"The
customer is always right." How many times have you heard that, and then
wanted to scream?
This
phrase has been the basis for countless books that have sold millions of
copies, and many a motivational speech has been predicated upon this phrase as
well.
Anyone
who deals with customers on a regular basis has both agreed and disagreed with
this statement. Customers are not ALWAYS right! They make mistakes too!
Some can even be dishonest. And then there’s the chronic whiner, of which,
some degenerate into being nasty.
While a
few of the “rotten apples” can tend to put one in a foul mood, the good news
is that about 97% of customers are decent, reasonable people who just want to
be treated with respect and feel appreciated for their business. Although they
may get upset if an error was made, generally they can forgive the error once
fixed and continue with “business as usual.”
The
question that remains then is what do you do about the remaining 2 – 3% who
with just one phone call can ruin your day?
You need
to remember that you can’t please everyone 100% of the time!
Having
said that, here are some tips for dealing with customers who treat you poorly,
use abusive language, yell at you or just make you feel awful:
-
Let your angry customer vent!
Without
interrupting, let your customer “get it out.” Once they have vented, explain
that you want to help. If your customer uses abusive or vulgar language,
simply let him or her know that you'd be happy to help but you're unable to do
so under these conditions. If they don’t cease using vulgarities, tell your
customer that you will need to end the conversation. Before you hang up,
encourage him or her to call back when they are calmer so you can help them to
get the problem resolved.
-
Put emotional distance between you and your customer.
Here’s one
that’s oftentimes easier to say than do – remember, your customer's anger is
not about you. It's his or her problem so don’t personalize it! Even nice
customers can get angry when they feel a company has mistreated them. Do the
best you can to let your customer know you care.
-
It is not your place to teach your customer a lesson.
The bottom
line is that it really doesn't matter who made the mistake. You are not in
your job to serve as a judge and jury every time a customer messes up.
Pointing out the error of their ways will only serve to further aggravate the
situation. Simply review the problem and work towards a resolution.
-
Angry customers still deserve to be treated with respect.
We all like
to know that when we are speaking, others are listening. When we are upset,
that desire is magnified. We just want to know that someone is willing to
listen and actually cares about our concerns. Who knows, they may be having a
horrible day. Maybe they've been through a service nightmare with your company
and they're simply fed up by the time you get the call. Perhaps they are
experiencing a personal tragedy and just taking it out on you. Put yourself
in your customer's shoes and ask yourself, "If this were me, what would I
want?"
-
Know when it’s appropriate to pass the customer to your manager.
As hard as
you may try, some customers will simply not give you the opportunity to fix
their problems. If you have tried your very best to actively listen to this
customer and to create a solution to their problem, it may be time to enlist
the support of your superiors. Give your manager a quick synopsis of the
situation so that they have a better understanding before they become
involved.
Don't carry
the baggage of one angry customer over to your other customers. They deserve
to be treated with warmth and kindness. If a customer has upset you, get up
and walk away for a few minutes. Perhaps a break will be enough to clear your
mind and emotion of that negatively charged situation. Get a drink of water,
take some deep breaths and allow yourself to get neutral before you take that
next call.
It may be
hard to accept at times, but regardless of a customer's personality or
communication style, they are still a customer. They may not always be right,
but they are the reason we're in business. Most problems are the result of a
lack of communication. Focus on helping the customer, not proving them
wrong--even when they are.
If it
were you, would you find a kind word, a listening ear and respect a far
greater lesson than pointing out the error of your ways?
MEASURE-X
