>>Customer
Service Articles
Top 6 Things Not to Do
With Angry Customers
1. Don't make threats. Have you ever said this,
"If you don't calm down, I'm not going to help
you." Or, "If you continue to yell at me, I'm
going to have no choice but to terminate this phone
call." If you've ever made these, or similar,
statements, I'd bet that your sole intent was to regain
control of the conversation. But the problem is, your
customer perceives this type of language as threatening
and it does not make them back down and it does not
create calm. Try a phrase like this instead: "I
really want to help you, but your tone/language is
making it really hard for me to do that." And then
pause for 2-3 seconds to let your words resonate with
the customer.
2. Don't argue. Trust me on this one - you can never win
an argument with a customer. Certainly, you can prove
your point and even have the last word, In a discussion
on the futility of arguing with people, Dale Carnegie
once said "you may be right, but as far as changing
your customer's mind is concerned, you will probably be
just as futile as if you were wrong." Your goal in
complaint situations is to retain the customer, not to
be right. If you win the argument, you may very well
have lost the customer. Carnegie encourages us to
carefully consider some hard questions before going to
battle with customers: "Is my reaction one that
will relieve the problem, or will it just relieve
frustration? Will my reaction drive my customer further
away? What price will I pay if I win (the
argument)?" Carnegie advises, "The only way to
get the best of an argument is to avoid it." By the
way, customers will spread negative word-of-mouth
advertising to 50 people if they get into argument with
you!
3. Don't hang up on the customer. I realize I sound
conservative on this one, but I stand firm. If you hang
up on a customer who is already livid, do you think a
"disconnect" helps the situation or hurts the
situation? The customer still has the problem and most
customers won't give up their fight because you chose to
hit the flash button. Most will call back and guess
what? They will be angrier than ever AND it will cost
far more in time and money to resolve the issue. If you
just can't handle the customer, offer to transfer to a
supervisor or co-worker.
4. Don't make the customer feel helpless. I cringe every
time I hear an employee say, "This is all I can
do." When customers feel helpless, some will resort
to whatever they feel it takes to get their needs met.
This behavior may include yelling, demanding to speak to
a supervisor, or starting a blog about your company.
This simple phrase changes the entire tone of a tough
situation: "Mr. Bryant, what I can do is?"
5. Don't raise your voice. When I want my five-year-old
daughter to use her "inside voice", I don't
yell, "Lauren, USE YOUR INSIDE VOICE!" I speak
in my "inside voice" with the expectation that
she will mirror the calm tone of my voice - and she does
without any further prompting from me. We must use the
same technique with demanding customers. Escalating your
voice when dealing with an upset customer will not
create calm. It will only incite your customer. Lowering
your voice presents you as confident, in control, and
credible. In many cases your angry customer will begin
to calm down because he realizes his intimidation tactic
(yelling) isn't working. Try making one of these
statements in a low volume when dealing with an angry
customer. "What can I do to help?" or
"What can I do to fix this situation?"
6. Don't tell a customer she is wrong. You will be smart
to never tell a customer s/he is wrong or mistaken.
Telling a person they are wrong arouses opposition and
will make the customer want to battle with you. (Ever
tell your spouse they are wrong?) It's difficult, under
even the most benign conditions to change people's
minds. So why make it harder by starting out on the
wrong foot? If you know your customer is wrong, it's
better to start off saying, "I thought the contract
read otherwise, but let's take a look."
The next time you find yourself the target of verbal
abuse from an angry customer, keep in mind these six
"don'ts" and you'll be well on your way to
getting the angry customer to back down and regaining
control of the conversation.
Myra
Golden is an award-winning professional speaker and
principal of Myra Golden Seminars, LLC (www.myragolden.com)
a customer service training firm clients in food and
beverage, banking, healthcare, hospitality, and other
industries. Her client list includes McDonald’s,
Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay, Michelin
Tires, Pirelli, and Procter & Gamble, among many
others.
In
addition,
Myra
is a published author of Beyond
WOW, producer of more than a dozen customer
service videos, editor of weekly customer service
newsletter, and is a repeated guest speaker at consumer
affairs conferences and annual company meetings
throughout North America
.
1. Be 1. Be assertive - not aggressive or passive. My
definition of assertion is simple: "Say what you
mean, mean what you say, and don't be mean when you say
it." Let this rule guide your conversations with
all customers and you will always be confident, cool,
and in control AND you'll always be professional.
2. Speak more slowly. You'll be amazed at how much more
clearly you can think and how much control and
confidence you experience when you consciously slow down
your rate of speech. Speak slowly and methodically when
your emotional triggers are launched and you'll maintain
poise during difficult conversations.
3. Wait 1-2 seconds before responding. Responding
immediately to difficult or tactical customers could
result in you saying something you'll later regret.
Before you respond, take a deep breath, wait at least 2
seconds, and think about the best response and the best
approach.
4. Take a time-out. When you sense that your buttons
have been pushed, take a break. You can tell the
customer you need to put him on hold while you review a
file, or whatever excuse sounds good at the time. The
point is to get away from the customer for a few seconds
so you can re-group.
5. Use positive self-talk. I'm going to sound like Dr.
Phil on this one, but I'm quite serious. Instead of
saying to yourself, "I don't get paid enough to put
up with this ____." Say something more positive
like "This guy really needs my help." Thinking
more positively helps you respond more positively and
professionally. Negative thoughts lead to negative
words, and it spirals into a very negative situation.
6. Show your power before you use it. Often, a subtle
suggestion of your "power" is far more
effective than the outright use of your power. As a
customer service professional you may have the power to
terminate a phone call. You could say to your customer:
"If you don't stop yelling, I will terminate this
call." But, believe it or not, you are far more
"powerful" if you say, "I want to help
you, but when you yell and cut me off, you make it
difficult for me to work with you." The latter
statement demonstrates your power and your message most
definitely gets across. The former statement uses up all
of your ammunition and won't usually diffuse an irate
customer.
These incredibly simple tips will position you to keep
your cool when customers get hot!
Myra
Golden is an award-winning professional speaker and
principal of Myra Golden Seminars, LLC (www.myragolden.com)
a customer service training firm clients in food and
beverage, banking, healthcare, hospitality, and other
industries. Her client list includes McDonald’s,
Johnson & Johnson, Coca-Cola, Frito-Lay, Michelin
Tires, Pirelli, and Procter & Gamble, among many
others.
In
addition,
Myra
is a published author of Beyond
WOW, producer of more than a dozen customer
service videos, editor of weekly customer service
newsletter, and is a repeated guest speaker at consumer
affairs conferences and annual company meetings
throughout North America
.
Copyright 2006 Craig Binkley
Is customer service a lost art? Before you answer that
question, take a moment and think about the last few
times you have gone shopping or out to dinner. Okay, now
that you have really thought about it, is your answer
any different?
Why is it that when we actually DO receive excellent
customer service that it makes such an impression on us
that we usually choose to go back? Why - because the
occurrences are so few and far between!!!
As a home business owner, it is imperative to my
business that customer service is ALWAYS a top priority.
Remember the saying: “If you don’t take care of your
customer, somebody else will”. I’m sure you have
read or heard it somewhere before.....and how true it
is.
Here are a few ways to improve customer service at your
business:
1) SMILE - Sounds too simple, right? As a customer,
would you prefer to be serviced by a smiling face, or a
scowl that would befit a guard dog?
2) LISTEN - Always be slow to speak and quick to listen.
Let customers express themselves without you trying to
do it for them. Nobody likes being interrupted.
3) DON’T BE TOO PUSHY - Yeah, I know - the bottom line
is sales, right?
There is a fine line between suggesting
products/services and pushing them down a customer’s
throat. If you are too pushy, your customer will
probably walk away and take their business elsewhere.
4) PHONE ETTIQUETTE - Whether you are answering or
initiating a call, always remember who the customer is.
Be polite. Try “Yes sir/ma’am” instead of
“yeah” and “nope”. If you don’t have an answer
for your customer - offer to do some research to find
what they are inquiring about.
5) THANK YOU - ALWAYS thank your customers. Even if you
could not help them or they decided not to purchase from
you. Leave them with a positive impression of your
business before they leave.
6) TRAINING - Train your employees. Don’t let an
untrained employee ruin your track record of excellent
customer service. Train your employees on-the-job for as
long as necessary to teach them good customer service.
“And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also
to them likewise” Luke 6:31
In conclusion: Customer service may be THE most
important aspect of your business plan. I know of many
people who are willing to pay a little more for a
product or service in order receive excellent customer
care. Price, advertising, and location are all vital to
a business---- but whatever you do, don’t overlook the
all-important “Good Customer Service”.
Article
Source: http://www.articledashboard.com
Craig Binkley - husband, father
and home business owner. Visit his Work From Home
Directory at www.workfromhomehelper.com
for legitimate work from home opportunities and ideas.
Copyright 2006 Craig Binkley
Is customer service a lost art? Before you answer that
question, take a moment and think about the last few
times you have gone shopping or out to dinner. Okay, now
that you have really thought about it, is your answer
any different?
Why is it that when we actually DO receive excellent
customer service that it makes such an impression on us
that we usually choose to go back? Why - because the
occurrences are so few and far between!!!
As a home business owner, it is imperative to my
business that customer service is ALWAYS a top priority.
Remember the saying: “If you don’t take care of your
customer, somebody else will”. I’m sure you have
read or heard it somewhere before.....and how true it
is.
Here are a few ways to improve customer service at your
business:
1) SMILE - Sounds too simple, right? As a customer,
would you prefer to be serviced by a smiling face, or a
scowl that would befit a guard dog?
2) LISTEN - Always be slow to speak and quick to listen.
Let customers express themselves without you trying to
do it for them. Nobody likes being interrupted.
3) DON’T BE TOO PUSHY - Yeah, I know - the bottom line
is sales, right?
There is a fine line between suggesting
products/services and pushing them down a customer’s
throat. If you are too pushy, your customer will
probably walk away and take their business elsewhere.
4) PHONE ETTIQUETTE - Whether you are answering or
initiating a call, always remember who the customer is.
Be polite. Try “Yes sir/ma’am” instead of
“yeah” and “nope”. If you don’t have an answer
for your customer - offer to do some research to find
what they are inquiring about.
5) THANK YOU - ALWAYS thank your customers. Even if you
could not help them or they decided not to purchase from
you. Leave them with a positive impression of your
business before they leave.
6) TRAINING - Train your employees. Don’t let an
untrained employee ruin your track record of excellent
customer service. Train your employees on-the-job for as
long as necessary to teach them good customer service.
“And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also
to them likewise” Luke 6:31
In conclusion: Customer service may be THE most
important aspect of your business plan. I know of many
people who are willing to pay a little more for a
product or service in order receive excellent customer
care. Price, advertising, and location are all vital to
a business---- but whatever you do, don’t overlook the
all-important “Good Customer Service”.
Article
Source: http://www.articledashboard.com
Craig Binkley - husband, father
and home business owner. Visit his Work From Home
Directory at www.workfromhomehelper.com
for legitimate work from home opportunities and ideas.
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