Dealing with angry customers is something which nobody relishes but when you are in business it is a certainty to happen at some stage. There are a number of tips which if kept in mind will help you overcome the difficulty of handling these calls or situations.
The Customer Is Always Right
Keeping this in mind is the key to a positive outcome in dealing with an angry customer. We all know that this is not always strictly true but for the purposes of handling the situation and achieving a positive outcome, this is what you need to believe for the duration of the conversation. In doing this, you will gain the respect of your customer and optimise the possibility of a positive result.
Listen Carefully
Listening is a really simple but effective tool – particularly when taking a call from an angry customer. You need to give them time and space to vent their feelings and reassure them periodically that you are listening. Do not interrupt the customer when they are explaining the difficulty. The longer you let the caller speak the clearer the picture you will have of the cause of their anger. When you have accurately identified the root of the difficulty and when the customer has finished speaking you should then start to empathise with them. It may well be the case that your T&C’s or marketing material needs revising if your customers have misunderstood a message you are communicating. Listening carefully to the customer and being open to their experience may mean you need to make some changes. If this is the case, then the customer who has taken the time to raise the issue with you may well have done you a favour.
Empathise with your customer
You need to let your customer know that you understand the situation from their perspective and reassure them that you will work with them to resolve the issue. It is important that you re-iterate the reasons for their anger as this will demonstrate that you have been listening and that you respect them. If dealing with an angry customer face to face, make sure that your facial expression and gestures demonstrate your understanding of their frustration. These simple gestures will help ease the situation and may result in a quicker resolution to the problem.
Win a customer for life
Every business person knows that a disgruntled customer will tell all their friends and family about a bad customer experience, however, a happy customer will tell even more people about a good customer experience. You should therefore be looking for an opportunity to turn a situation with an angry customer into one which will result in customer retention. Ensure that all your staff are well trained in dealing with angry customers since customers will not always go to your customer service department to have their issues resolved.
For more information on Kendlebell Kimmage call answering services please contact us on 1800 848 666 or by email.