DEALING WITH ANGER

Meltdown

When confronted with an angry person, you first have to accept that anger is a legitimate emotion—one that many of us find difficult to express appropriately. Therefore, when a person does express anger, you must assume that there is a valid reason for it. 

You also should recognize that some people are more volatile than others, some have less self control, and some respond more to “gut reaction” than to logic. Here are some guidelines for managing an angry customer:

• Respond with a firm approach and a direct facial expression. Maintain a calm and composed stance throughout the encounter.

• Attract the customer’s attention by saying his or her name, if possible. Keeping eye contact, follow through immediately with a short statement, showing you recognize and acknowledge the anger: “You are obviously very annoyed; what exactly went wrong?”

• Empathize, acknowledging the customer’s point of view. It is important that you don’t imply that the company is a mess or that the staff is incompetent. Professionalism and loyalty to the organization must be paramount.

• Establish the facts of the situation while keeping a calm, even tone and level of voice.

• If appropriate, apologize once and sincerely for the inconvenience caused by any error or misunderstanding, then set about putting things right.

• Repeat your statement of intent until the customer calms down. It may be possible to offer an alternative: “Would you like to speak to the manager?”

• Ask if anything further can be done to improve things and, if the person has any suggestions, use active listening to check facts. Affirm that you have heard and understood.

• If the situation gets out of control, call for a manager or offer to have someone call

the customer back. Remember that you have the right to be treated with respect and not to be threatened.

Things to Do

• Stay calm.

• Maintain a neutral posture, facial expression, and tone of voice. Keep steady eye contact.

• Allow the other person some time to “let off steam.”

• Acknowledge the person’s anger and empathize, as appropriate.

• Listen well and let the other person know that you heard and understood what was said.

• Try to establish the cause of the anger and do what you can to establish a solution, a workable relationship, a compromise, or some other positive outcome.

• Help the other person behave assertively, rather than aggressively, by your example.

Things to Avoid

• Don’t show impatience or annoyance.

• Don’t let the customer dominate the conversation; gently intervene by restating what was said and then move the conversation along.

• Don’t get sidetracked by other issues.

• Don’t cut off the other person’s speech too abruptly; treat the situation with care and sensitivity.

• Don’t overdo your apology or place blame on other employees and the organization.

WHAT TO DO WHEN A CUSTOMER HAS A NEGATIVE ATTITUDE ABOUT YOUR COMPANY DUE TO PAST EXPERIENCES?

WHEN A CUSTOMER HAS A NEGATIVE ATTITUDE ABOUT YOUR COMPANY DUE TO PAST EXPERIENCES - WHAT TO DO?
When a Customer Has a Negative Attitude About Your Company Due to Past Experiences


THE SITUATION
You may come across a situation where your customer comes in with a “chip on his shoulder” because he believes he has been treated badly in the past or has heard from others that your organization doesn’t treat people well.

This tends to happen more often in government and public sector environments (e.g., schools) because, unlike in the private sector, the customer cannot simply go somewhere else.

The person needs to deal with the specific organization and the organization needs to provide service. How do you deal with the customer with negative preconceptions, whether justified or not?

TECHNIQUES USED
■ Active Listening (1)
■ Not Taking the Bait (2)
■ Some People Think That (neutral mode) (3)
■ Assurances of Effort (4)
■ Refocus (5)

DIALOGUE
This situation occurs in a government office.The customer can’t choose to take his business elsewhere and clearly has some negative preconceptions.

Customer: OK. I need to get these building permits done, and I don’t want you guys to jerk me around like you usually do or run me through reams of red tape. I don’t have the time.

Employee: It sounds to me like you want to get these permits done as quickly as possible, right? (1, 2)


Customer: Damn right.You know, nobody likes dealing with you guys. It’s always a major hassle, and you screw it up half the time.

Employee: Some people get impatient with the process. (3) Let’s see if I can surprise you. (4) Since you want to get this done fast, let’s get to it. (5) I know you’ve done this before, so you probably have the information you need for the permits? (5)

EXPLANATIONS
Before we go through the specifics, what attitude is the employee demonstrating? Is it defensive? Or is the
employee seeing this situation as a challenge he can win, turning around the negative attitude? Clearly, it’s the latter.

It’s important that you do not feel defensive, argue, or react in negative ways.

Take a look at the first employee response. The employee wants to show concern, demonstrate she has heard the customer’s comments, but not encourage the customer to rant and rave about the government organization.

She does this by using a listening response (1) And by not taking the bait, and arguing with the customer to get him to change his mind about government. The employee continues to acknowledge the concerns without encouraging in-depth focusing on his negative impressions by using a “when” question, sometimes called neutral mode (“Some people think that “) (3).

This shows that she is paying attention, without encouraging argument. In (4) she indicates that she will try to offer a better experience (assurances of effort).

Then in (5) she makes the important transition away from the negative feelings to address the reason why the customer has come in—the permits. That’s refocusing.


HINTS
As with all situations in which the customer is angry or prepared to be angry, it’s important to acknowledge
(show you hear and understand) “where the customer is coming from,” without necessarily agreeing or disagreeing.

However, you don’t want to spend more time than is necessary on the feelings or the past. Acknowledge, then refocus on the task at hand.

Apart from refocusing from anger to the task, also refocus (move the conversation) from what’s happened
in the past to what’s in front of the both of you—the here and now. Since customers usually want something now, it’s to their benefit to stop focusing on the bad things they think have been done to them in the past and focus on getting things done in the present. That makes it easy to make the case for talking about the present and what you can do now for the customer.

WHAT TO DO WHEN A CUSTOMER WANTS TO BE SERVED AHEAD OF OTHER WAITING CUSTOMER

WHEN A CUSTOMER WANTS TO BE SERVED AHEAD OF OTHER WAITING CUSTOMER - WHAT TO DO?
A Tutorial On Action Needed When A Customer Wants To Be Served Ahead Of Other Waiting Customers


THE SITUATION
Here’s a situation you may have encountered if you work in a retail environment. A customer in a line up at the cash register asks whether she can be served without waiting, because she is either in a hurry, or feels that her small number of items somehow justifies moving ahead of people with many more items to be processed at the check-out.

Denying the request may incur the ire of the customer requesting the “speed-up” while accommodating
the request may alienate the people ahead of her in the line. What do you do?

TECHNIQUES USED
■ Offering Choices/Empowering (1)

DIALOGUE
Four people are waiting in line at a grocery store. The first three people have full baskets while the fourth person has only three items.The customer with the fewest items gets your attention and asks if she can go first.

Customer: I’m in a real hurry and I only have a few items, so can I go ahead of these people?

Employee: Since these people have been waiting longer and might also be in a rush, it’s really up to them. (1) If they don’t mind, I can take you first.Otherwise, the wait is only a few minutes.

Customer: [to others in the line] Does anyone mind if I go ahead of you?

EXPLANATIONS
The cashier could have made a judgment call in this situation and simply made the decision himself, but that

would have put the cashier in the middle—really between a rock and a hard place.

Instead, the employee turns the responsibility for the decision back to where it belongs—to the people who might be inconvenienced.

He provides the opportunity for the customer in a hurry to ask the others (1), if she chooses to do so. It’s then up to the other customers. Not only is that the fairest way to deal with this situation, but it also sends the message that the customers who have been waiting are important to the employee.

HINTS
Notice that the cashier doesn’t volunteer to ask the other customers himself. He puts the onus (and the choice) to do so on the customer who wants to be served first.

Another reason for doing it this way is that it helps the other customers see the employee as neutral on this issue. In situations like this, the employee needs to have a unanimous “vote” in order to break with procedure. A majority vote is not enough to change the order/procedure.

WHAT TO DO WHEN A CUSTOMER JUMPS AHEAD IN A LINE OF WAITING CUSTOMER

WHEN A CUSTOMER JUMPS AHEAD IN A LINE OF WAITING CUSTOMER - WHAT TO DO?
A Tutorial On What To Do When A Customer Jumps Ahead In A Line Of Waiting Customers



THE SITUATION
One of the most frustrating things for customers is when someone pushes ahead of them in a line and for the
employee to serve the more aggressive customer first, ignoring the fact that the aggressive customer has pushed in.

To ignore the situation almost ensures that the customer being delayed is going to blame the employee for the aggressive customer's rude or oblivious behavior.

TECHNIQUES USED
■ Verbal Softeners (1)
■ Face-Saving Out (2)

DIALOGUE
This situation could occur in any context where people line up for service—grocery stores, other retail establishments, banks, hotels, restaurants.There's a line of five people waiting to be served and a sixth person steps into the middle of the line. Before any of the other customers says anything, the employee intervenes.

Employee: [to the customer who has pushed in] Perhaps you didn't notice that the line actually ends after this gentleman. (1) If you could move to the end, I'll be glad to serve you in turn.

Customer: Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't see that.

Employee: No problem. It's easy to miss. (2)

EXPLANATIONS
In this situation it's important to point out that the customer has jumped the line without doing anything that

might humiliate or embarrass him or her. In (1) the employee uses a very gentle way of letting the customer
know about the line, careful not to accuse the customer.

The word "perhaps" is a good example of a verbal softener. Notice the difference in tone between what the employee said and the following: "Hey, you jumped the line. Get back to the end." Quite different.

In (2), you can see an example of a similar technique, providing a face-saving out. Since the customer has apologized, the employee can soften any embarrassment by making it OK, indicating that it's a mistake that's easy to make. That ends the interaction on a positive note.

HINTS
It's important that an employee who deals with situations where customers line up make a conscious effort to monitor the line in order to address "pushing-in" issues before another customer does.

You don't want two customers arguing about something that is ultimately your
responsibility.

When a customer cuts in, you can't know whether it is an intentional act of rudeness and inconsideration or
simply a result of inattention.

For this reason, you should always give the benefit of the doubt. To accuse a customer of pushing in intentionally is almost always guaranteed to start an argument.

Even if you have a strong suspicion it was intentional, you must start with a gentle approach.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU ARE LATE OR KNOW YOU WILL BE LATE?

CUSTOMER SERVICE WHEN YOU ARE LATE OR KNOW YOU WILL BE LATE
Tactics When You Are Late or Know You Will Be Late

THE SITUATION

Being late for an appointment or meeting with a customer is not a good thing, but there are situations where you are delayed a) due to circumstances beyond your control or b) because you needed to do something for the benefit of the customer. Here are some tips on how to handle situations where you know you will be late or you actually arrive late.

TECHNIQUES USED

■ Apologize (1)

■ Explain Reasoning or Actions (2)

■ Empathy Statements (3)

■ Offering Choices/Empowering (4)

■ Providing Alternatives (5)

■ Thank-Yous (6)

DIALOGUE

The employee realizes he is going to be at least 10 minutes late for a meeting with his customers because there was a delay in printing material that is needed for the meeting. The employee contacts the customer by phone.

Employee: Mr. Jones, I’m really sorry. (1) It looks like I’m going to be about 10 minutes late to arrive because there’s been a delay in printing out the contracts we need to look at during the meeting. (2) I’m printing them out now and shouldn’t be later than 3 p.m. (2)

Customer: Well, I’ve got the VP of Finance coming and I can’t have him sitting around waiting. I have to tell you I’m not impressed.

Employee: I can understand you are disappointed. (3) I had to decide whether to delay coming over until the contracts are done or to come on time without the contracts. (2) It seems like the best use of time, but if you want to reschedule or if there’s any way to make this more convenient, I’m flexible. (4)

Customer: No, that’s fine.

Employee: If you want to go over the other reports while you’re waiting, maybe we can shorten the meeting. (5)

Customer: That’s a good idea.

When the employee finally arrives, this is what he says.

Employee: I have to apologize to all of you, (1) and especially to Mr. Smith (VP of Finance), for being late, and thank you for your patience. (6) [He then explains the reason for arriving late.] (2)

EXPLANATIONS

Most of the techniques used in this example are straightforward. The use of apologies (1), thank-yous (6), and empathy statements (3) doesn’t need additional explanation. Here’s what’s important. Even though the delay is “only” 10 minutes, the employee notifies the customer of the delay and provides an explanation of why he will be late.

(2) Notification, even when you will only be a few minutes late, is always a good thing, because it demonstrates your concern for the customer and his or her time. If you look at (4), you will see the use of offering a choice to the customer. He is offering an “out” so that if the customer needs to reschedule or cancel the meeting, he can do so using the opening the employee provides.

In (5), the employee offers an alternative or suggestion as to how the customer might use the 10-minute delay to his advantage, recognizing that the delay shouldn’t create “dead time” for the others attending the meeting.

Finally, when the employee arrives, you can see a repeat of the techniques the employee used when notifying the customer of the delay. The employee decides to explain why he is late just in case the people attending the meeting were not informed of the reason for the delay.

HINTS

If you are late without good reason (e.g., oversleeping, error in planning), it’s probably best to give only a limited and general explanation, such as “I was unavoidably detained,” or to be honest and admit your mistake. The more established and positive your relationships with the customer, the more honest you can be.

UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE CUSTOMER WANT FOR BETTER CUSTOMER SERVICE

WHAT THE CUSTOMER WANT - CUSTOMER SERVICE CONTEXT
The Importance of Knowing What Customer Wants

One thing about the customer service techniques you’re going to learn: you can’t succeed with them by memorizing them or using them in every situation. The key to customer service is doing the right thing at the right time.

To be able to choose the right techniques and to use them effectively, you have to understand what customers want. Knowing this will help you make sense of the techniques you’ll be looking at.

Below is a list of the most important customer wants and needs.When you address these, you create positive customer perceptions about you and your company. That means fewer arguments, fewer hassles, and better customer relationships.

Customers want:

■ problem solved

■ effort

■ acknowledgment and understanding

■ choices and options

■ positive surprises

■ consistency, reliability, and predictability

■ value (not necessarily best price)

■ reasonable simplicity

■ speed

■ confidentiality

■ sense of importance

Customers want their problem solved. They want to get what they want from you, whether it’s a product, service, or other output. This is the customer service “want” that most people are familiar with.

However, it’s not always possible to give the customer what he or she wants, which is where the rest of the “wants” come in.  Even if you can’t solve the customer’s problem, you can create positive perceptions by addressing the other, less obvious customer wants.

Customers expect that you (and your company) will make an effort to address their problems, concerns, and needs, even if you can’t give them what they want. Customers respect effort, often pay attention to effort above and beyond the call of duty, and will turn on you (create hassles) if they sense that you aren’t making an effort.

Many of the techniques you’ll learn later in this book work because they demonstrate “effort above and beyond the call of duty.” Customers want and expect to have their wants, needs, expectations, feelings, and words acknowledged and understood.

 That means listening and proving to the customer that you have “got” what he or she is saying.  Customers who feel understood and acknowledged feel important, and that’s a vital part of good customer relationships.

Customers also want to feel they have choices and options and are not trapped by you or your company. They want to feel they can decide and that you’re helping them, rather than the other way around.

When customers feel helpless or powerless, they’re more likely to become frustrated, angry, and aggressive. Customers also appreciate “positive surprises.” Positive surprises are things you do that go above and beyond their hopes and expectations (going the extra five miles).

They include offering discounts or providing some other benefit that’s normally unavailable to them. Positive surprises are most useful when dealing with difficult or angry customers. Consistency, reliability, and predictability are also important customer wants.

Customers expect that you will treat them in a consistent way and that you’ll always do what you say you’ll do. By acting in accordance with these wants, you provide the customer with a sense of security and confidence in both you personally and in the company. This builds loyalty.

Customers also expect value for their investments of time and money. What’s interesting here is that while money (price) is part of the value equation, it’s only a part. When customers look at value, they also take into account how they’re treated, the quality and expertise of the advice they receive from you to help them make decisions, and a number of other factors.

You may not be able to affect the price of services or products you provide, but you can add value by helping the customer in other ways. Reasonable simplicity is another important customer want.

These days many people are overwhelmed by a complex world. If you complicate the customers’ world or make them jump through a number of hoops, they will become frustrated and angry.

One of your customer service roles should be to make things easier for the customer, not more complicated, without oversimplifying or treating the customers in a condescending way.

Speed and prompt service are also important. At minimum, customers want you to make the effort to help them quickly and efficiently. They also expect that you will not create situations that have them waiting around unnecessarily. While you may not always be able to control how fast a customer is served, you can convey a sense that you’re working at top speed.

Confidentiality is an important aspect of customer service. Clearly customers want you to keep their sensitive information to yourself, but it goes further than that. Customers also want a degree of privacy even when talking to you about what may seem to be a mundane or nonsensitive issue. Customers may feel uncomfortable if there are other staffs or customers crowding around them.

We’ve left the most important need for last. Customers need the sense that they are important. Many of the above wants tie into this. Listening to and acknowledging customers demonstrate that you believe they are important.

So does arranging for pleasant surprises or making an effort. Many of the specific phrases and techniques you’re going to learn tie directly into helping the customer feel important.

OVERCOMING OBJECTIONS FROM CUSTOMER - CUSTOMER SERVICE CONTEXT

OBJECTIONS FROM CUSTOMERS AND OVERCOMING IT
How To Overcome Objections From Customers?


During the ‘presenting options’ stage, you may sense that the customer has some objection to the offering. You will want to know what the objection is because it may not be well founded.

Customers may not know as much as you do about your product. Sometimes the customers’ objection is based on an incorrect assumption the customer is making. It is up to you to determine what the objection is and then overcome it.

Of course, if the objection is clear (“I don’t like the color!”) move on. But if the objection is not clear, you need to ask questions to find out how to get to the bottom of it.

For example, the customer may be looking at a suit you have presented and they seem unsure about it. You need to find out what it is that they do not like about the suit. You cannot continue presenting options that are not suitable. That is a waste of everyone’s time.

In a case like this say something like “You’re not sure about this one? What is it that you don’t really care for?” Perhaps the customer will say “I’m not sure about this fabric.” At that point you have the perfect opportunity to respond with all of the positive information you have about the fabric of that particular suit.

If the customer responds favorably to what you have told him/her, then you have successfully overcome the objection. If not, you need to find out more about the fabric the customer is looking for and then find a more suitable item.

Sometimes the customers’ objections cannot be overcome. You will have to present more options. The important thing to remember is that by trying to overcome the customers’ objections you are offering a service to your customer by providing information that they do not have about the product you are presenting.

If this is done properly, the customer will understand that you are trying to help rather than trying to ‘push’ the
product on them.

Never continue trying to overcome a powerful objection that the customer obviously has no intention of changing. If you continue to try you will become annoying.