They say customers are always right.
But what they don’t tell you is that many of your customers may prove very difficult to deal with. But what when you have to deal with the wrath of such seemingly rude and obnoxious customers?
Do you kick them in the face or just tell them to go to hell? Of course not. You have to treat the situation with the care and wisdom it demands. Below are a few tips you can always use when dealing with nightmare customers.
1. Don’t return the anger.
Difficult customers may use curse words and swear while talking to you. They may appear verbally abusive and may want to drive you over the edge. But don’t take it personally.
You don’t have to talk back to them angrily or let this upset you. You’ll be better off staying on the issue at hand and gently guiding the conversation so you don’t escalate the situation.
2. Don’t talk on top of your voice.
You don’t have to raise your voice because the customer is shouting or talking louder. Being calm and in situations like this as well as talking slowly and calmly can help the customer dissipate their anger so they can also calm down. You should put on a calm demeanor and not talk back to the customer in the tone they are talking to you.
3. Show empathy to build rapport.
It’s important to build rapport with the customer. The best way to do this is by showing empathy and understanding. Let them understand that you perfectly understand their frustrations and situation. This is key to getting them to calm down and giving you the chance to truly help them. The customer has to feel understood and the best way to do this is by showing empathy and concern.
4. Listen, rather than argue.
It really doesn’t matter whether the customer is mistaken.
You should never argue with the customer even when it seems they don’t have all the info or even when you know what they would say next. You’ll do much help by just listening to them and then building rapport through the conversation.
5. Render the help.
If a customer is proving difficult to deal with, it’s still important to help them resolve whatever issue may have triggered their anger. It’s also good to stick to your promises as well so they don’t feel even angrier. If you’ve promised an update at a particular time, do follow up on it. And before you end the call or conversation, try to summarize the steps involved in what you would do so they can feel assured that help is on the way.
Bottom Line
You have to realize that customers are humans just like you.
You also have to realize that these difficult ones are usually an exception and every other person is not just like that. Besides, many of these difficult situations may have even been triggered by other underlying situations and not mainly by whatever they may be complaining about.
Some may be having a bad day, may have had a fight with their spouse or someone, may have received a traffic ticket or involved in other unpleasant situations. You can help be the person who helps them to calm down and find the reason to be happy again. If not, you should also know when to give in.
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