Interacting With Angry Customers – Practical Tips For Any Associate

July 3, 2012 By

No one likes to deal with angry people. It’s not fun in your personal life and it is certainly unpleasant when you are a frontline associate dealing with an angry customer. While most customers may know that you are not personally at fault as an associate, you do represent the company and often bear the brunt of the negativity.

So what are some of the best ways to help diffuse a negative situation? Here are some suggestions for not only showing the customer that you are ready to help them with their issue, but also to help you create loyalty along the way.

  1. Personalize the conversation. Be observant, compliment the customer on something that they are wearing that you like or ask them how their day is going. This will engage the customer and make them understand that you see them as a person, not just as a customer.
  2. Listen for the underlying emotion. Every customer has an emotion. They could be sad, happy, angry, frustrated, elated, excited, concerned, etc. Listening to why a customer is upset is the first step in demonstrating that you actually “hear” them.
  3. Relay the emotion. After determining the underlying emotion, say something like, “I hear you are frustrated, but I would like to help you with your issue.” This will almost immediately calm someone down. If you haven’t heard the correct emotion, the consumer will automatically say “I’m not frustrated; I’m really disappointed in the store’s policies. I have been a customer for years and they are treating me terribly”. At that point, saying “I’m sorry you are disappointed, but I would like to help you” will set the stage for a cordial exchange.
  4. Employ the word “help.” Saying throughout the conversation, “I would like to help you with that”, “I’m so glad that you are here (or called) so I can help you with that issue” or “you have come to the right place (or person)”, will send a strong message to the customer that you really do want to assist them.
  5. Be Flexible. Rules should be guidelines, not rigid policies that cannot be adjusted. Is it really worth losing a loyal customer who might spend $500 a year in your place of business over a $25 issue?
  6. Be Empowered. Make sure that your company has a policy which empowers you to make decisions regarding customer satisfaction, without a manager’s consent. Having a dollar amount whereby you can instantly make a customer happy and loyal can be a powerful tool to use when addressing customer complaints. When associates have little or no authority it’s a bad reflection on the establishment and does nothing to create long lasting customer relationships.

Most of us, whether we are in the customer service industry or not, have little tolerance for bad service. I know myself that I can get pretty angry and frustrated by robotic, indifferent or hostile service associates and unfriendly customer policies. But, I also know that if a representative really listens to my underlying emotion and offers their help, I’m eager to put a smile back on my face and see how the representative can make my day a bit better. I hope these tips will help make your job a little easier and your day a bit better as well!

 

Filed Under: Best Practices, Blog, Contact Center, Customer Service, Hospitality, Personalizing Service, Retail Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

3 Ideas to Generate Testimonials

June 20, 2012 By

Consumers are now the voice of a brand. They can raise or lower any company’s profile or reputation in a matter of minutes by posting a clever YouTube video or social media review. Studies show that 78% of customers trust peer recommendations while only 14% trust advertisements. If you own a retail store, small hotel or local restaurant, having positive testimonials can be your most effective form of advertising as well as your best insurance against any negative comments you may receive. But how can you generate positive reviews and testimonials?

I have three simple suggestions that definitely work:

 

  •  When a customer thanks an associate for especially good service, ask them if they ever write reviews. If yes, ask them if they would be willing to place a comment on the site they use most often. If you have built a strong customer bond and really wowed them with your service, they will most likely be happy to support your efforts.
  •  Assign each of your associates a different site to monitor; Yelp, Zagats, Open Table, etc. Whenever a positive and meaningful review appears, post it on your establishment’s wall behind the register where everyone can see it. It’s not necessary to include the reviewer’s name, but it may be beneficial to put the date of the review and make sure that you keep what’s posted on your testimonial wall current.
  •  Solicit customer feedback. Ask a random number of customers what brought them into your establishment initially, what they like best and what’s the one thing they would change to make service more customer friendly or enjoyable if they owned your restaurant. Then close with “if one of your neighbors asked you to describe our business from a customer’s point of view, what would you say?” If the response is something you would like others to hear or see, ask the customer if you can post their comment to your testimonial wall. Explain that you will not disclose their name.

People like to be helpful. Customers are people too. Your business should always do its best to treat customers with respect, provide them with a good product or service and demonstrate appreciation. When the service your staff delivers makes your customers happy, they will be happy to help you too.

We live in a world of reviews. Those companies that provide excellent service and accumulate brand or store advocates along the way should never be embarrassed to ask for testimonials. When you do something well, why shouldn’t everyone benefit?

What other suggestions do you have to generate well-deserved positive postings?

Filed Under: Best Practices, Blog, Hospitality, Retail, Social Media Tagged With: , , , , ,

Are You Too Busy for Customers?

May 7, 2012 By

Today I would like to share with you a guest blog post from Joe Rawlinson

Here in Texas we have to get our cars inspected every year to make sure they are still safe to drive. One year I needed to get my wife’s car inspected so I returned to an auto shop that had done the inspection the previous year.

My Experience

I walked in and said that I needed a state inspection. My conversation went as follows:

Guy behind counter: “It’ll be 45 minutes to an hour.”

Me: “So you’re saying I’ll be out of here in an hour?”

Guy: “There are no guarantees. My inspector is out and I’m the only one that can do the inspection.”

Me: “When does your inspector get back?”

Guy: “Next week.”

Me: “When is a better time to come by then?”

Guy: “Around 7:30am. Before the phone starts ringing and things get busy.”

The employee/manager never made eye contact with me during this conversation. I jumped into my car and left.

I know you’re busy, but…

If you are busy, don’t blow off your customers. Why did I have to ask 20 questions? Even after the questions, I was left with the impression that the guy behind the counter just wanted to get rid of me.

All businesses get busy times. However, just because you are swamped doesn’t mean your customers will quit calling. To ensure that you still appease your customers you need to remember these steps when you are super busy:

  •  Explain why you are busy.
  •  Express sympathy for the customer and still show you care even though you can’t service them right now.
  •  Give the customer some options. Offer different times the customer could return or call you.
  •  If you know you can’t help them, don’t send them away empty handed. Refer them to another company you respect.

By taking care of your customers’ perceptions and needs even when you are busy, you’ll be sure to make the good impressions that will keep you busy for years to come.

Your Competition is Waiting

After my distasteful experience trying to get my car inspected, I got back in my car and drove a half a block down the street to another auto service station.

Upon entering the office, I was promptly served and was done in a mere 15 minutes. The staff was cordial and friendly. This was in complete contrast to the shop up the street I had just left.

Remember that your competition is everywhere. They are conveniently located just down the street. They can be reached by a simple phone call. Their website is just a click away.

You must treat your customers with the respect they deserve or they’ll jump in their car, leave, and give their money to your competition.

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To learn more about Joe Rawlinson, please visit his website http://www.returncustomer.com/ or connect with him on Twitter @joerawlinson.

 

Filed Under: Best Practices, Blog, Customer Service, Guest Blogger, Retail Tagged With: , , ,