The importance of knowing how to deal with difficult customers to ensure we keep them for life - by Colin Wilson, Director, Key Business Advisors

The way we manage our emotions when dealing with an angry customer will often determine whether the customer remains ours or becomes a competitor’s customer.

It takes patience to calm customers down who may yell and threaten to take their business elsewhere.  Sometimes they even threaten to sue or demand unrealistic outcomes.  For these reasons, we need to prepare ourselves to treat these challenges with high importance in delivering outstanding customer service.

Sales Tip - Ways to Calm and Retain Angry Customers

Excellent customer service is having a well-prepared plan, along with options so we can provide customers with choices to satisfy the outcome they are looking for.  If we approach an angry customer with uncertainty, lack of confidence or use weak verbal and non-verbal language, this leads to the customer becoming even angrier.

When a customer is angry, frustrated and demanding action now, it's extremely important that we follow a process to de-fuse the situation. The following instructions apply to ensure we receive the best outcomes and not enhance the customer’s anger.

What we need to do to improve on customer outcomes:

•    Our emotions determine the outcomes
•    We need to be silent, listen and let the customer communicate their issue first, either face to face or over the phone
•    Do not rush the customers conversation or interrupt, to end their complaint
•    Take notes to show you care
•    Once they have finished, ensure that you repeat their words and acquire confirmation that you have understood their issue
•    Never blame your company, a staff member or supplier
•    Customers are looking for trust, that you will take control to support them
•    Customers are looking for honesty, high interest, high priority and a solution to address their issue
•    Slow you speech down to calm the customer down
•    Acknowledge and sympathise with the customer to make them feel important
•    Explain what you are going to do for them from this point on, in simple terms
•    Offer them options to choose from to fix the problem
•    Explain to them the process and the outcomes that will happen
•    Do not make promises you cannot keep
•    Always over estimate time so you exceed their expectations
•    Offer to follow them up to ensure commitments are met
•    Thank the customer for coming in and addressing their issue

The end result the customer is looking for is someone who wants to listen to their complaint, help and support them with a positive outcome. 

In most cases customer complaints that get resolved end up with more sales opportunities with cross selling or up selling them into other products. 75% of customers will return to buy from you because they were satisfied with the outcome from the original issue. 

Should a customer continue to abuse you and become hostile then you must call for back up immediately!  I recommend that you team up to address the customer issue with more parties involved.  You need the original sales person including some authority, a team leader, sales manager or business owner.  In all cases you are looking for a solution to satisfy the customer and yourself/ business, with a win/win outcome. 

Should the customer be totally un-cooperative then a decision has to be made on this customer’s future and what to do?  The goal is to always find a resolution for unhappy customers but sometimes some customers will never be satisfied as they have unrealistic expectations.  The most important thing is that your company has a plan in place that is documented and all staff is trained on delivering this plan.  A Customer Service Policy to address all staff members creates a standard and everyone knows your company procedures in dealing with difficult customers.

If you require a Customer Service Policy in your business then contact Key Business Advisors on 1300 815 458. KBA can provide you with a standard Customer Service Policy $150.00 ex-GST or tailor it to your business for $220.00 ex-GST.