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Dealing with Angry Customers – Part 2
The last newsletter, on dealing with angry customers, got the most positive response so far, with people telling me that they have printed out the article for future reference or sent it on to colleagues. It has also been the most popular subject in the customer service training I have been running lately. In view of this, I have decided to continue the theme this time and suggest a few more practical ways of dealing effectively with a disgruntled customer. If the complaint is being made over the phone, you may want to be brave and invite the customer to attend a face-to-face meeting! This allows them a cooling-off period and gives you time to plan how to deal with the situation and its resolution. It is also much easier to shout down the phone than to confront another human being in person! If the complaint is being made in person, invite the customer to sit down – it is harder to be angry when seated! When you have listened the customer out and made the gestures and statements of empathy as recommended last time, make use of the word ‘let’s’ – ‘let’s get this resolved’, ‘let’s find a solution’. This helps to break down any feeling of ‘me against them’ and emphasises your willingness to help. Remember to thank the customer for drawing this problem to your attention. They are actually doing you a big favour, as 6 out of 10 people with a complaint will not tell you about it but simply take their business elsewhere. It is also said that unhappy customers will tell between 11 and 20 other people about their bad experience. Compare that with the happy customer who is estimated to tell only 3 others about their good experience, and you will start to welcome complaints! |
