How to Handle Angry Customers [20 Ways]
How do you handle confrontations with angry customers? Generally speaking, angry customers are one of the more stressful aspects of customer support work. On the other hand, with the right approach, you can lighten tense situations and keep positive relationships with customers. Following are 20 of the very practical ways you can communicate to cope with angry customers by being professional along with empathy: from active listening to offering alternatives. These techniques will equip you to navigate tough conversations and provide exceptional customer experience. How to Handle Angry Customers [20 Strategies] As a customer support specialist, you are most likely to be on the front lines for customers. Whenever an angry customer is calling in with a problem, you need to take all the steam out of that situation. Knowing how to respond to an angry customer is the first step to providing a great experience that builds stronger customer relationships and customer loyalty. 1. Stay calm and composed 2. Be an active listener 3. Personalise customer service 4. Establish customer empathy 4. Establish customer empathy 5. Positive language skills 6. Paraphrase the details they informed you 7. Instill confidence 8. Appreciate their patience 9. Migrate to the correct channel 10. Analyze the situation 11. Don’t take it personally 12. Devise a plan of action 13. Be consistent 14. Find alternative solutions 15. Escalate to colleagues for help 16. Share your expertise 17. Offer alternatives or compensation and document the interaction 18. Follow up 19. Empathy and patience 20. Hang up (As a last resort) 1. Stay Calm And Compose How to handle angry customers when they are just ranting frustrations out on you, it is the first instinct to take it personally. If you know you are right, your instincts may be screaming to get defensive. You are there for customer support by which they may resolve their issues and diffuse tensions. Take a moment, before reacting, to process the situation so you can respond with a level head.It’s not about you: He’s mad at the product or service, and you’re a handy target. Try hard not to take it personally. Keep your cool. A soft, even voice will disarm even the most furious customer. Also, you can always refer to your manager for any additional support you may need, particularly if the customer is being abrasive, aggressive, or rude. 2. Be An Active Listener They are angry, and they want someone to listen. If you are their first point of contact, give them the floor and allow them to express what’s on their mind. Now’s the time to have an opportunity to express how they are feeling and living. Take the opportunity to listen to and support them through the resolution process. The second or third point of contact doesn’t want to be repetitive, recite information, or revisit their experience. With a conversational CRM tool, the history of all of the customer’s interactions is in one place, providing context on how to help them resolve their issue when you have the floor. Employ active listening skills by: Seizing every opportunity to verbalise that you’re listening “I see” or “Of course.” Pay attention to their words so that you can mirror and acknowledge their feelings. 3. Personalize Customer Service Saying the customer’s name and introducing yourself can be powerful in de-escalating a stressful interaction. You immediately create a human connection, and it’s an effective way to remind each other you are real people, and not just faceless, nameless voices. Here are a few examples of personalizing customer service for your customers: Use customer data and context so customers aren’t required to repeat or rehash things they’ve previously said. Make suggestions based on their purchase history or preferences to show them that they aren’t just another customer, you aren’t just another rep. 4. Establish Customer Empathy Instead of jumping straight into problem-solving, take a moment to acknowledge how your customer feels. That’s your time to establish customer empathy. Whether your team made a mistake, be transparent about what contributed to their issue. That context helps your customer understand that everyone, even the customer service rep they’re angry with is just trying to do their best. Examples of ways to acknowledge your customer’s emotions: Try something as simple as acknowledging that you know how much it hurts them. You can always apologise, or even use such words as “You’re right” if your company messed it up. 5. Positive Language Skills Using negative language during an interaction with an already angry customer is just about the perfect way to light the fuse of an already explosive situation. Instead, bring in your soft customer service skills and craft your responses to lift the conversation and move it to a satisfying conclusion with positive language. Injecting positive language into the interaction suggests to the customer that you’re happy to help and want to work toward a resolution together. A few positive language tips: Try not to use language that would make the customer alienate themselves or consider their problems invalid. Use “absolutely” or “definitely” instead of saying “actually” or “unfortunately.” 6. Paraphrase The Details They Informed You Restating what the customer said has to do with active listening.It explains that you are attentive, you understand the pain points of the customer, and you’re interested in helping them solve their problem. You can also use this tactic to assure yourself that you understand their situation and what they want from you. After paraphrasing what your customer has told you, you then ask them if you got it right. A little agreement here goes a long way in de-escalating tension and putting you both in a more comfortable space. Here’s how to restate what the customer is saying and the way it may improve the situation: Use the customer’s words to signal that you are not minimising their pain. Look for the opportunities to paraphrase what is being said into something less loaded, more concrete. 7. Instill Confidence How to handle angry customers when they
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