Defuse Tense Situations and Retain Loyal Customers
In every business at some moment in time, there will be an angry or disgruntled customer. If you do not deal with the annoyed consumer in the correct way, you can make the situation worse causing unnecessary drama and possibly negative reviews that can damage your reputation. These tips explain the best ways for dealing with frustrated customers in any business.
Actively Listen
It is likely that the customer feels cheated and mistreated in some way. You must listen actively, without comment, and allow the customer to vent their anger. Do not interrupt when they are speaking as this is most likely only aggregate them further. You should listen carefully to the complaint so that you are fully aware of the situation as well as how the customer feels.
Show You Care
Does the angry consumer want you to care about how they feel? Yes, of course. There’s nothing worse when dealing with an angry customer than acting like you have no sympathy for them in their circumstances. You should show compassion for the upset customer to help diffuse the situation.
Apologize, Apologize, Apologize
You must remember to apologize sincerely when a customer comes to you with a complaint. If you don’t say sorry, you will most likely lose your business a customer as well as positive recommendations. You should treat each customer, angry or not, with respect and understanding. A proper apology can greatly reduce the stress and tension of a complaint situation.
Take the Blame
If you try to offload the responsibility for the complaint, it is very likely that the customer will get angrier because they start to feel helpless and lost. You must personally take the responsibility of the problem. You may need to explain the situation to your business colleagues, but you should reassure the angry customer that you, as an individual, will resolve the issue.
Focus on a Solution
After you have actively listened to the consumer’s complaint and shown sympathy for them, you must focus on coming up with a suitable solution. You may want to repeat back the main points of the customer’s complaint before offering solutions to ensure you both fully understand the problem. You should offer a small selection of different solutions to choose from so that the customer feels in control.
Follow Up
If you want to gain repeat customers, as well as good recommendations, you should always follow up a customer’s complaint. A personalized card or a quick phone call a month after the event shows that your business has compassion and truly values each customer.
The Bottom Line
Angry customers are unfortunate fact of business. If you learn how to correctly deal with frustrated customers, you can increase your chances of gaining positive reviews and retaining loyal customers. Providing excellent customer service at all times, even to nightmare customers, is vital for a successful business.
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