I was doing some coaching this week with a client and the issue of getting control of an inbound call came up. The problem is that sometimes customers asks a question that is really another question in disguise.
For example, a customer's opening line is
"How long does it take to ship your goods from your Sydney warehouse to our Brisbane office?"
We really need to ask ourselves the question, "Why are they asking this?". Almost always there's a question behind the question. Do they just have an academic interest in shipping times? Probably not! They have a real reason for asking. Maybe something has not arrived that they think should have arrived. Maybe they want push our processess by ordering something after our close off time.
It's OK to answer their question with a question or not answer the question straight away. Here are some examples of what you might say instead:-
"It depends."
"Have you placed an order with us?"
"Are you expecting a delivery?"
Sometimes their questions can be even more obscure such as
"What is the life expectancy of your product?"
I'm sure you can think of many hidden agendas behind this question. You could respond with, "Do you mind if I ask what's prompted you to call us today?" Is that too risky a question? Let me know what you think?
How have you handled the hidden questions?
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