Tips for dealing with angry customers
It is important to show solidarity, we must not argue – tips to help you get through some difficult situations with the clients
Each service provider has met, at some point during his career, some disappointed or angry customers. In practice, the customer is not always right and shouldn’t always blame the service / product. It is likely that we all have been witnesses in a moment or another, to situations where a customer is acting with disrespect or has unreasonable demands. If the reaction of the seller or agent is also not dignified and respectful, the situation would rapidly deteriorate in a matter dealt with shouts and screams.
For a service, an employee from customer care department or a sales agent from the store, patience is one of the most important qualities in dealing with difficult clients. It’s easy to become rude or hurt, but the person who was educated to be patient can prevent the damage of business and eventually turn a dissatisfied and furious customer into a satisfied and happy customer.
So what is the proper way to interact with an angry customers? We put together some tips that can help you calm the atmosphere.
Get to the root problem
You should check in depth with the client to find the problems faced. To correct the situation, try to understand in detail the issue and the customer’s expectations. If the person in front of you is unreasonable, do not say that clearly, as this may cause to lose temper. Confirm that there is a problem and try to leave to the customer the feeling that you are willing to invest time and effort to find an adequate response to the situation.
Identify and be empathic
Once you understand the source of the customer’s complaint about a product or service, put yourself in his place, so it will be easier to understand and provide appropriate solutions for his needs and expectations.
Not worth to create an argument
Sales people must be familiar with the phrase ‘the customer is always right’ – this is one of the most popular laws and the most important one in sales. The employee must always understand and remember that the client is the one who paid for the product or service and he has the right to complain. An argument can only lead to losses for the company in form that the customer cancels the transaction or, worse, inform your community of clients about this situation.
Maintain professionalism
For company employees, to understand customer dissatisfaction about the service or product purchased, is a direct interaction. Therefore, the representative of the company must be careful not to defend or take to heart the words of an angry customer. Company representatives shall not leave the discourse at the professional level, focusing on customer complaint about the product and trying to find a solution to this problem.
A positive attitude can be contagious
Keeping a positive attitude is important for the mental health of the employees and customers – it is essential for interacting with happy and also angry customers . If an angry customer opens a cordial conversation the employee must be polite to calm him down .Calm and positive attitude can be contagious – so the employee should aspire to be pleasant.
Positive attitude may be too sticky
Indeed, as noted above, the employee should strive to be positive and pleasant. However, you must provide proof of seriousness when you try to solve a problem for angry customers. Too much smile can give the customer the feeling that the gravity of the situation is not clear, or even worse – it is a matter of disrespect.
Alternative offer
Sometimes you can accomplish the same thing in many ways, and it is important to offer customers various options available for you to resolve the issue. For example, if the customer complains about the monthly fee, no one will offer him a better service at a lower cost by signing a new contract, or alternatively, the termination of the existing contract from his account right now.
Reward mistakes
We all like to feel that we are important to someone. Give the customer something even if it is small and worthless. This approach can work wonders and heal his wounded ego, thus turning it into a happy and satisfied customer from one that is frustrated and dissatisfied.
Everyone is witness
This advice is especially true for physical stores. It is important to assume that in all phases of the conversation other customers and the staff are witnesses. When the situation becomes unpleasant, many customers prefer to go to another store to escape from the situation. The service provider must assume that everyone in the store assists and chooses carefully the tone and vocabulary.
Tracking
Everyone likes to feel important, and customers like to feel that they are important to the company. Was the problem solved for the customer? Lift him a call after few days, make sure that the subject was treated satisfactorily – and earn a regular customer.