Creating a Procedure for Dealing with Angry Customers
On a regular basis, as a call centre representative, you can encounter irate customers and callers. The way you treat these interactions can either result in a good resolution of their problem or a permanent loss of the customer. To help the call centre agents navigate challenging customer personalities with dignity, make sure they have the right resources, training, and call centre software.The following five techniques can help to calm the caller, enhance the productiveness of the call, decrease handle times and increase customer service quality.
Step 1: Pay attention.
Within the first few seconds of a call, you can normally tell whether or not the caller is upset. When dealing with an agitated caller, it’s important to actually listen to them before attempting to diffuse the situation. The caller may simply want to express his dissatisfaction. When a caller is given the opportunity to voice their dissatisfaction, they will apologise and encourage you to resolve the issue without further adversity.
While the customer is talking, you might find it useful to jot down the main points of their issue on a notepad. Angry callers have a habit of going off on tangents. Taking notes can assist you in finding a solution to the problem more quickly while still allowing you to retain your concentration.
Follow the company’s policy instructions for dealing with difficult customers if the caller threatens you, uses violent words, or swears. If your policies allow you to terminate the call when they cross the line, do so immediately.
Step 2: Keep your cool.
To avoid an escalation of the situation, it is important to remain calm during a call. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
- When speaking, make an effort to maintain a consistent tone. Using an irritated or angry tone would only further enrage the caller.
- Keep in mind that the consumer isn’t mad at you. The caller is upset because of the situation.
- Consider how you would feel if you were in their shoes. What would you think if anything like this happened to you? Having a small amount of empathy for the caller will help a lot.
- While the caller is speaking, take a few deep breaths to relax the nerves.
Step 3: Reiterate the information
It’s important to make the angry caller feel as though you’re on their side once they’ve finished speaking. One way to do this is to express regret for the situation, express empathy, and then summarise their key points. Not only will this give the caller the impression that you are paying attention to them, but it will also give them a few moments to relax. When they start talking again, you might be shocked at how much calmer they are.
Step 4:Stay away from the Hold Button.
Many customer service representatives will place an irate caller on hold in the hopes that the time spent on hold will encourage them to calm down. In reality, the inverse is valid. The caller’s irritation would increase as a result of the hold time, worsening the situation.
Some callers claim that waiting on hold helps reps to speak rudely without being heard. Others claim they are placed on hold so that the customer service agent does not have to deal with the problem. Although this might not be true, a caller’s imagination would have plenty of time to come up with derogatory explanations for why they are on hold while on hold.
Rather than keeping the caller on hold as you look into the problem, speak with them. Make sure they understand what you’re doing to solve their dilemma. For example,
“I believe there is a billing mistake. Ms. Jones, I’m pulling up your bill and having a look at it. I see that you were billed on the first of the month and that your credit card payment was made automatically. Since you said you changed your payment method, I’m going to check at your account notes to see when that happened.”
Talking to your unhappy customer will help to calm them down and they will see that you care enough for them to walk them through the whole process.
Step 5: Let the Caller Feel Good
It’s time to take action after you’ve done your research on the issue. Here are some suggestions for making callers happy:
Give them choices.
Your callers would feel more confident if you give them options for resolving their issue. Be sure to inform the customer not only what choices they have, but also when each option will be enforced. The customer can become even more enraged if you don’t have control.
Make a refund or a coupon available.
Give them a refund or a coupon if the company policy requires it. It can go a long way toward demonstrating your regret and appreciation for their company.
Make an extra effort
Before hanging up, ask the caller if there’s something else you can do to assist them. Going above and beyond will make them feel even more valued.
Make them happy.
Finally, congratulate them for their patience or crack a joke to lighten the air. You are an all-star agent if you can put a smile on their face before you end the call.
At any call centre, dealing with angry callers is a part of the work. Knowing how to efficiently handle these difficult experiences can go a long way toward enhancing the customer’s experience with you and your business. When you have an angry caller on the line, you must listen, remain calm, repeat details, avoid the hold button, and make your caller happy. These strategies will not only allow you to assist the customer, but they will also increase customer loyalty and cut down on handling times.