Customer Service Success

You may have heard the phrase, the customer is always right.  That saying is not technically true.  For example, a client may be waiting on the phone for an agent and when an agent does answer complain that they have been waiting for 30 minutes, when really it has only been 10 minutes.  What the phrase really means is don’t argue with the customer.  Customers often exaggerate when they are experiencing a heightened state of emotion or frustration.  Their anger will only get worse if we argue with them or try to prove them wrong.  When a customer’s emotions are running high, it’s important to try to help them feel better so that we can serve them once again.

When a customer is in this state, think of them as a partner as oppose to an adversary.  Start by listening carefully to your customer and letting them vent.  This helps naturally deflate some of their anger.  Next, acknowledge your customer’s feelings to show you are on their side.  This does not necessarily mean you agree with everything they are saying, you just want to indicate you are there to help.  Finally refocuse the conversation on a solution to help your customer focus on something more positive.

Keep in mind, it can take some time for a customer to feel great again after they get angry.  Stepping away from the situation for just a moment will sometimes give the customer a little more time to cool down.  Maybe you place them on hold while you investigate the situation.

It is not tried and true that this approach will work for every customer.  There are just some people we can’t make happy no matter what we do.  What’s important is that we try.  Start with a genuine desire to make angry customers feel better and you’ll have a far greater chance of making even the angriest customers happy again.