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How to Turn an Angry Customer Into a Repeat CustomerIf you are in business, and chances are if you are reading this you are, you have dealt with an angry customer. Because business is very rarely perfect, things come up from time to time that upset even our best customers. Whether you are late with a delivery or your product or service is not performing the way it should, it is beneficial to know how to deal with this situation when it arises. How you deal with an angry customer could determine if you strengthen your relationship or sever it and most of it depends on how and when you respond. Many business people cringe at the sight of an upset customer. I learned a long time ago that I had better learn how to deal with them because they are just a part of doing business. I took it a step further and asked the question; how could I turn this negative situation into a positive one? Situations like this are your opportunity to show your customer what you and your company are made of. When you made the sale you promised great customer service, now is your chance to prove it. Anyone can handle a customer when things are going well; it is the most successful of us that can turn an unhappy customer into a satisfied one and use this very situation to do it. Here is how. The first step in handling an angry customer is contacting them promptly. If the customer has contacted your customer service department or has left you a voicemail directly is it ultimately important that you respond immediately. Don't wait an hour or push it off for a day. This will only make the matter worse. Address it NOW and turn a big problem into a manageable one. Show up in person whenever possible. This shows your customer that you care about them. Greet them in a cordial, but concerned manner, acknowledging that you know they have a problem. If you are addressing them on the phone make certain you are empathetic and the tone of your voice reflects it. It is real important to remain positive, but empathetic. Ask them what the problem is and let them express their displeasure! Take notes but do not offer explanations or try to explain your side of the story. Save that for later. At this time it is crucial that they speak and you listen. Respond by saying "you have a valid point". Even if their complaint is not totally based in fact, you must agree that they "have a point" and let them know that you are listening to what they are saying. The next step is to agree with them and "you can see why they would be upset". "Chances are you would feel the same way if you were in their position." This will displace quite a bit of the anger. Take a minute to digest this psychology. It is very important! It is much easier to be angry with someone who disagrees with you than with someone who agrees with you. The more you agree that they are justified in their anger the more difficult it is to be angry with you. If you validate their concern, you are half way there. Keep in mind that you can not resolve the problem while the customer is upset or emotional. Until you diffuse the anger, do not try to solve the problem. Your customer wants to make sure that you see his or her point of view prior to letting you move forward, if you attempt to do otherwise chances are you will make a bad situation worse. Once the customer is calmed down, start to gather facts about the situation. What departments were involved, what was the time line, what were the major issues. Let the customer know that you will get back to them with a solution and give them a specific time for follow up. and make sure you adhere to it! Never, and I mean NEVER, tell a customer "you guarantee that this will never happen again." This is a death trap and you must never go there. What you can guarantee the customer is that you will do everything you can to minimize the chances of this happening again, but if it does, you will take care of it in a promptly and with as little inconvenience as possible. Most customers will appreciate your honesty. And if they want a guarantee that it wont happen again, you better be sure the chances of it ever happening again are zero, otherwise you will lose the account the next time it happens. Well placed customer service is a great way to solidify your business! Some businesses skimp on customer service and create a great inroad for you and your business. Customers realize that mistakes happen. It is how you handle them when they occur that will decide whether they stay with you or go elsewhere. The keys: Contact the customer promptly Gregg Zban is a General Manager with Coca-Cola Enterprises and has created a website dedicated to better time management, management technique, interviewing, sales coaching and more. To learn more please visit http://www.choice-time-management.com
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