![\"irate](\"http:\/\/blog.123print.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/irate-customer-300x225.jpg\")
It\u2019s bound to happen. No matter how great your products and services, you\u2019re not going to make everyone happy all of the time. Today\u2019s pointers should help you deal with an irate customer and get resolution.<\/p>\nIt\u2019s bound to happen. No matter how great your products and services, you\u2019re not going to make everyone happy all of the time. Today\u2019s pointers should help you deal with an irate customer and get resolution.<\/p>\n
Whether you have just stepped into the Customer Service field or have been in it for years, everyone has experienced a call or two where the customer is beyond furious. Sometimes it is because of a company policy, sometimes because they have not received answers from your company and sometimes they are just having a bad day and the particular situation is the last straw for them. There are definitely ways to diffuse the situation, get to the root of the problem and find a resolution that suits the customer.<\/p>\n
Tip #1 \u00a0 Listen to the Customer<\/strong> Tip #2 \u00a0 Apologize<\/strong> Tip #3 \u00a0 Ask the Customer What They Want<\/strong> Tip #4 \u00a0 Be Flexible<\/strong> Tip #5 \u00a0 Summarize the Resolution<\/strong> Remember that your customers ultimately control your growth or decline in business. The better you can service them, the more likely they will be loyal to you. Most customers are forgiving if you make a mistake, but they will quickly leave if you are not able to satisfactorily recover from that mistake.<\/p>\n Thank you for taking the time to read through the tips. I hope that they will be useful the next time you encounter a frustrated customer. If you have additional customer service tips that work well for you, please share them below, on our Facebook<\/a> wall, Google+<\/a> page or tweet<\/a> us. Together, we can all improve our customers\u2019 experience.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It\u2019s bound to happen. No matter how great your products and services, you\u2019re not going […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1444,7,8],"tags":[1770,337,1769,1768,1077],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.123print.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8121"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.123print.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.123print.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.123print.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.123print.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8121"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/blog.123print.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8121\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8969,"href":"https:\/\/blog.123print.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8121\/revisions\/8969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.123print.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.123print.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.123print.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nDon\u2019t interrupt the customer! Let them vent for as long as they need to, so they can explain what the situation is and why they are upset. Really listen to what they are saying and you may be surprised to discover the real reason behind their frustration. Make sure that you relay \u201cprocess gaps\u201d to the appropriate team in your company. Sometimes the company doesn\u2019t know that there is a gap until a customer lets us know.<\/p>\n
\nApologize on behalf of the company. Don\u2019t use the words, \u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d as they should only be used in personal situations. In the business world, saying something like, \u201cI apologize for the inconvenience this situation has caused you,\u201d or \u201cI apologize for the situation,\u201d is a crucial step to retaining a customer. Over the span of my 15-year career in customer support, one of the biggest complaints I have heard is, \u201cThey never once apologized.\u201d<\/p>\n
\nInstead of running through a list of options, ask the customer what you can do for them to resolve the issue. Very often this question can instantly calm the customer down. Allowing the customer to express their need gives them back the power they feel that they lost somewhere in the process. Based on your own company\u2019s policies, you may not have the authority to grant this need, but you can then negotiate a reasonable solution for them based on their true need.<\/p>\n
\nRemember that not all situations have a one-size-fits-all solution. Be able to offer alternative solutions based on the customer\u2019s individual needs. Sometimes the need is based around the timing of an event, so offering different shipping options can be a lifesaver for them. Other times the need is around the financial aspect of the purchase, so a discount on the original or future order is what would be most appreciated by the customer. Tailor the solution to the customer\u2019s need.<\/p>\n
\nAfter talking with the customer on their issue and coming to a resolution, it is just as important to verbalize the final resolution back to the customer. This confirms understanding by both parties and adds credibility to the conversation. If your system allows it, emailing the customer with your resolution agreement seals the deal. A follow-up call is always a good idea to show your customer that you truly care about them.<\/p>\n