The 3 B’s of Poor Customer Service

OABPO Blog Team Published on October 22, 2014 Last updated on January 15, 2022

It’s an established notion that for customer service to be deemed successful, the business must be able to deliver what the customer requires.

customer service agent stressed worried looking away

This is why first-contact resolution and other results-based metrics are strictly prioritized by Philippine call centers and customer care units of most companies.

Problems should indeed be countered with an effective fix, and most of the time, how the representatives handle the case plays a big part in the solution. The choice of words and the way they are delivered are indeed crucial in quelling anger and frustration.

Even in hopeless situations where there’s nothing that can be done to completely repair the damage, complainants still end up satisfied with how companies faced their concerns. An apologetic tone and a positive vocabulary can go a long way in customer service.

On the flip side, there are words and attitudes that spell out bad customer care, which can be summarized into the following.

              

  1. Blaming

    customer service agent hiding behind call center office chair

    Blaming means that you’re finding excuses for why you can’t do something and also reflects an aversion to responsibility.

    While explaining what caused a problem is part of giving an answer, customers don’t really care much about who they should point their fingers at. They brought the case to you in hopes of getting a solution, not to find out who to blame. So, even if you’re not at fault, the problem is already yours to solve.

    For the customers, the point of customer service is for you to fix their issue and not to divert their anger to the power company where the outage started, the courier that got delayed, and most especially, to their own misuse of the product. Therefore, you should show them more of how much you want to take action instead of how little you care about an issue.
              

  2.           

  3. Busy

    customer service agent looking dubious confused

    Saying that your team is too busy could mean several things; and for customers, they all sound bad. Being busy means that they have to wait before they get their issues resolved. Ultimately, being busy and unavailable tells your customers that they are not prioritized.

    There are also many ways to avoid giving callers these impressions. For one, you could provide multichannel customer service by having web-based tools. Reviewing your staffing and scheduling systems could also help find out if you have enough people during hours when call volume peaks or if you assign the right agents for both minor and complicated tickets.
              

  4.           

  5. Buts

    dubious customer service agent looking at agent profile on computer

    Like blaming, saying “but” removes hope and any positive thing you said prior to saying this word.

    “We can process your order, but it will take a while.”

    “We have a branch near your location, but it won’t open until 8:00 AM”

    See how it cancels out the positive answer and immediately turns it into a “no?”

    Avoid displaying incapacity by only saying absolute statements about what you can possibly do. So to rephrase the no statements above, say “We can definitely process your order in five minutes,” or “Our branch near your location will open at exactly 8:00 AM.”
              

We’re not really saying that these words and answers should be avoided at all costs. What you can do is find a better way of explaining the situation to keep your customer service unit from gaining labels of inadequacy, incapability, and inaccessibility. Always go for the positive, empathetic tone and attitude when solving customer concerns.

These big no-nos in customer service can be avoided by having a well-trained support team that projects empathy and technical know-how for your brand. You can outsource this responsibility to a trusted firm like Open Access BPO and rest assured your customer satisfaction metric will always look good.

Contact us today and let’s begin your outsourcing journey.

 

Read More

Join us on facebook
Open Access BPO Yesterday
𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗕𝗣𝗢 𝗞𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱

Open Access BPO launched its #CustomerServiceWeek 2025 celebration with an event honoring its #CustomerSupport teams.

This year's theme, Mission: Possible, celebrates how #TeamOABPO turns every #CustomerExperience challenge into success through skill, dedication, and teamwork.

A special highlight was a client video thanking employees for their commitment and excellence. Throughout the week, team members across all sites will enjoy themed games and activities leading up to a grand finale recognizing top performers.

#CSWeek remains one of Open Access BPO's most anticipated traditions, celebrating teamwork, recognition, and fun at work.

#CSWeek2025
#OABPOCSWeek2025
#WeAreOABPO #MissionPossible
Open Access BPO 5 days ago
We're stepping into the future.

The next chapter of Open Access BPO is almost here.

Be part of it.
Open Access BPO 8 days ago
Over the years, you've known us as a trusted BPO partner. Now, we're stepping into the next chapter, just beneath the surface.

Fresh, thoughtful, and ready for what's ahead.

Be there to see what’s next.
Open Access BPO 43 days ago
For global businesses, #outsourcing has evolved beyond a cost-saving measure into a strategic pillar for building true business resilience.

𝗔 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗼𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗮𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿.

❓ How do you future-proof your business in an unpredictable market?
❓ What is your approach to building a business that is built to last in an unpredictable market?

Learn more about creating an unbreakable business model, continue the conversation with us over at: https://buff.ly/N4b8hOD

________________________________
Brands trust Open Access BPO in building resilience, with our customized solutions and a diverse, multilingual workforce that strengthens their operations.

Don't wait for the next market shift—connect with us now to start building your unbreakable business:
https://buff.ly/rWaK05N

#WeSpeakYourLanguage
#PhilippineCallCenters #BusinessContinuity
#BusinessResilience #StrategicOutsourcing
#B2B #FutureProofing #BusinessAgility