The modern consumer has very high expectations. If you work in customer service, you are familiar with angry customers. These tips can help!
So, how do you deal with angry customers? There are many dos and don’ts that we could discuss. However, let’s just talk about seven helpful hints to help you deal with those angry customers.
Hint #1. With angry customers, don’t argue, just apologize.
Frequently, an angry customer will blame you for something that was never your responsibility.
In truth, you regularly meet consumers who are in a bad mood due to their own mistakes. However, you can’t really tell them that. Never blame a customer! You only shake their faith in your brand. Instead, apologize and ask for the information you need to investigate.
How does this affect you? You acknowledge a problem, big or small, showing you care about the consumer. Compatibility always helps resolve angry client problems.
Hint #2. Be prompt and courteous with an angry customer.
Imagine yourself as a consumer attempting to solve a basic problem. Instead, you get an answer out of a rule book saying that a customer service agent will respond within a few working days. After that, imagine you receive another status update email with no response to your issue. Does this sound familiar?
That’s what happens when you don’t reply to complaints promptly. Seventy-seven percent of customers think businesses that respond quickly to complaints are good businesses.
What does this mean for you? Don’t ignore consumer complaints.
Companies frequently fail to respond to customer escalations, adding fuel to the fire. Therefore, make sure you have a mechanism for monitoring, tracking, and responding to complaints.
There are various cloud-based customer support tools available today. These will ensure that your customers don’t have to wait too long to hear from you.
Hint #3. Listen, don’t just hear.
Most unhappy, angry customers are upset because they feel companies don’t genuinely listen to them. More than half of customers simply want to be heard.
How does this affect you?
Revert to the basics. Ask an upset consumer what their major worry is. Understanding the complaint is a key step in customer service.
It’s not always necessary to express genuine concern for the customer’s well-being. Simply stating “I understand” or “I am sorry you had to face such a scenario” can be sufficient. Rephrase the complaint to guarantee you understand the customer’s grievance. Standard responses don’t always work.
Hint #4. Don’t just react to an angry customer, solve the issue.
An excellent customer care person must be able to listen well as well as solve problems quickly.
Therefore, suppose a consumer complains about a new feature that they do not understand. Rather than arguing with them, simply offer to explain the feature and help them overcome their issues.
Don’t rationalize the company’s position or try to explain why they should already know about it. If you take the time to explain the new method step-by-step, and only conclude the conversation when the customer is happy, you will gain their trust.
Customers choose organizations that can resolve issues quickly and efficiently.
Hint #5. Empathize and validate the angry customer’s feelings.
Customer service requires empathy. Understanding your client’s frustrations is about being compassionate.
Therefore, try to relate to the customer’s feelings and calm them down. In addition, you can say something like, “Thanks for bringing this to my attention. I appreciate how difficult this scenario must be for you. Rest assured I will do my utmost to resolve your issue quickly.”
Empathy works wonders! It is a simple ability that can help defuse angry customer interactions.
Remember that exhibiting empathy is genuine and does not require a script. The simple idea is to be yourself and say something that calms your customer and shows you care.
Hint #6. Don’t try to please angry customers with hasty or incomplete fixes.
You deal with stressed-out customers all day, and this one, in particular, appears particularly difficult.
However, that doesn’t mean you have to think that they’re seeking financial gain from you! To appease an angry customer, many businesses turn to random discounts. This can actually be infuriating to the customer and will only make matters worse.
Instead, try to identify the root cause of the issue and address it.
When a consumer complains, they aren’t necessarily seeking a one-time discount. They want a permanent solution so they don’t have to keep coming back to you with the same issue. A dissatisfied consumer is alerting you to a flaw in your system. It’s your chance to remedy it.
Hint #7. Empower your customers.
Empowering customers benefits both firms and customers.
If your brand fails to meet their expectations, they won’t be silent. Their weapon is social media, so be proactive there. Therefore, if a customer tweets a complaint, they are testing your brand’s commitment to loyal customers.
Remember that consumers don’t commonly switch brands. But that doesn’t mean they’ll put up with poor customer service. Personalization is still vital to captivate your audience.
In summary, dealing with irate consumers can be emotionally and financially demanding. However, the customer is still the customer. This person hasn’t left yet, so it’s still possible to salvage their loyalty.
As an online business owner, you will undoubtedly have to deal with angry clients. How you manage an unhappy or angry consumer can make or break your business. Having well-trained customer support personnel with good SOPs on how to deal with unhappy consumers is a really good idea.
