Angry customers - what can we do with them
I admit I have never had to deal with angry customers, but it’s not hard to imagine that some people can be really unpleasant. I have been on the other side of this situation when a customer service representative was really rude and condescending with me. But we can’t go around being rude back, so what are we supposed to do?
The first step is to identify the type of anger your customer is experiencing. Of course, we should avoid personal insults and condescending responses, but that’s not always helpful. Our aim is to avoid anger altogether and respectfully help the customer through the problem they are having.
React with understanding
Customer service representatives have to deal with angry customers almost daily. But we can’t just agree and go along with their anger - we have to try and understand it first.
If a customer keeps stressing about a problem that you’re unable to solve, you should thank them for sharing their concerns and apologize for any inconvenience: “I am sorry for any problems caused by us” , “It must be frustrating not being able to get it sorted out yourself” .
Before you try and solve their problem, you should listen to their concerns and try to sympathize with them: “I understand how frustrating it must be for you” .
Anger is often caused by a feeling of being misunderstood. It helps a lot if you acknowledge that the customer’s concerns make sense. You should always answer in calm manner, and refrain from getting emotional or aggressive yourself: “The issue seems clear to me. I apologize for any issues this might have caused” , “I can see how that would be frustrating for you.” .
The customer may feel even more enraged if you can’t solve their problem, especially if the issue is important or their life depends on it. In these cases, you should explain that there is still a chance to fix it: “There’s always been a chance to fix this I’m afraid. We will contact you in a few days and let you know if we can fix it. Sorry for any inconvenience” .
Depending on their type of anger, you can also explain why you cannot help them. I’m a big fan of “there is no such thing as a free lunch,” so if the customer asks for something for free and you don’t have it, you should be honest: “Unfortunately we don’t offer free services - and something similar to that seems to be the reason for your problem. I apologize if that causes any inconvenience” , “From our experience this doesn't usually resolve anything. We will try to contact you in a few days and see if we can come up with something new together. Sorry for any inconvenience this has caused.” .
Be patient
Anger can be a sign of frustration, helplessness and uncertainty. It is important to help customers find the best way out of their problems, just as they would if they were not angry. If you empathize with them, you will be able to gain their trust and get them to understand that you are on their side. The best thing you can do is reassure them that things will somehow work out: "Let me see what I can do" , "You know I'll do everything in my power to help" .
On the other hand, if they call you names and try to direct the conversation towards an aggressive tone, you can ask them to be polite: "Let's keep calm and discuss this. I don't think this will help us" , "I'm so sorry, but I can't help you until you are a bit calmer" .
Although we all think that our anger is justified, it doesn’t mean that other people have to agree with us. We should be respectful towards customers even if they are not nice to us. Remember that the customer is the one who will have to deal with the consequences of their actions, not you or your coworkers.
Never ignore your customers
It’s tempting to ignore angry customers, but we should always try to resolve their problems as quickly as possible. We shouldn’t keep treating angry customers as second-class customers. At the same time, we don’t want them to be in an even worse mood.
If you are in a bad mood yourself, it can literally be a life-threatening situation for for yourself and your coworkers if you start yelling at them or getting defensive. So what can we do?
Try to calm the angry customer down: "Let's talk about this calmly, please" , "It's very important to treat each other with respect" .
If you are not dealing with a serious problem that needs some time to be resolved, ask if it’s OK for you to come back to them later: “Give me a moment to look at it. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Thank you.” , “I’m still trying to sort something out here, but I should know more by Thursday. Please wait until then and we will take care of it together.” .
If possible, try to find a way for the customer to deal with their issue themselves. Give them a solution and explain what the next steps will be: “It seems it’s not working properly. We are going to send you a new one and you can install it yourself instead of waiting for us to set it up for you” , “We have tried calling several times now and still haven’t been able to contact them. We will send them an email but if we don’t get an answer within 3 days we would like to cancel your order.” .
Conclusion
Not all angry customers are aggressive and unpleasant. However, it’s quite easy to cross the line between assertive and aggressive salespeople, especially when you are new to the job.
In this post, I shared my thoughts on anger in sales and customer interaction. Next week, I will probably be writing about some different topics: intercultural communication skills and a few tips on how to improve your communication with customers by being a better listener.