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WHAT TO DO WHEN YOUR
CUSTOMER IS READY TO EXPLODE!
When things go wrong, customers get upset. Sometimes
they blow up
in anger. Here are five steps to sanity when your
customer is
ready to "explode"!
* * * * *
Step One: Let them blow off steam!
No one is rational when they have pent up anger and
emotion. Let your customer vent his rage and fury. Don't
take it personally, and don't get in the way. Just open
a pathway for them to let off the pressure.
Several years ago I had a real problem with a shipment
by an express courier company. I called the company and
got a reasonable sounding woman on the phone.
"You folks messed up!" I yelled.
"OK," she replied in a very attentive tone.
"This was a really important shipment!" I continued
loudly.
"OK," she replied with concern.
"And my customer is going to be very upset," I
complained.
"OK," she replied again a calm voice.
"Well, what are you going to do about it?" I finally
asked, exhausted by my own tirade.
She paused a moment. "OK?" she asked gently?
"OK," I replied, smiling at her quiet but effective
approach. And then we began the process of identifying
details needed to get everything worked out.
Imagine if she had asked me for all the information
right away? In my anger, it would have taken twice as
long to give her the details, and extended my
frustration, too. Instead, she gave me the space and
time to simply "blow off steam," not taking it
personally, allowing her angry customer (me!) to settle
down.
Step Two: Show the customer you are "on his side."
Let the customer know you are here to help, not to
argue, defend or disagree.
Phrases like these will work: "Oh! I am really sorry to
hear that. Can you tell me exactly what happened?" "I
can certainly understand your frustration. Let me be the
one to help you."
Phrases to avoid are like these: "That's strange. It's
never happened like that before. Are you sure that's
what happened?" "It's not our policy to do anything over
the phone. You have to write, fax or come in
personally."
Some words are triggers for angry conversations. Avoid
phrases like these: "Who's fault is this?" "Who is to
blame?" "About your accusation..." These sound like
phrases from a police investigation or a court
case...which is NOT where you want to end up!
Step Three: Tell your customer exactly that you will do
on their behalf.
Explain what steps you will take, and when you will get
back in touch with the results.
Step Four: Take fast action!
Get the problem fixed. Resolve the misunderstanding.
Communicate inside your organisation as a "champion" for
the upset customer.
And when you do fix the problem, go the extra mile. Give
them a bit more than they expect. They will remember and
appreciate your efforts.
Step Five: Go back to the customer and explain how the
problem has been resolved.
Ensure they are fully satisfied, and thank them for
allowing you to help.
* * * * *
But wait! What about the customer who curses and
screams, threatens and throws things about? What do you
do with a genuinely abusive customer?
An upset customer should never be an abusive customer.
If you encounter an irate customer who threatens,
insults or barks foul language, use a phrase like this
to calm them down: "Sir, I am here to HELP you. But it's
hard for me to HELP YOU if you keep speaking to me that
way."
Try this several times. If they continue berating or
attacking you personally, simply say: "I would really
like to HELP you, but I cannot when you speak to me this
way. If you will calm down, I can help you now.
Otherwise, please call me again later."
If they calm down, then help them. If they continue the
abuse, hang up.
Always remember this: An upset customer tells a lot of
people about their problems. But that same customer,
when truly satisfied by your assistance, can become a
great promoter, too.
"Positive word of mouth" is precious for your business:
be sure that you deserve it.
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- Ron's successful background includes high-impact special events at the
Rose Bowl, the Great Wall of China, St. Basil's Cathedral in Moscow and on the Capitol
Mall in Washington DC. His unique approaches to leadership and learning have been featured
in LIFE Magazine, the New York Times and frequently on TV. A graduate of Brown University,
USA, Ron is certified in Applied Neuro-linguistics and is a professional member of the
National Speakers Association. For more information please visit his web site: http://www.ronkaufman.com/
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