By Nancy Friedman, Keynote Customer Service Speaker, President, Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training.

We’ve all had them. For a variety of reasons, some callers shift from topic to topic or get carried away on one topic that has no connection to why they called in, in the first place. While visiting with a caller may build rapport, often times the caller sidetracks the conversation when time is short as well.

Telephone Doctor has a GET BACK ON TRACK technique and it will show you how to refocus the conversation.

This 1-minute 46 second fun video blog will help.

* Interject – when the caller takes a pause – and they will, with a compliment.

* Take control of the conversation with that compliment such as: “Mrs. Jones, (here comes the compliment I’d like to hear more about your grandmother’s trip – (or whatever topic they’re onto (NOW the control) however, I know you called in with a question/concern/or comment – how can I help on that?

You’ll see that the caller will normally apologize and say something like “oh right, yes… about the credit I was supposed to get; it never came. Can you check that out?”

Then, of course, you’re back in control. The off track conversation rarely comes back up. It’s not a 100% technique but it does work most of the time.

Good servicing and please share this important technique.