In business, it’s inevitable to encounter an angry customer. While not desired, knowing how to handle it can turn an angry customer into a loyal one. The key is to be sensitive and have good communication skills. This article will address some ways to handle this situation.
How to Retain an Angry Customer
It’s not always easy to appease an angry customer. Sometimes, customer service representatives may feel overwhelmed, offer incorrect solutions, or try to avoid responsibility. The result can be them sharing a negative experience and leaving your brand.
In most cases, a sincere apology can make the customer feel comfortable and ease their anger to some extent. However, identifying the cause and addressing the angry customer’s situation is the crucial factor in resolving the customer’s anger at its root.
Ways to Handle Angry Customers
Stop arguing
When angry, customers often go through a psychological struggle. If you can’t persuade them with logic, they’ll resort to strong objections to resolve the issue. Engaging in an argument with a customer not only fails to help but also damages the reputation of your business.
From an objective standpoint, no one cares about who is right or wrong, whether the customer’s reasons are valid or not, or how well you explain your point. Therefore, you should refrain from arguing with the customer and quickly seek the best solution.
Remind yourself of the ultimate goal
Always remember your ultimate goal – to help the customer achieve what they want. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should give in to unreasonable demands, break company policies, or violate general regulations to please the customer. Use your expertise and tactfulness to help the customer realize any misunderstandings they may have and demonstrate a willingness to reconcile to resolve the matter swiftly, based on mutual agreement.
Understand the customer’s pain
Customers have the right to express disappointment. See it as advice for improvement. Whether you want to or not, try to make the customer feel like you’re sharing their pain.
Listen actively
Allow the customer to tell their story as smoothly as possible, letting them express their frustrations and complaints about the service. Most importantly, do not interrupt when they’re expressing their viewpoint.
Listening and remaining silent is wonderful in this situation, as any defense or rebuttal can potentially cause conflict. You should listen with an empathetic face or a reconciliatory voice, as this will help soothe the customer’s anger as quickly as possible.
Readdress the issue
After understanding the entire story, you need to reiterate the main issue from your perspective, pinpointing exactly what has caused frustration for the customer. Once an agreement is reached, proceed to implement and take care of the customer in the future. Proper customer care will increase their satisfaction and become a competitive advantage for the business.
Reassure the customer
In reality, when a customer calls you, they may be ready to argue if they don’t receive a reasonable support solution. Therefore, you need to change your perspective first to reassure them that you are willing to help them, rather than engage in a struggle with them.
Request a solution from the customer
To address the issue smoothly, ask the customer to provide their own solution so you can review it and offer the most suitable course of action.
Providing options for customers
After customers share their desires, you can adjust to one or two options you can fulfill. For example, if a customer suggests a 100% refund for the purchased product, but you cannot do it, you can offer them a choice like “I’m very sorry, but our policy doesn’t allow for a 100% refund. Instead, we can provide you with a 70% discount voucher for your next purchase…”
Monitoring and caring for customers after providing a solution to their complaint
Once an agreement is reached, it’s important to swiftly implement and have a plan for customer care in the future. Through the cooperation of employees, customers will transition from being dissatisfied to satisfied.
Additionally, paying attention to customer care after service usage is crucial. Utilizing online customer relationship management software helps store customer records and information, making it easy to plan and monitor employee performance.
Conclusion
These are suggestions on how to handle an upset customer effectively and professionally. Resolving such situations requires patience, cooperation, and good communication skills. Depending on the situation, combining different approaches can help calm and retain the customer. Remember that post-service customer care is a vital factor in customer retention and enhancing their satisfaction.
Author: Zee Nguyen
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