In the Customer’s Shoes

Pre-reading task

You are going to read an article about how to deal with angry customers. Before you read， think about the following questions： Does your company have a customer service policy？ Does it train staff to deal effectively with dissatisfied clients？ What do you think are the main challenges for staff in a customer service role？

When an angry client walks into your workplace or calls the helpdesk， it can be difficult for staff to control their natural reactions. They may feel threatened by the shouts and complaints and be tempted to shout back or defend the organisation. Unfortunately， these reactions will only make the situation worse. Using empathy to consider the situation from the customer’s point of view， however， will help turn a problem into an opportunity to rebuild and strengthen the customer relationship.

Think back to a time when you experienced a problem that made you furious with the organisation responsible. Even if your complaint was dealt with effectively， imagine how you would feel if the customer service representative refused to listen to you， or accept that the organisation might have made a mistake， or simply apologise. Would you want to do business with that company in the future？ Now consider how you would feel if you were allowed to explain the problem， and its consequences， to someone who appeared to care and understand and who promised to take responsibility for reaching a solution. Would you be more likely to trust the business and give them a second chance？

Organisations that treat customer complaints as an opportunity to improve instead of a nuisance are more likely to succeed in the long term. By using the information provided by unhappy customers， businesses can identify and correct their failures and make their systems better so that all their clients have a more satisfying experience. In theory， it sounds easy. In practice， when faced with a distressed client， it helps to know the most effective way to handle the situation.

A   Don’t make the problem worse by shouting back or telling an angry person to calm down. Take a deep breath， control your own emotions and let them explain what’s happened.

B   Think from your customer’s perspective; their complaint may involve personal details that they don’t want to broadcast to a room full of people. Try to find a quiet place to talk; giving them privacy and sitting down with them can help to calm the situation and allows you to stay focused on what they need to tell you.

C   Show that you are taking them seriously and that you want to understand the situation by using active listening techniques. Nodding and making listening noises like ‘yes’ and ‘I see’ demonstrate that you are paying attention. Make notes of the important details and wait until you have all the information before offering any explanations or solutions.

D   Don’t take it personally. In most cases， the customer isn’t angry with you， they are frustrated with your organisation. Remembering this can help you stay calm and objective and resist the temptation to justify the situation or deny responsibility， even if the customer has made the mistake or is being unreasonable.

E   Show the customer that you understand the problem， and why they feel the way they do， by paraphrasing the situation. This also allows the customer to correct you or to be more specific if necessary. This is where empathy is really important. Really try to put yourself in the customer’s shoes to appreciate how they felt at the time of the problem. It’s often the knock-on effects of the problem that has made your customer so upset.

F   Apologise. Again， whatever the problem is， it’s unlikely to be your fault but saying that you’re sorry they have experienced this problem can make a huge difference to the customer.

G   Find out what the customer thinks the solution should be. If that isn’t possible or appropriate， agree on a reasonable outcome.

H   It may not be possible to decide what to do without further investigation. If this is the case， the customer is likely to feel more confident about the prospect of a satisfying resolution if you offer to take personal responsibility for looking into the situation or making sure the solution is implemented. Even if you don’t have the authority to approve a refund or take the necessary action， the customer doesn’t need to know about the company’s internal procedures. Make good use of the trust you have earned so far and promise to see it through.

I   Make a diary note to check that whatever action you promised has been taken， then contact the customer to find out if they are satisfied with the outcome.

J   Prevention is better than cure and each customer complaint provides valuable information that has the potential to improve the experience of your other customers. If complaints highlight a common problem that could be avoided， push for changes to be made within your organisation. You may not be able to prevent all future complaints， but you can certainly reduce them by being proactive.