Dealing with Difficult Customers

Customer service representatives must serve – even the angry, somewhat hostile patrons. As a customer service professional, you are almost guaranteed, at one time or another, to encounter an unhappy customer. It is how you deal with the issue that will make the difference between losing a customer or gaining their loyalty and word-of-mouth praise from and to others. Too often, service representatives react inappropriately, or are too quick to seek to pass the problem to others making things even worse. Here are five quick steps to remember when dealing with such a customer.

Before looking at the five points, remember there are two parts of the problem that you must consider and deal with differently. The first part is the emotional aspect, and that is what is tied to the second part, the actual issue. Handle the emotions first, because the issue can not be properly handled until those are out of the way. If a product has failed them, the real issue is the product, but along with that will come the emotions brought on by the failed item. On top of that, there could be other issues and frustrations in their life that just add to the emotional side of the issue. Let the customer unload those emotions so you can get past them and on to the main issue.

1. Don’t take it personally: Remember, the aggravation is not directed at you personally (of course this depends on the type of job you hold), so do not let it get to you. Do not become argumentative or angry towards them; keep your emotions totally out of it. Do not let anything they say bait you into arguing back. Acknowledge their anger, and assure them you wish to get to the root of the issue and satisfy their need.
    
2. Listen: Emotions are hot; do not shut them off or appear to be less than interested. Pay attention, look at them, and be sure it is obvious to them that you are paying close attention. Do not interrupt, do not interject solutions, just stay calm and listen to the problem. One of the fastest ways to calm a customer down is to make them feel you are sincerely listening and interested in helping them resolve the issue.
    
3. Don’t say you’re sorry: This is not to say that you should not apologize, but saying “I’m sorry” is so overused it sounds insincere to many people. Instead, be specific, saying rather “I apologize for this issue…” Also, since you were listening to them, make sure your apology directly makes reference to the actual issue, and always seek to use the customer’s name when addressing them. It adds that personal connection with them.
    
4. Be genuine: Feel their pain, step into their shoes, and see it from their perspective. Then you can offer statements that show you empathize with them. Just saying “I understand how you feel” can come off as insincere, so understand their frustration and convey that in your response. Add to your response some words that place you on their side, and you will begin to build a rapport with them. A response along the lines of “I can understand why you are upset, and it frustrates me too when a product doesn’t operate properly” will offer empathy and connection with them.
    
5. Don’t play the blame game: One important aspect to remember is to not pass the blame. To the customer, it does not matter whose fault it is, and that is not what they want to hear. The issue is present, it has been dropped into your lap, and it is now your problem to resolve as far as the customer is concerned. Make sure you stay with the issue until it has been resolved.

If you want to see the anger and frustration level rise, then start transferring the customer from department to department. I have had this happen to me during telephone customer service, and in the process have been shuffled to wrong departments, and many times have gotten disconnected. Talk about heightened anger, especially when you have to call back and go through the hold process waiting to reach someone and then having to start over and describe the whole issue again.

The customer does not need to be bounced around, transferred from person to person. You take down the details and let them know you will get it handled. After you have assumed the responsibility, it is fine to then go and track down the origin of the issue and seek the resolution with other people and departments. Just handle the footwork yourself, and get back to the customer with the results. If it is a face-to-face issue, rather than just pointing them in the direction to go, escort them to the right person to resolve the issue.

The best way to handle difficult customers is to make sure you are making the issue as simple for them as possible, and that nothing is adding to the frustration level by asking too much of them. Keep it as simple for them as possible and you handle the work load, or at the minimum, stay with them until the issue is resolved. That is providing superior customer service.

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