Organisations rely on customers as much as customers rely on
organisations. When a customer’s transaction goes wrong, enigmatic
organisations swing into action to put events back on the right track to
minimise their customer's inconvenience and negative thoughts towards the
organisation.
This is none more so critical today with the advent of social
media, where an organisation's reputation for high levels of customer service
can easily be lost by a few vengeful customer postings that often only portray
one side of an errant customer encounter.
Suppose someone works in a customer-facing role, such as a customer
reception desk or retail store. In that case, it is inevitable that from time
to time, they will encounter an angry customer. The burning question is how to
react.
At the very least, they should be prepared. Below are several ways
that can be used to handle irate customers or people who are angry about an
issue that someone must deal with on behalf of an Organisation:
Stay Calm: Keeping a cool head is essential for three reasons:
- The person does not want to jeopardise their health or mental well-being by increasing their stress levels.
- The situation might escalate into a physical confrontation.
- It can further harm the organisation's relationship with the customer.
The person should not respond emotionally. Their goal should be to
act relaxed and controlled by taking a deep breath and thinking before
speaking. The worst thing they can do is to play along with the drama and start
yelling back.
Apologise: This may
sound obvious, but a simple apology can go a long way. Suppose the person does
not feel comfortable apologising. In that case, it is essential to remember
that their apology is in response to the customer's understanding of the
situation rather than what may have occurred.
Empathise: The person should try to put themselves in the customer’s shoes. Likely, their organisation has yet to do what it promised it would do. Empathic phrases which will calm the customer might include:
- I understand how you feel…
- I understand you are frustrated…
Check Body Language:
Experts say 70% of communication comes from body language. Therefore, the
person must become aware of their body language when dealing with upset customers,
giving the customer some space and maintaining eye contact, ensuring that their
arms are unfolded and the palms of their hands are open.
Tell the Truth: Being
less than truthful to appease customers now will only come back to bite the
person later. Honesty is always the best policy when dealing with demanding customers.
Know Their Stuff:
Knowledge of the company's products, services, and processes will put the
person in an excellent position to deal with the customer’s questions.
Be Assertive: This is
easier said than done, but sometimes, being assertive will quieten the customer
down. The person should not be rude or sarcastic, as this will only worsen
things.
Get Inside The Customer’s Mind: A degree in psychology is not required, but a basic understanding
of human behaviour helps. Angry customers often feel desperate and helpless but
may come across as looking for help. The person aims to offer choices, not a point-blank
refusal to assist.
What Not to Say: Some words and phrases are like a red flag to a bull regarding complainers. The following is what not to say:
- It is the system.
- That is not how we do things.
- I am not allowed to do that.
- It is beyond my control.
- I am not authorised to do that.
Gain Control of the Conversation: At some point, the person will need to move things along, perhaps
by trying the phrase: “We’ve
established the problem. Let’s talk about the solution.” Once the customer
sees the person is constantly focusing on finding a solution, they will calm
down.
Act: The customer’s
irrational behaviour may be due to a perceived lack of urgency from the organisation.
The person should find out what can be done right away and do it. This will
send a clear message that they are serious about resolving the issue for the customer.
LEARN: An excellent way to memorise and understand the process needed to deal with agitated customers is to use the LEARN model:
- L - Listen, then listen, and listen more.
- E – Empathise.
- A – Apologise.
- R – Resolve.
- N – Now.
If Things Get out of Hand: Sometimes, a customer's anger is based on something that may not
have anything to do with the actual issue, and there is absolutely nothing the
person can do about it.
If customers start to get aggressive or yell obscenities, they
should stop the conversation. The person should tell the customer they are
leaving and walk away while briefly summarising what happened and reporting the
incident to their organisation.
Follow-Up: After
the person has dealt with the customer's source of anger and agreed on a
resolution, they must follow up to check that everything has been thoroughly
sold and that the customer is happy with the outcome.
Speed is of the essence to correct any wrong happenings before they
negatively impact an organisation's social media presence, but more importantly,
to rectify any customer service issues before they can be posted online.
It is far better to correct customer service issues, as and when they occur, and turn an angry or upset customer who may seek revenge by posting negatively about the organisation on social media into a happy customer, who will act as an organisation’s ambassador to inform others of their high levels of service when issues are speedily corrected.
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