In customer service, it’s common for interactions to be suddenly cut off due to technical issues, miscommunications, or unexpected customer behavior. If a call is disconnected before it’s resolved or completed, it can create some uncertainty about how to proceed, especially when you’re required to make predictions regarding customer satisfaction or issue resolution. Here's how to handle such situations:
Make Your Prediction Based on the Interaction Before the Call Was Disconnected
Even if the call is cut short, your prediction should be based on the portion of the interaction that was completed. This means that, despite the call being disconnected before the issue was fully resolved, you need to evaluate how things were going up to that point.
Key steps to follow:
- Evaluate the tone and sentiment before the disconnection: Were there positive cues, such as the customer thanking you or sounding satisfied, or did they express frustration or dissatisfaction? These cues can give you an idea of how the customer felt in the moments leading up to the hang-up.
- Assess the progress of the interaction: Had you made significant progress in solving the customer’s issue? If you had already provided a solution or reassurance before the call was disconnected, your prediction might lean toward a resolved, positive outcome (even though the call was cut off prematurely). If the issue was still unresolved and the customer was frustrated, you may predict a dissatisfied outcome.
- Put yourself in the customer’s shoes: Think about how the customer might feel if they were suddenly disconnected. Would they be frustrated because their problem wasn’t addressed? Or perhaps relieved if they had already received a solution? Understanding the situation from the customer’s perspective will help you make a more accurate prediction about how they might feel.