Dealing with angry customers is one of the most challenging aspects of any job. Whether face to face or over the phone, you are likely to be faced with frustration, aggressive anger and impatience. The key to success in dealing with angry customers is staying calm. Keep reading to learn how to deal with angry customers.
Step
Part 1 of 2: Understanding Customer Complaints
Step 1. Stay calm and adjust your mindset
Nobody likes dealing with an emotional person and yelling in public. However, your job in a situation like this is to stay calm and in control. Even if you feel the urge to yell back at them, resist the urge! Shouting and anger will only escalate the situation. Instead, show your best attitude towards customer service and deal with it. Now it's time to work.
Never use sarcasm or fake friendliness. Such an attitude will only inflame the customer and make the situation much worse
Step 2. Listen carefully to what the customer has to say
Angry customers generally just need someone to vent their emotions from and today, that person is you. This means that you should do your best to listen carefully to what they have to say. Give the customer your full attention, don't look around, daydream, or let other things distract you. Look at the customer who is talking and listen carefully to what they have to say.
As you listen to them, listen for the answers to these questions: What makes them angry? What do they want? What can you do to help them?
Step 3. Separate your feelings from the situation
When a customer is very angry, he or she may say something (or many things) very rude. Keep in mind that you shouldn't be offended. He's mad at the business, product or service they're getting, they're not mad at you as a person. You have to put your personal feelings aside.
But keep in mind, if a customer has become too rude, or seems downright threatening, you should tell them that you're going to ask your boss or someone else for help to resolve the issue. When you walk back to the customer, share the situation with your boss or the person helping you and explain why you need their help (eg you feel threatened, etc). When something bad happens, you have to ask the customer to leave
Step 4. Repeat the customer problem
Once the customer is done venting his or her emotions, make sure you know exactly what made them angry. If you feel unclear, repeat what made them angry based on what you picked up, or ask a question. Repeating the problem to the customer will show them that you are really listening, and also to determine what problem needs to be fixed.
A great way to make sure you're clear about the problem is to use calm, controlled words like, "I understand you're upset, and it's true that pizza was delivered an hour late to your door."
Step 5. Sympathize actively
Showing sympathy will help customers understand that you are really trying to help them. Once you've pinpointed the problem, show that you're really sorry and that you really understand their anger. Say something like:
- “I totally understand your frustration. Waiting for pizza, especially when you're really hungry, isn't great.”
- “It's not wrong if you feel annoyed. Late orders can really mess up your plans tonight."
Step 6. Apologize
Let the customer know that you're very sorry, regardless of whether you think they over-dramatized the incident. Along with empathy, apologizing can make things easier for you. Sometimes, angry customers just want someone to apologize to them for bad service. Hopefully the customer will calm down after you apologize on behalf of the company.
Say something like, “I'm sorry your pizza didn't arrive on time. You must be angry and I fully understand why you are upset. Let me see what we can do to fix this problem.”
Step 7. Call the manager when your customer asks
If you are in the process of dealing with a problem and a customer asks you to call your manager or supervisor, fulfill the request. However, if you can avoid having to involve a manager, do it yourself. Taking matters into your own hands will show your boss that you have the ability to deal with angry customers in a calm and controlled manner.
Part 2 of 2: Troubleshooting
Step 1. Offer one solution (or more)
Now that you have heard of the causes of customer anger, you must have a solution to offer. When you roughly know what solution your customer is happy about, then pass it on to him.
For example, in a situation like pizza being late, you might offer something like, “I fully understand that you are upset that your pizza arrived late. I'm willing to refund your money and offer a voucher for a free pizza. I will personally make sure that your next pizza is delivered at maximum speed.”
Step 2. Ask the customer for feedback
If you're not completely sure what will make a customer happy, then ask him. What does he want to solve the problem? Was there something that would satisfy him? Say words like the following:
“What solution do you want? If it's within my control, I'll sort it out."
Step 3. Take immediate action
Tell the customer what you will do next to make sure the problem is resolved. Give him your contact information, especially if you're on the phone, so he can contact you if the problem comes up again.
Step 4. Take a few minutes to yourself after the incident
Once the customer leaves or hangs up, take a few minutes to digest what happened and allow yourself to calm down. Even if the customer leaves happy, this kind of situation can still cause stress. Take a few moments to release tension and clear your mind.
Step 5. Follow up
Contact the customer after the problem is resolved. Ask if everything is going well. If you can, go the extra mile by sending a handwritten apology or discounting your next purchase.
Tips
- Don't take their complaints to heart, even if they're about your performance. If you feel emotionally involved in the matter, it's best to step back and let another employee handle the situation.
- Think about how you would like to solve the problem if you were the one who had the complaint. Then, treat your angry customer the way you would like to be treated.
- Customer complaints can be a vehicle for customer retention. When you properly handle your customers and make effective apologies, you can turn a negative into a positive.
- One technique to help you keep your complaints to yourself is to remind yourself that while the customer's opinion is "important," it is far from being compared to the opinions of your family and friends. Remind yourself that you don't want to allow a stranger to ruin your day, or hours, or even just a minute of your life.
- There are some customers who are famous for always complaining about everything. If you are dealing with such a customer, try discussing with your manager whether this client is profitable for the company or whether it might be worth letting go. Time wasted on a single client like this is better dedicated to the "real" customer.
- If you can't give the customer what they want, give them something free (you may need approval from a manager) to solve the problem.
