“The customer is always right.” It’s one of the most common phrases we hear in business, although most know it’s far from true. Furthermore, customers aren’t always friendly, either. Occasionally, whether it was a mistake on your company’s behalf or a simple misunderstanding, a customer can become very upset and end up expressing this anger harshly toward employees. As a customer service agent, your job is to remain calm and find a reasonable way to deescalate and resolve the situation. If you’re looking to improve your approach to dealing with angry customers, there are several crucial tips to keep in mind when dealing with angry customers. Because at the end of the day, to improve customer relations and satisfaction you want to turn an upset customer into a happy customer.
1. Recognize That The Customer Has a Right to Be Upset
Imagine that a customer calls you, exceedingly frustrated about the recent performance of a new product. It’s a tough pill to swallow, but you must recognize that whether the customer is “right” does not matter in this scenario. They have spent their hard-earned money on your product or service, trusting that it would meet the standards advertised. In their eyes, it did not.
When is the last time you bought something, and it did not meet your expectations? Did you feel that you had wasted your money? If you have ever experienced anything remotely similar to this, understand that this is what your customer is feeling right now. They deserve to be heard and given fair service in response.
2. Be an Active Listener
You must demonstrate to your customer that you are hearing and empathizing with what they are saying. The best way to do this is to patiently allow them to voice their concerns, and when they are finished, repeat those concerns back to them. Try to minimize your speaking as much as possible while they are expressing their issues.
Even typical active listening phrases such as “I understand” can feel like an interruption, which will frustrate them even further. In the end, when you reiterate their concerns back to them, this will demonstrate to the caller that you have given them genuine attention and that you understand the issue at hand.
3. Take Responsibility
One of the easiest ways to anger your customer further is to make them feel as if an issue is their fault or anyone’s other than your company’s. If a customer presents a negative experience to you, it is not appropriate to speculate whether the event was their fault or not. Not only is this unfair, but it can feel quite belittling to many people.
Instead of attempting to assign blame, simply take accountability on behalf of your company, and guide the customer to a solution along with you. No matter what happened before the call, it is now your company’s responsibility to resolve the issue. Gather as much information as you can about the incident to achieve a positive result.
As a customer service agent, you understand how difficult it is to deal with a customer when they are at the height of their emotions. Still, with these tips, you will be able to keep a level head and provide excellent service, no matter what the issue may be.
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