal to mention these accolades.

Free

Everybody loves a freebie. If your company offers complimentary services, that is something to highlight in your interactions. A free service or example of your service may interest leads who would have passed your company by otherwise.

Power Words for Customers

Your customers respond better to certain words—depending on your industry, those words can vary. We recommend taking a good look into your industry and what language is typically used in customer service scenarios. After all, a person can expect different language during a phone consultation with their doctor than they would with their wedding planner. Sure, the power words like “always” and “now” might stay the same, but there will be additional verbiage specific to the industry and the company’s branding and image. That’s why so many companies develop scripts for their call center agents to work—to stay on-brand and industry-specific.

Do Power Words Build Credibility?

Using power words shows your clients that they can trust your team to handle requests at a reliable pace and present your agents as a more confident and capable team.

We Have the Words to Show You Value Your Customers’ Needs

Want to improve your customer service? At TeleDirect, we’ve been helping American brands do just that for more than 20 years. Our agents become an indispensable extension of your business. We learn from your company to provide exceptional customer service to all your clients. We are experts in using powerful words for customer service to create an engaging and reliable call center experience. That’s just the beginning! TeleDirect offers everything a company needs to provide excellent customer service and communication, like 24/7 coverage, lead response management services, and live inbound and outbound agents.

Ready to get started? Call (800) 776-1081 today to discuss your business and customer service needs with our team. We look forward to learning about your company and helping it shine bright.