While the customer service research and common sense both say that it’s important for customer service professionals to project an aura of confidence and expertise, too much of a good thing can be, well… too much.

I witnessed a customer interaction that illustrates how sometimes being (or acting?) confident can hurt the customer experience you provide. This mistake has a huge impact in your ability to make customers feel comfortable giving you the information you need to satisfy – or better yet, “Wow!” – them. It also makes a huge difference in whether customers feel comfortable doing business with your company.
Here’s what happened…

I went to a sporting goods store with a friend, so she could find a watch to replace the one she loved that had finally given up the ghost. The lady at the watch and optics counter said that they didn’t have that particular model in stock, but my friend might be able to find it in their in-store, online catalog. She informed my friend that if she found it, she could have customer service order it. Sure enough, the exact model was in the online catalog, so armed with the make and model number, my friend made her way to the customer service desk.

The young man took the information, looked in his computer and informed my friend that that he couldn’t find the model number she had given him, but that they have two similar watches in the optics department. My friend said the optics lady had told her their weren’t any similar items. The young man confidently assured her they were there, since his computer said so, and the woman in optics must have overlooked them. He then instructed my friend (over 30 years his senior) to “run over to optics and have her search through the boxes again” (I was taken aback by THAT directive!).

He then came over to the counter and searched, finding some watches that were somewhat similar but 1/3 more expensive. When my friend tentatively comments about the online catalog indicating her watch was in stock, he assures her that it isn’t.

He leaves and goes back to his customer service counter and the optics lady returns. My friend updates her and asks the optics lady if she would help her find the watch she wants online again and order it. The lady says “Yes” and together they find it and order it – this time without involving the customer service man.

Once in the car, I asked my friend what made her decide to ask the optics lady for more help instead of the young man in customer service. She said that he seemed focused on returning to his station (which is understandable) and she didn’t want to keep him any longer. She also said the optics lady seemed to know more about the situation, which is understandable given she was the manager of that area.

“Is there anything else?” I questioned, guessing that there was something about the interaction that contributed to her hesitancy to ask him for more help.

Yes, she said, he seemed very much wanting to assert that he was the Master of His Domain, and to make sure it was clear HE was in charge – not the kind of demeanor that makes one feel comfortable asking “Are you sure….?” Or asking for more help.

Because the woman was much more friendly and easy going, my friend felt comfortable challenging the assertion that what she wanted wasn’t available and asking her for extra help. The woman’s demeanor made it easy for my friend to ask for what she wanted and because of that, leave with what she wanted.

Haven’t you dealt with service professionals or healthcare providers who were “not necessarily right, but never in doubt”? They were so certain that they are correct or that the information, product, or service you want is not available, they demonstrate no interest in exploring further? And… as they’re doing this, the act like they’re more interested in being right and the authority than they are in helping you?

This is where being overly confident of one’s knowledge or expertise can be a drawback. Confidence can turn into arrogance. It can also make less assertive customers uncomfortable with asking for what they want. Rather than deal with this immovable object, they leave in frustration.

Making customers feel safe in your knowledge AND in their ability to ask for what they want and/or challenge you will increase your ability to leave them satisfied.

Take Aways:

1. Some personality types are more prone to being a “know it all” and being “never in doubt, even when wrong.” If you feel like this might be you, be extra vigilant about “knowing that you know” and be willing to “think you know.”

2. Notice how you act when you can’t find the information a customer wants or believe something the client wants is not possible. Do you put more energy into being right and certain than you do exploring the possibility the information or solution might be available somewhere?

3. If you have a strong personality, learn to dial down your Certainty Level when talking with reserved or timid customers. If you’re too intense, they probably won’t disagree or ask for what they want. They’re more likely to give up and go somewhere else.

4. If you believe that you must always know the answer and not doing so makes you look incompetent, challenge that belief. Few things lead customers to lose confidence in a service professional than when the service professional tries to pretend they know something they don’t. Few things engender greater trust than a CSR who confidently admits when she doesn’t know, and then just as confidently assures that she will find the answer.

5. Remember, the more comfortable you make it for customers to ask for what they want, the more likely you’ll be able to make them happy… and thus create a customer experience they’ll go tell others about.

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