Customer service professionals who excel at building rapport with their customers are masters at finding something they have in common with each person they serve. Common ground allows us to break the ice and talk about something we both care about.
Here are a few examples:
- A physical therapist put his patient at ease by discussing their mutual love of the same NBA team.
- A hair stylist made a new client feel more welcome by chatting about their mutual enthusiasm for wine.
- A call center representative empathized with customers who were victims of Hurricane Sandy by sharing his own experiences helping family members recover from a flood.
Of course, to find something in common you have to pay attention and ask questions. Even when finding common ground isn't easy, paying attention and asking questions are two skills that never go out of style!