NFIB

Handling Upset Customers
09/ 16/ 2002

Company customer service representatives can be thrown off when suddenly encountering an irate customer, whether in person or on the phone. In today's Workshop, Jeffrey Moses provides a few simple and effective techniques for handling upset customers.

1. Let the customer speak.

The customer representative taking the initial call should let the customer speak and tell his or her story, without automatically trying to defend the company. When the customer has finished, the representative should ask any questions necessary to completely understand the circumstances.

A valuable technique that helps settle angry customers is to repeat back to them the details of the situation they have described. This not only helps make sure that the customer rep understands the situation, it shows the customer that the rep has been listening and cares about the customer's concerns.

2. Consult a supervisor.

When the situation is understood, the representative should evaluate whether the problem needs to be passed to a supervisor. In this case, simply say, "Would you mind if I allowed you to speak with my supervisor, who might be able to answer your question?" Make sure that you never make the customer retell his story when being passed to a second representative. This can add to the customer's irritation.

3. Be understanding.

Angry customers are not expecting things to go their way when they call. For this reason, if you give them even a moment of genuine understanding, they'll often be surprised by it and back off slightly. Connect with them in a positive way by saying something like, "I understand how you feel. I might feel that way too, in your situation. Now let's see how we can work together to solve this problem."

This can help defuse the situation, and encourage the customer to begin focusing on finding a solution, rather than just venting anger. It may be necessary to say the same thing, in different ways, several times. "Yes, I know how you feel. I've felt that way, too. Now tell me, how can we solve the problem?"

4. Make a quick decision.

It's important for customer reps to know, in advance, exactly what concessions they can make when upset customers call or visit. A rep that has the authority to immediately make a decision that solves the problem can quickly snuff out a customer's anger. Small business owners should meet regularly with customer reps to determine what types of situations are arising, so that reps can be knowledgeable and empowered to make decisions.

5. Let problem customers go.

Most small companies go the extra mile for customers. However, problem customers can become expensive if they continually make unreasonable demands. Customer reps should keep records of complaints made, so that supervisors can determine if a specific customer needs to be dropped from the company's service.

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