Find a Way to Say It – Turning Negative Language into Positive Customer Service

Category: Games & Activities
Estimated Time: 20–25 minutes
Group Size: Two teams (4–10 participants each)
Best for: Tone of voice, re‑phrasing, customer empathy, communication training

Objective:

Help participants practice converting unprofessional or irritating statements into tactful, customer‑friendly responses. The exercise heightens awareness of how language shapes customer perception and reinforces habits of respectful communication.

Core Activity – Find a Way to Say It:

1. Form Teams: Split the group into Team A and Team B.
2. Round 1: Team A proposes a negative statement (e.g., “You don’t know what you’re talking about”). Team B must re‑phrase it into a positive alternative (e.g., “Thanks for highlighting that—let me clarify”).
3. Round 2: Switch roles; Team B supplies the negative phrase, and Team A reworks it.
4. Keep alternating for 6–8 rounds. Optionally award points for speed and clarity.

Common “Bad” Phrases to Use:

• “You’ve come through to the wrong place.”
• “No, that’s wrong.”
• “You don’t understand.”
• “If you’d just listen to me…”
• “I already told you that.”

Trainer Tips:

• Ask teams to explain why their new wording is better.
• Have one volunteer role‑play the “customer” and react to each version.
• Capture top positive statements on a flipchart for later reference.

Debrief Questions:

• How did tone shift the meaning—even if the facts stayed the same?
• Which words or phrases trigger customer frustration quickest?
• What will you do differently on your next customer call or chat?

Alternative Activity 1 – Positive Language Relay

Estimated Time: 15 minutes | Group Size: 6–12

1. Seat participants in a single line (or circle) like a “telephone” game.
2. Whisper a negative statement to the first person. Example: “That’s not my job.”
3. Each person in turn must whisper a slightly improved version to the next, making the language more positive each step.
4. The final participant says their version aloud, and the group compares it with the original.

Learning Focus: Incremental improvement, listening accuracy, tone awareness.

Alternative Activity 2 – Empathy Response Matrix

Estimated Time: 25 minutes | Group Size: Tables of 3–5

1. Create scenario cards with difficult customer statements (e.g., “I’ve been transferred three times!”).
2. Each team draws a card and fills a 2 × 2 matrix on flipchart paper:
   Column 1: “What NOT to say” (two examples)
   Column 2: “What TO say” (two respectful alternatives)
3. Teams present their matrices; peers vote on the most empathic phrasing.

Learning Focus: Empathy mapping, phrase‑building, peer feedback on tone quality.

Learning Outcomes (All Activities):

• Sharpen phrasing skills for respectful, solution‑oriented language.
• Strengthen empathy and active listening in customer interactions.
• Identify common “toxic” phrases and replace them with positive alternatives.
• Build team awareness of tone, word choice, and customer perception.

Related Training Material Packages:

• ✅ Find a Way to Say YES Package
• ✅ Communication Skills Training Package
• ✅ Emotional Intelligence Training Package
• ✅ Team Building Training Package