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>>60
Seconds to Get Any Angry Customer to Back Down
Get
demanding, irate, and unreasonable
customers to back down
60 Seconds to Getting Any Irate
Customer To Back Down Got 60 seconds? Then you can learn
how to easily get the most demanding, unreasonable, or
irate customer to back down.
Ready, set, go:
:60
Apologize. An apology makes the angry
customer feel heard and understood. It diffuses and
anger and allows you to begin to re-establish trust. Not
only that, but pilot studies have found that the mere
act of apologizing has reduced lawsuits, settlement, and
defense costs. You need to apologize to customers
regardless of fault. Certainly, the apology needs to be
carefully worded. Here's an example of a sincere, yet
careful apology:
"Please accept my sincere and
unreserved apology for any inconvenience this may have
caused you."
:52 Kill Them
Softly With Diplomacy. This simple phrase has
never failed me: "Clearly, we've upset you and I
want you to know that getting to the bottom of this is
just as important to me as it is to you." When you
say this, anger begins to dissipate. You've addressed
the anger directly and non defensively and you haven't
been pulled into the drama of the attack.
:44 Go
into Computer Mode. To use Computer Mode you
take on the formalities of a computer. You speak
generally, without emotion, and you don't take the bait
your angry or difficult customer is throwing you. Your
words, tone, and attitude are completely impersonal and
neutral - (Think of the automated response system you
speak to when you call your wireless phone company or
bank.)
This "computer mode"
response deflects, diffuses, and disarms angry customers
because you don't add fuel to the fire by giving your
difficult customer what they want -an emotional
reaction. When you don't take the bait, the difficult
customer is forced to stop dead in their tracks. And
that means you regain control (and confidence).
The Computer Mode Approach In Action
Let's say your customer says: "You don't give a
d*** about customers. Once you get a customer locked
into a contract, the service aspect is over."
While it may be tempting to fuel the
fire with an equally hostile response such as
"What's your problem, creep?" don't take the
bait. If you do take the bait, the situation will only
escalate and nothing productive or positive will result.
A computer mode response might look like this:
"I'm sure there are some people
who think we don't care about servicing customers."
"People get irritated when they
don't immediately get the help they need."
"It's very annoying to experience
a delay in service response."
"Nothing is more distressing than
feeling like you're being passed around when all you
want is help."
And then you stop -like a locked up
computer.
No matter how uncomfortable the verbal
abuse is or how ridiculous it becomes, continue to
respond without emotion. This tactic works because it is
neutral, doesn't take the bait, and because it is
unexpected. The difficult customer wants to throw you
off, make you lose control, and to get you to respond
emotionally. When you fail to do each of these things,
you actually regain control.
Go into "computer mode" the
next time you're faced with verbal abuse from an irate
or unreasonable customer, and I promise you, you'll
quickly regain control ---and you'll have fun with the
process.
:26 Give this
question a shot: "Have I done something personally
to upset you?... I'd like to be a part of the
solution." Of course, you know you
haven't done anything to upset the customer. You ask
this question to force the angry customer to think about
his behavior. Often, the mere asking of this question is
enough to get the ballistic customer to begin to shift
from the right brain to the left brain, where he can
begin to listen and rationalize.
:18
Show empathy - Empathy can be a powerful tool
used to disarm an angry customer and show that you
genuinely care about the inconvenience the customer has
experienced. Expressing empathy is also good for YOU, as
it helps you truly begin to see the problem from the
customer's perspective/and this perspective will help
keep you from losing your cool when your customer gets
hot. By letting customers know that you understand why
they are upset, you build a bridge of rapport between
you and them.
Here are some phrases that express
empathy:
· "That must have been very
frustrating for you."
- "I realize the wait you
encountered was an inconvenience."
- "If I were in your shoes, I'm
sure I'd feel just as you do."
- "It must have been very
frustrating for you have waited five days for your
order and for that I am sorry."
:08
And finally, here's a tip that works like magic ---
Show appreciation for the difficult
person's feedback. After your difficult customer has
ranted and raved, you can regain control of the
conversation by interjecting---not interrupting, but
interjecting to thank them for taking the time to
give you feedback. You can say something like:
- Thanks for being so honest.
-
- Thanks for taking the time to let
us know how you feel.
-
- We appreciate customers who let us
know when things aren't right.
-
- Thanks for caring so much.
: 05 The
reason this tip works so effectively is because the
last thing your irate or unreasonable customer
expects is for you to respond with kindness and
gratitude. It's a shock factor and many times you'll
find that your customer is stunned silent and this
is exactly what you want. When the customer is
stunned into silence, you get in the driver's seat
and steer the conversation in the direction you want
it to go.
When you do these things you'll
find that being on the receiving end of verbal abuse
doesn't have to be threatening or intimidating. You
can come across as confident, composed and strong
---and most importantly, you'll regain control of
the conversation.
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