“That’s our policy.” – You’re being paid to recite this idiotic phrase but it is best confined to staff training seminars. A dissatisfied customer doesn’t care about your policy. He cares about the issue being resolved right here, right now.There are many ways to subtly remind customers of the terms and conditions of service, but care should be taken not to do this at a time when the customer is in an agitated state. Leave it to the marketing department to find a way to spin policy into the message, while you concentrate on customer satisfaction.
“It’s not our fault…” – If it’s not your fault, then whose fault is it? The customer’s? Don’t try to ascribe blame when dealing with a customer dispute. Keep the focus on the issue at hand rather than who is the cause of it.
“You have to…” – The customer doesn’t have to do anything. The phrase implies arrogance that the customer is compelled to complete an action in order to benefit from the product or service. With information literally at everyone’s fingertips, he/she likely knows that there are other options available besides your company.
A better phrase to use is “I’m going to suggest” or “May I suggest you do XYZ?”