6 Great Damage Control Tips For Handling Angry Customers
Every business aims to create an optimal customer experience. Most companies today face numerous supply chain issues, while simultaneously grappling with high customer expectations. Unfortunately, at some point in time, every company has to deal with angry customers. However, there is a way to turn such challenging situations into positive customer experiences.
There will always be inevitable hiccups and roadblocks which may cause production and delivery delays, resulting in customer complaints. However, these challenges need to be viewed from a growth perspective to come up with newer solutions. Often, the issues that lead to customer complaints can lead to innovative outcomes, as long as they are handled strategically through excellent customer service.
How a business reacts to an angry customer can change the perception of the brand in the customer’s mind. A business with a growth mindset can turn around this situation to build a long-lasting relationship with the customer. Here are a few damage control tips to handle angry customers and do just that.
Listen Proactively
Steve Cobey, the renowned author, says that “Most people do not listen with the intent to understand; they listen with the intent to reply.” It is important to listen to the complaint to understand the emotion and intent behind it.
Give the customer your undivided attention. Take a minute to understand their grievance and try to focus on why they are angry, rather than the fact that they are angry. To show the customer that you are listening, ask clarifying questions and do not interrupt. Repeat details back to the customer, such as “I understand that you received a damaged product, and you needed it on an urgent basis. I apologize for this inconvenience, I can imagine how frustrating it must have felt.”
This shows the customer that you have been paying attention and listening proactively. This is the first step towards dealing with a hostile audience.
Extend Apologies
Customers can be difficult to deal with when they are angry, but acknowledging the mistake and apologizing can go a long way in making the situation better. Instead of simply saying you are sorry, explain to the customer that this is not the customer experience the company targets, and you can relate to how frustrated the customer may be feeling.
Then, move on to explain why the problem happened and assure the customer that it will not be repeated. Do not drag out the explanation, but make sure to give one so that the customer knows why they were inconvenienced in the first place.
Speak Calmly
Speaking calmly and professionally is a skill every customer service-related business should integrate into its training regimen. Angry customers can often frustrate and annoy service representatives, but it is very important to remain calm at this time.
The conversation with the customer will be far more productive if the representative remains calm and answers the customer politely and professionally. Make sure to never interrupt an angry customer. Let the customer explain their problem without any interruptions. This way, they will get their frustration out and start to become calmer.
Make sure to go over your response so that there is no hint of aggression anywhere. The customer’s responses will also become calmer as the representative keeps talking to them politely and calmly.
Rebuild Trust
An angry customer is likely to have lost a lot of trust and faith in the service of the business, so it is important to rebuild that trust and maintain it. The first point of action is to be thorough about the issue at hand. Make sure you know everything about the situation, the order history, what went wrong and why it happened. This way, you can show the customer that you are genuinely looking out for them and trying to fix the mistake.
Take responsibility for what happened, instead of trying to pin blame on others. You may not be directly responsible for the inconvenience, but you are the spokesperson for the business. This will show the customer that you are willing to take on responsibility and fix the issue.
If you need to get back to the customer regarding the problem, make sure you do. This will increase the customer’s trust in the business.
Use Positive Language
Negative language can add fuel to the fire, while positive language can cool down heated situations. Customer service agents must know what kind of language to use when they are dealing with angry customers.
Never use any figure of speech which might imply that the customer is wrong, even if it might be partly true. The customer is already incensed and will probably just get angrier if they are blamed.
Using positive language will make the customer more confident to spell out their problems, which can then be tackled efficiently.
For example, always say positive words such as “yes”, “of course”, “definitely” and so on. Do not use the word “actually”, since it can be seen as aggressive.
Find a Solution
The best way to deal with an angry customer is to find a solution to the issue they are facing. Try to see if there is anything you can do to satisfy the customer immediately. However, in certain cases, the problem cannot be solved in such a short time frame. If this is the case, make sure you communicate this honestly to the customer. Explain why it may take time to resolve their problem and give them a timeline of when they should expect it to be solved.
Sometimes, it might be beneficial to escalate the issue to a senior or someone in a managerial position. This shows the customer that you are taking the complaint seriously.
Keep in mind that these damage control tips for a few angry customers can potentially improve the customer experience for all customers. Incorporating feedback from complaints allows the company or the business to implement a growth mindset.
With these tips, a negative customer experience can be turned into a positive one as well as improve the brand image in the mind of the customer.
- 6 Great Damage Control Tips For Handling Angry Customers - April 26, 2023
