Matching Tone of Voice

The importance of tone of voice in customer service and how you can maintain it when you outsource.  

A brand’s tone of voice is unique and helps products and companies stand out from the crowd. From Dollar Shave Club’s humorous and irreverent tone of voice that is evident in all of their messaging, from their commercials to their social media posts, to Innocents charming and quirky tone which makes them feel approachable and fun, tone of voice is a vital part of your brand’s identity and customer experience. 

But how do you maintain it at scale through your customer service and is it really that important? 

What is tone of voice? 

Tone of voice refers to how a brand or person conveys their emotions or attitude through the way they speak, such as their pitch, volume, speed, or inflection. It can communicate feelings like excitement, enthusiasm, anger, sadness, or indifference, and can influence how a message is received and interpreted by the listener. A person’s tone of voice can also convey their personality and demeanor, and affect how they are perceived by others.

Why is tone of voice important for customer experience? 

As customers, we’ve all had experiences with customer service representatives who have made us feel heard and valued, as well as those who have left us feeling frustrated, unheard, and even angry. The difference between these experiences often lies in the tone of voice used by the representative.

Tone of voice refers to how a message is delivered. It includes the pitch, pace, volume, and emphasis placed on certain words or phrases. It plays a crucial role in determining whether a message is received positively or negatively.

In customer service, tone of voice is paramount to creating a positive customer experience. When a customer contacts a company, they’re often looking for a solution to a problem or are seeking answers to questions. If a customer service representative uses a harsh, impatient, or dismissive tone, this can exacerbate the problem, leaving the customer feeling frustrated and poorly served.

On the other hand, a friendly, conversational, and empathetic tone can help to create a positive experience for the customer. It can help to put the customer at ease, foster a sense of trust, and create a connection between the customer and the representative. 

In short, the tone of voice used by a customer service representative can make or break a customer’s experience with a company.

The importance of tone of voice is not limited to phone calls. In written communications such as emails, chatbots, and social media messages, tone of voice is equally important. In written communications, tone can be communicated through word choice, punctuation, and language. For example, using exclamation marks and emojis can indicate a friendly and informal tone, while using formal language and proper punctuation can create a more professional and authoritative tone.

How can a BPO maintain your tone of voice? 

To maintain a brand’s tone of voice in BPO, companies can follow these guidelines:

Develop a brand style guide: The brand style guide should include guidelines for language, tone, and voice. It should be shared with the BPO team to ensure consistency across all channels.

Train the team: The BPO team should be trained on the brand’s tone of voice to ensure they understand the brand’s personality and messaging.

Monitor the team’s performance: Regularly check in with the BPO team to ensure they are adhering to the brand’s tone of voice. This can be achieved through call monitoring, quality assurance, and feedback sessions.

Use technology: Automated systems for emails, chatbots, or IVR prompts can help ensure that all messaging follows the brand’s tone of voice.

Provide feedback to the BPO team: If there is any deviation from the brand’s tone of voice, provide constructive feedback to the BPO team to help them improve their performance.

Why Enshored? 

Enshored solves the challenges of fast-growing, disruptive start-ups by delivering tailored outsourcing solutions.

We know what it takes to grow, our global team of over 2000 is scaling rapidly with 100 new team members per week.

We support the Unicorns of tomorrow with customer experience, content moderation, sales & marketing and back-office support.