Addressing a customer in a friendly manner can help diffuse a confrontational situation.
Whether you work as a customer service representative or collection agent, or you own or manage a small business, you will likely receive telephone calls from irate customers. Even the most well-managed businesses sometimes do not provide what a customer expects. Correctly handling a telephone call from an angry customer can help keep your business from losing the customer, make the call productive and reduce your job stress. Simple techniques can calm an angry customer so you can help resolve his problem.
Instructions
1. Speak to the customer in a calm, slow voice. This will help establish that you are in control of the call. A calm tone can also help the customer begin responding in a rational, less emotional manner.
2. Acknowledge the customer's frustration instead of arguing or suggesting that the customer is behaving inappropriately. Tell the customer, "I can certainly understand that you're upset." This helps the customer feel like she is speaking to an ally who sincerely cares about her situation.
3. Paraphrase the customer's complaint to ensure that you correctly understand the problem. The customer is more to likely calm down if he realizes you understand the situation.
4. Apologize to the customer, even if you do not believe he is right, and assure him that you want to work toward a solution. Say, "I'm sorry your expectations weren't met. Let's focus on finding a solution that will make you happy."
5. Ask the customer what he would like to happen. Allowing the customer to propose a solution gives him a sense of being treated fairly, which helps facilitate a rational discussion.
