4 Tips On Handling Angry Customers

No matter what business you are in, you will always have some customers who are angry, irritated and annoyed with you. Customers can be angry because of various reasons and as a first step it is important to identify what is causing them distress. The way a business handles an angry customer and the complaint will determine if the customer will stay or forever abandon the company for a competitor. Amongst several tips for dealing with angry customers, here are a handful of tried and tested methods that work in coping with a tense situation.

Acknowledge the Issue

When dealing with an unhappy customer it is important to keep in mind that the customer is not personally angry at you but is merely displeased with the quality of the product/service they acquired from you. To drag ego in the middle of such a situation will only make it worse. Your customer just wants you to admit there is a problem and needs your promise to resolve it. Making excuses or arguing with the customer will send a message that you don’t really care and will eventually make them leave your business. It is best to always listen to the customer with attention and patience, acknowledge there is a problem and keep the communication open.

Put the Customer First

Showing empathy towards a disgruntled customer is necessary. This will prove to them that you actually care about their discomfort. Listen to everything that the customer has to say and then politely address the different aspects of the overall complain. Tell them you understand their situation and would feel the same way if it had happened to you. Focus on using the right tone of voice, body language and words that would help calm down the distressed customer. Make them feel they are important and your priority.

Target the Root Cause

Customer complaints should be seen as an opportunity to find out what’s lacking, what your mistakes are and how this can be fixed. Get to the root cause of the problem to eliminate the issues completely. Develop a strategy and take steps to ensure the same problem doesn’t occur again. Keep your customers in the loop and inform them about the steps taken to improve your products and service. Customer service training should also be conducted regularly by organizations on how to handle angry customers and difficult situations.

Stay in Touch

One of the most common mistakes that businesses make after fixing an issue for a customer is failing to follow up. Get in touch with customers and ask them if they are happy with the solution that was offered. Get detailed feedback and suggestions from them on what else can be done. Ask them if anything needs to be changed or fixed. Ask them what makes them happy and what their expectations are from your company. Based on what they say, amend your processes and focus on personalized offers for them. Such a demonstration is in an indication of individual attention and helps in retention of customers.