Customer support and service are currently gaining significant importance in the public eye. With the lockdown and pandemic, people are beginning to understand the value of human connection, however, there is a proper method to interact with customers. Employing the appropriate customer service language can promote the development of more enduring relationships with clients.
Although there is nothing incorrect with saying “happy to help,” overused customer service phrases may eventually lose meaning. That can be challenging for customer service representatives who, on average, conduct more than 50 chats daily while having a limited vocabulary.
Continue reading if you’re looking for phrases to use instead of “happy to help” to enhance your customer service experience for your clients.
- “Happy to help”: meaning and reasons to avoid saying it
- Alternatives to “happy to help.”
- “I see what you're saying.”
- “Thank you for contacting us.”
- “I'm not sure, but let us investigate.”
- “I understand how frustrating this must be.”
- “I totally understand.”
- “I'm sorry to hear you're having difficulties with this.”
- “We are attempting to resolve this.”
- “Let us know if you have any other questions.”
- “I’ll let my team know about this”
- “Thanks for giving us a head up.”
- “According to what I understand….”
- “I’d feel the same way.”
- “Is there anything else you need assistance with?”
- “You can count on me to assist you with that.”
- “That is an excellent question.”
- “Not a problem.”
- “I’ve read through your request.”
- “May I ask why that is?”
- “It sounds like (x feature) might be useful for you.”
- “We sincerely thank you.”
- “I just wanted to update you.”
- “How’s your day going?”
- Bottom Line
“Happy to help”: meaning and reasons to avoid saying it
It used to be thought that “happy to help” was preferable to the more cliched “you’re welcome.” In addition to being overused, “happy to help” lacks empathy and personalization. It is meant to sound like “I’m delighted I could solve your problem,” but since the customer isn’t mentioned, it comes out as “just doing my job.”
It doesn’t convey that you care about fostering a relationship that is significant to you or that you are motivated by the customer’s satisfaction. Customers want to know that customer service reps are more sincere and sympathetic in their communication today than ever. “Happy to help” and “glad to help” can be replaced by more empathetic alternatives. If you’re looking for “helped synonyms” then you’ve come to the right place – we’re glad to assist, aid, facilitate, and be of service.
Alternatives to “happy to help.”
Finding the best tone for your team can be challenging, especially since everyone has a unique brand voice. However, you may encourage your team and find a pleasant and enlightening voice by using any of the customer service phrases listed below.
“I see what you’re saying.”
Letting your customers know that you are aware of their situation is one of the most effective strategies to reduce stress. They can sense that you agree with them, so they don’t need to persuade you of anything by hearing phrases like “I see what you’re saying.”
“Thank you for contacting us.”
Nobody likes to speak with customer service because they’d prefer to figure out the solutions on their own and carry on with their daily activities. It is a good idea to show your appreciation for customers when they call for assistance. They spent time and effort trying to get in touch with you. Additionally, this type of language can relieve their stress and frustration.
“I’m not sure, but let us investigate.”
Contrary to what most people would say, admitting to a client that you do not know the answers to their queries is one of the best things you can do. Saying “I’m not sure” is far preferable to speculating on the solution, and it humanizes you. Additionally, using collective language like “let’s” makes the customer feel like you’re on the same team and are actively trying to solve their problem. Gaining the client’s trust with this phrase makes the procedure simpler overall. This is a more honest and direct phrase than “happy to help,” “glad to help,” and other helped synonyms.
“I understand how frustrating this must be.”
You will frequently encounter the same questions when using a live chat box. As a result, it may be challenging to maintain your sensitivity in a familiar setting. The situation is put back into perspective when you use customer service expressions like “I understand how frustrating this must be,” which invites you to consider how you would react if you were the customer. Additionally, it demonstrates to the client your empathy for the circumstance.
“I totally understand.”
Because emailing a support team can be pretty frustrating for many people, this customer service phrase puts the client at ease. Primarily customers can be unsure if you are listening to what they are saying or are simply shooting them down, the customer will feel more confident that you understand what they are saying and are working on it if you use words like “I totally understand,” however.
“I’m sorry to hear you’re having difficulties with this.”
Although your customer service team doesn’t want your clients to experience any problems with your services, it could seem otherwise to the client. That is particularly correct if the issue has been present for some time. Thus, your team has to reassure the client and typically this can be done with an “I’m sorry” if you truly are sorry. It will make you and the client feel better about the circumstance.
“We are attempting to resolve this.”
A customer in a difficult spot needs to know first and foremost that they will soon be out of the situation. Giving a deadline for a resolution is never a good idea because you can only imagine the customer’s dismay when the deadline passes and the issue is not fixed. Therefore, you should inform the client that you are working on resolving their issue. This can be a fantastic method to mend a broken relationship. This is a great alternative to “happy to help.”
“Let us know if you have any other questions.”
Although most clients don’t feel embarrassed when contacting customer service, using this phrase could be an excellent method to persuade those who do to ask any additional questions they might have. Furthermore, even if it has little to do with their initial inquiry, it shows the customer that you can help them if they need it. What better method to establish rapport than to assure your clients that you would be there for them no matter what?
“I’ll let my team know about this”
You should never ignore a customer’s problem at all costs. A best practice is to acknowledge someone’s request and inform them of the action you’ll take when they reach out to you with a problem or a suggestion for a new feature. Therefore, reassure your customer that their inquiry won’t simply disappear into thin air and that your team will work on it. This is a more specific and direct response than “happy to help” or “glad to help.”
“Thanks for giving us a head up.”
The majority of business owners are aware that for every one customer complaint, there are roughly 26 more who have the same problem but are keeping silent. That customer’s actions definitely warrants praise for bringing it to your attention. When a customer takes the effort to inform you of a negative experience or a bug, show your appreciation. If they have lost faith in you, it can help you win them back or motivate them to come forward with issues down the road.
“According to what I understand….”
Use this customer support term to let your client correct you if you misinterpreted what they meant because not everything is straightforward. At times, it can be beneficial to repeat to the client what they have stated. They may also spot a missing step so that your team can duplicate and fix the problem.
“I’d feel the same way.”
This phrase is another expression used in customer service that serves the dual purposes of reassuring the client that your staff is on their side and urging the customer support team to be patient. Everyone has at some point had to communicate with customer service representatives to fix a problem, so using some of that energy to align with customers can be highly beneficial.
“Is there anything else you need assistance with?”
According to a recent poll, 95% of online businesses offer email support, but 28% of email questions receive the wrong answers. That is more than a fourth of the replies that a typical company might send out. To ensure no problems fall through, allow your clients to express any further concerns or questions after each engagement.
“You can count on me to assist you with that.”
It can be a relief to contact assistance when a consumer has trouble figuring out what’s wrong. Therefore, confirming that you can assist is one of the things your customer service agents can do right away. This customer service phrase gives your clients a positive attitude and helps put their minds at ease.
“That is an excellent question.”
After spending a lot of time going through your database and documentation attempting to figure out a customer problem, clients may occasionally feel they are working with an inexperienced person who cannot locate what they’re searching for. You can remove that worry, and everyone is put on an equal footing when a customer hears the response ,”that’s an excellent question.”
“Not a problem.”
When using this, use caution. Although it is an excellent substitute for “happy to help,” some people could feel that you aren’t treating their problem seriously enough. They might believe they have a severe issue, and if you tell them otherwise, it might create tension throughout the customer support interaction. When a customer requests you to do anything simple, like look up a knowledge-based article or refer them to their customer success manager, it is better to use this sentence. Additionally, the buyer won’t hesitate when you use this phrasing because these are pretty simple tasks.
“I’ve read through your request.”
Being passed from one customer service agent to another is the one thing that clients dislike the most. Therefore, before replying, your staff should review the information provided about each consumer. The experience will improve the more you understand the customer’s problem and request.
“May I ask why that is?”
Every business encounters irritated clients, and occasionally those clients are so upset that it almost doesn’t seem genuine. Instead of being defensive or offended in those situations, try to understand. “May I ask why that is?” Such kind expressions allow your consumer to express their feelings on why they are so upset.
“It sounds like (x feature) might be useful for you.”
You ought to be conscious of the features a consumer needs to use to succeed with your products or services. Therefore, if someone contacts you with a question, make sure to suggest any other features that they would find helpful. Before they even realize it, share tips and tricks with your clients to enhance their use of your products.
“We sincerely thank you.”
The act of expressing gratitude has such a profound value. As often as possible, express gratitude to your customers. Did they send you a helpful bug report? Let them know how much you value it. Did they post a positive review or show kindness in a challenging situation? Let them know how much you appreciate them. They will become even more devoted to your brand due to it.
“I just wanted to update you.”
You may not always be able to provide your clients with an immediate solution to their problems. Tell them you’ll keep them updated in those situations and follow through. Send a message to them as soon as you have any updates to share. Similarly, try to reply to them every few days, even if you don’t have an update to share, just to let them know you’re still on the case.
“How’s your day going?”
When a customer contacts you with an issue, it may be tempting to find a solution right away. However, there are instances when it is preferable to approach the client as you would a friend. The most outstanding customer service representatives know when and how to be engaging and empathetic. So use as many customer service-related words as possible when conversing with consumers to reduce their stress.
Bottom Line
Even though there are substitutes for “happy to help,” old habits are hard to break. To motivate yourself to be fully present and mindful during your shift rather than going through the motions,, you might initially need to give yourself a pep talk before you start attending to customers. A service team leader can also be helpful in this situation by reminding the staff to use various responses when interacting with the customer.
However, a knowledge base with a list of these new phrases might help you switch your language, so you always sound empathetic and engaged. Even though reading from a note may appear phony at first, there is a much lower likelihood that the words you use will sound meaningless if you refrain from saying the same thing repeatedly. If you’ve come here looking for “helped synonyms” or some good alternatives to “happy to help” and “glad to help,” you’re now armed with some great options for assisting customers. These words will eventually come effortlessly, you won’t need to access the knowledge base, and you can be sure that your clients will see a difference.