Unhappy customers are a fact of work.
I've been waiting in this line for an hour! Can I speak to the manager?! Are you people doing this for the first time?! Are you alive? I've emailed you for weeks - I deserve at least an explanation! Why are your prices so high? Why can't you get my delivery there? Aren't you a little young for the level of expertise required? Why didn't you give my son an A? You're late. Again. I said 'Non Fat, No Whip'!
How do you react to an unhappy customer? Do you think you're being blamed? Do you feel guilty, embarrassed, blamed, at fault, or frightened? Do you want to solve the problem as soon as possible just to get it over with?
Unhappy customers? It's not personal. Here's how to keep your cool.
CONTINUED...
BREATHE
Stay calm. It's really easy to get flustered by an upset, or outright angry, customer. We grew up trained to absorb, take-on, and personalize our parents' anger. They trained us so well that we automatically personalize and take-on everyone's anger, even strangers. That's the past. To grow up, it is extra-extra crucial that we discontinue this behavioral habit. Angry customers give us a great opportunity to re-learn a healthier way of dealing with other people's strong emotions, learn how to de-personalize it, and feel calm in the midst of an unhappy customer episode.
When someone is unhappy, they are unhappy. You can be happy even if they're not. It's not personal. They don't expect you to mimic their emotions. They just want to be heard. So when faced with an angry customer, the first thing to keep in mind is that the person is feeling frustrated, but they are not angry withy you. Learn to differentiate the two.
LISTEN
Listening to each other is the greatest gift we have to give one another. Period.
Let the customer rant. Be sure that you fully listen to what they have to say. Sometimes this is 90 percent of solving the problem.
Let the customer vent completely. Keep silent but be sure you are giving them your full attention and really are listening.
Once you are sure they have had their whole complaint out--don't say anything. You can nod your head or sigh heavily as if to say, 'yeah that IS frustrating...' But keep quiet.
Now: let the customer have the next word. Wait. Don't jump into you apology. Don't jump into your plan for solving the issue. Just wait a moment. Why? Very often the customer will feel better at this point, and the situation will resolve itself. Make sure they have the first word after their rant. The customer may well have realized that they are OK and don't need to pursue the complaint further.
If you're really listening, then you are in the moment,engaged in what the customer is saying--and not in your head worrying about how you're going to cope. Listening well will actually keep you calm.
ASK
Ask the customer what outcome would be most helpful. "What would you like to see happen?" "What would be a satisfactory solution?" Or, "How can I help?"
COMMUNICATE
Tell the customer what you are going to do to address his or her issue or concerns. Make sure to tell the customer exactly what steps you plan to take, and confirm that those steps sound satisfactory to the customer.
PROMISE ONLY WHAT YOU CAN DELIVER
Be very careful not to say you will take care of a problem to an extent that is beyond your responsibility, authority, or comfort level. Be aware of your desire to take-on the whole problem or solve the problem completely. Just do your particular part, that's enough. If you over-promise, you will only get yourself into a really, really sticky situation.
BE HONEST
If you can't fully solve your customer's problem due to your company's policies or limitations -- say, you'd like to replace the product, but the company has a no-replacement policy with a receipt -- the best you can do is to be honest and say that you'd like to be able to solve the issue completely but that you can't override the company's policy. And while you can't help further, you can sure understand how this would be frustrating for them.
FOLLOW UP
Good follow up a hallmark of professionalism. Tell the customer that you will follow up with him or her to be sure that the problem was solved -- and DO IT. Do what you say you will do, and only promise to do what you know you can do.
Each time you're faced with an awkward customer situation, and you handle it without personalizing it, you're one step closer to dis-engaging from a very old emotional habit. Celebrate that!
Be good to yourself.
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Posted by: Ric Estrada | 18 August 2008 at 02:28 PM