Clichés - avoid them like the Plague

Clichés are easy to use - it’s a no brainer, right? A clever twist of words that gets across what you want to say?

What could go wrong?

What you should be asking is: What do they say to your callers? Mostly clichés sound cheesy and when you’re on hold they’re just downright annoying. When you’re scripting your IVR and marketing messages, here are four you should avoid at all costs:

1. “Your call is important to us” – Is it? If you feel the need to tell customers this, why aren’t you picking up the phone? At least that’s what they’ll wonder. If your customer is truly important to you, then tell them in another way, or better yet, show them.
2. “We record calls for training and monitoring purposes” – Since the advent of GDPR this statement has become completely redundant…. We know our calls are recorded. Now, don’t get me wrong, you still legally need to make them aware if you do record calls, but there’s always a better way, and swing it in a positive light, let your customers know the benefit to them!
3. “We’re your one stop shop” – This one is super tempting! You want a one-liner that says, “we’re amazing, we do all this stuff”. This isn’t it. It’s cringy and outdated, and people won’t believe you, it doesn’t provide any information. Let your callers know specifics, “we do this, this and this and so much more”.
4. “Thanks for calling” “Thanks for holding” “Thanks, thanks, thanks” – How many times do you need to say thank you? Depending on your brand image, it might not even be prudent to say “Thanks for calling [insert company name here]” A simple “Welcome to ….” Can sometimes cut it. You can appreciate your caller without thanking them – don’t waste time, give them the info they need / want and might even enjoy.

The best piece of advice is really, think before you script. As Abraham Lincoln once said:

“When I get ready to talk to people, I spend two thirds of the time thinking what they want to hear and one third thinking about what I want to say.”.

Which essentially means: What do your customers want to hear about your business? And what do you want to tell them?