The disgruntled customer. The angry customer. The aggressive customer. There are plenty of different ways you can describe someone who’s upset because of a bad experience, but you can flip the script. You may not think about it as someone is clearly not happy on the other side of the phone, but there are ways to actually turn their experience into a positive. And being positive with your own attitude is one place where it starts, but there are multiple ways you can become a calming presence when faced with a negative customer.
Listening
Have you ever been in a conversation where the other person wants to talk nonstop, and you’re struggling to get a word in at any point? You’re sitting there with something to say, but you can’t even squeeze it into the conversation. Well, the conversation with a disgruntled customer is going to start similar to that. They’ve had a bad experience, and no matter what you say at first, they’re going to believe they are correct. It’s basically a lost cause if you try to interject. This is a time where you have to demonstrate that you can listen, and not only that, but show that you can listen attentively. If you choose to cut them off, they’ll get the sense you don’t really care about their issues. Listen to the issue, and try to take in the situation so you can come back with the best possible solution.
Pretend It’s Live
It’s going to get difficult. There’s a good chance the customer will not be able to stay level-headed, and in this case, a smart technique is to pretend you’re in front of a live audience, or tell yourself that it’s being recorded. In fact, it may very well be under recording, depending on your work environment and policy. This will help you refrain from potentially lashing out, and you’ll be able to keep your composure.
Understand Them
When a customer calls in with an angry tone, what they’re really looking for is someone to agree with them. They basically want you to see it from their perspective and say, “Yeah, you know what, you’re right.” It’s a form of reassurance. It’s a big problem to them, and if you make it appear as a major problem to you, they’ll become more genuine in their speech.
Answering Services From TeleRep
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