Tension, complaints, and anger are inseparable from any relationship, including the one you have with your clients. The crisis will happen. The upset user will call or write to shout out their disappointment. You can’t hide from it, you can’t avoid it, but you can be prepared. Read our tips to get ready.
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1. Be kind
You can’t overestimate the power of propriety and tactfulness: such qualities will help you empathize with customers’ emotions and smooth things over. It includes knowing when and how to apologize.
There is nothing worse than arrogance or attempts to downplay customer’s anger (“Oh, you’re just overreacting”, “Yep, it sometimes happens, no need to go hysterical, sir!”). When you say something like this, your interlocutor feels like an idiot. Belittling customers leads to an escalation of negative emotions. Even if she exaggerates, listen actively and show a solution. If it’s a small, insignificant problem, you will placate her quickly. But if you try to belittle the issue, the customer might get infuriated.
Having negative sentiment towards a pesky customer? Kill her with kindness.
2. Be patient, but don’t let anyone offend you
Working with customers? Arm yourself with patience. Many of them will ask bizarre questions, or have problems with obvious things (like using mobile devices), or need 15 minutes to describe a simple issue, or talk way too much. Listen to them – some of their remarks might be very insightful and deliver precious knowledge about the product or the company.
But don’t go over the top. Make sure customers feel comfortable and put their emotions first but never let them offend you. If someone can’t respect the universal norms of civilized behavior, she won’t be a great material for a customer anyway. Don’t accept aggression.
3. Balance professionalism and empathy
Your competencies and professionalism will make a customer feel safe, but don’t overdo it: don’t use too much business jargon (unless the interlocutor started it first and clearly enjoys juggling difficult terms) and don’t recite expressions from your “Upset Customer Manual.” Find a balance between being a professional and being a human who can understand someone’s frustration.
The harmony between the two should also show in not taking your job too personal. You will probably hear a lot of nasty words, but learn not to treat them as an attack on you. It’s not your fault!
4. Make contact with customer service super easy
Make sure that your assistants are easy to reach, and consumers don’t have to fill in endless forms or spending hours trying to call you. Remember that when a customer is waiting, the anger is piling up inside her, so the sooner the problem is handled, the higher the likelihood that the outcome will be positive, and the unhappy user will be so delighted with your service that she will become a loyal ambassador of the brand.
It’s also a good idea to set the rules of what kind of recompensation your employees can give without consulting it with a superior. Why? If the product is faulty without any doubt, and the assistant can return the money and offer a discount for the next purchase during the very first conversation, the customer feels served well and quickly. And the case is handled on the spot, without wasting time on decisions and deliberations.
5. Be concrete and keep promises
If you promise a solution, tell when the thing will be done. If you can’t do so, let the customer know when you will get back with more information. If the job can’t be done on time, contact the user and tell how the situation looks like.
During the first conversation try to show possible options: give customers something specific, for example, a date. Ask questions to make sure that you know where the problem lies. Use customer’s name.
All these will increase customers’ trust and sense of security.
6. Forward the feedback
If customers often point a problem out, or they complain about the same aspect of the product or service, don’t keep these remarks to yourself. Create a method or procedure to collect such information, so product managers, developers or marketers can use it.
And face it: if customers keep of complaining about something, it’s your fault and your responsibility to fix it.
7. Upset customers are a chance
An upset customer enters a personal interaction with you. It doesn’t happen often, so seize the opportunity to charm her with professional service and positive attitude. Smile even if you’re talking on the phone and your interlocutor can’t see it – you can hear someone smiling!
To make great impression, show engagement: if the customer sees that you care about solving the problem, you will win her heart.
8. Be prepared
Know how long will it take to handle a problem or identify the person responsibly. Know what you can give to make up for the issue. Build procedures to streamline your work: have email patterns or list of useful expressions at hand, so you don’t have to waste time on crafting new message each time. Also list most frequent problems.
The better prepared you are, the easier the conversation will be.
Read more
How to love insufferable customers (and sell to them) + using Marketing Automation to minimalize harms
Customer Service Mindset
And what is your secret to handling upset customers?
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