7 TIPS ON HOW TO HANDLE ANGRY CUSTOMERS

Working in customer service can be easy and rewarding when someone calls with a compliment or simple problem to solve. However, some customers make it tough to keep your composure. When you are speaking rude or angry customers, it is a natural reaction for you to want to get angry in return—but you are at work and you cannot let that happen. Below are seven tips on how to handle angry customers without losing your cool.

1. Don’t Take It Personally

Although angry customers take their frustration out on you, they know that you did not cause their problem. Allow them to vent about their problem, but do not take it personally. Listen to their story without interrupting and then find a way to help.

2. Never Argue Back

It is natural for upset customers to express their anger, but some customers can take things too far and your reaction may be to defend yourself. However, as a professional customer service specialist, you should never argue back. Maintain your integrity and be the better person. If customers begin to abuse you verbally, let them know that you understand their frustration and that being rude will not solve their problem. Let the customer know that you are there to help, but you cannot do so until they calm down.

3. Kill Them with Kindness

If your angry customer refuses to calm down, then kill them with kindness. Be sincere, respectful, and understanding. Show sympathy for their situation and express empathy for their frustration. By keeping calm and controlling your own anger, you may find that your customer will ease up a little too. Try to make a joke to lighten the mood or share a story to show that you can relate.

4. Be Patient

Each person and situation is different, so be patient and understand that it may take a little longer for some angry customers to relax—and some may get angrier as the call orlive chat continues. Stay in control and try to direct the conversation to a happy resolution. Do not rush the phone call or live chat, but keep in mind that you have other customers to help.

5. Know How to Apologize

When the time is right, apologize to your customer. I know how difficult it is to be sincere when you are trying not to lose your cool, but for the sake of calming down your customer, try your hardest to give a genuine apology. Depending on the customer’s complaint and the direction of the conversation, there are a few different ways you can apologize.

• “I’m sorry you are unhappy with your purchase. Let’s work together to turn things around.”
• “I’m sorry you didn’t receive your purchase on time. Let me find out what I can do to make it up to you.”
• “I’m sorry you are so frustrated. I understand where you are coming from, and I will do my best to help you.”

6. Solve the Problem

Once your angry customer has finally exhausted his or herself, ask questions to gather facts on the problem. Work with your customer to find a resolution that satisfies you both or else you will go right back to where your conversation began. However, keep in mind that you are running a business and do not overcompensate for the customer’s complaint. The solution should be fair and justifiable for both parties.

7. Relieve Your Stress

End the phone call or live chat on a happy note and find a way to relieve your stress. Let your anger go away with your customer. Whether you take a walk around the office, drink a cup of coffee, eat a piece of candy, or vent to a coworker, do not keep stress cooped up inside you. If you do not relieve your stress, you will be a ticking time bomb waiting to lose your cool on the next angry customer—or even worse, your boss.

How Do You Handle Angry Customers?

Keeping your cool with angry customers is not always as easy as it sounds. Share your tips on how to maintain composure when dealing with an upset customer. Tell us a story of the rudest, most unreasonable customer you have helped over the phone or through a live chat.

7 Steps For Dealing With Angry Customers

Customers get rude or angry for a variety of reasons—some justified, some not. But since you’re in business to serve your customers, you’ll likely encounter rude or angry individuals at one time or another. How you respond can make the difference between a customer who feels satisfied with the resolution and one who vows never to patronize your business again.

Here are tips for coping with a tense situation and hopefully resolving it to everyone’s satisfaction:

1. Remain calm. When a customer starts yelling or being otherwise rude, there is nothing to be gained by responding in a similar manner. In fact, that will probably escalate hostilities. Maintain control of yourself, even if the customer’s tirade makes you feeling like yelling yourself.

2. Don’t take it personally. Remember, the customer is not angry with you, they are displeased with the performance of your product or the quality of the service you provide. Your personal feelings are beside the point.

3. Use your best listening skills. The first thing an angry customer wants is to vent. To do so, they need someone to listen—and, for better or worse, you are that person. Listening patiently can defuse a situation, as long as the customer feels acknowledged in his or her complaint. Hear them out. When they are done talking, summarize what you’ve heard and ask any questions to further clarify their complaint. Body language can be critically important here. Keep eye contact. Stand or sit up straight. Keep your arms uncrossed.  Show how closely you’re paying attention to their problem.

4. Actively sympathize. After the customer vents, he wants to know you understand where he’s coming from and how he or she feels. Express sympathy for their unpleasant customer experience. Respect and understanding go a long way toward smoothing things over.

5. Apologize gracefully. Whether the customer’s complaint is legitimate or not is really irrelevant. If you want her to stay a customer, you need to express an apology for the problem they are having (or perceive to be having). A simple, straightforward statement is often all that’s needed: “I’m sorry you’re not happy with our product. Let’s see what we can do to make things right.”

6. Find a solution. Once you understand why the customer is unhappy, it is time to offer a solution. Ask him what he feels should be done or put forward your own fair and realistic answer to the problem. In most cases, that’s all the customer is looking for—and may result in providing some degree of satisfaction.

7. Take a few minutes on your own. After the situation has been resolved and the customer is on her way, it’s helpful for you to take your own “time-out.” Even if you’ve handled the situation in the most professional way possible, it’s still a stressful experience. Rather than let that stress linger inside you, take a short walk, treat yourself to a snack or find someone to talk to who makes you laugh. Then you’ll be ready to once again