I have to deal with angry customers in my business.

Yes, you need to be a people’s person very much, to be in customer service. When you run your own business, they are your customers and they are valuable and you should do everything to deal with angry customers to keep them pleased and coming back. Here is an article I recently wrote about customer retention.

9 out of 10 times when a customer is angry or displeased, they don’t have a personal vendetta with you. Most likely something occurred during a transaction or service which displeased a customer and thus there was a conflict.

Here are a few ways to build customer loyalty.

The best way to handle a displeased customer is to stay calm and not take it personally. Day 24 of my April Blog Challenge talks about a few things that could mellow moments and not only send home a calm and happy customer but also help you retain the customer.

Listen to the customer.

Allow a customer to elaborate the reason for their displeasure. When you actively listen and understand their problem, it’s easier to build a rapport with the customer and calm them down. When the customer is talking, never interrupt or try to argue. Never pitch in with a solution without completely understanding what the problem initially was.

Don’t take things personally.

The customer is displeased with the situation and not with you. Sometimes customers could be so frustrated that they could become verbally abusive. Try to ignore the abuse and gently steer the conversation back into an agreeable manner. Pleasantly remind the customer that you are there to help them resolve the problem.

Identify the problem.

Sometimes the customer could be angry about something else altogether and could be taking it out on the current situation. Think about any previous expectations that the customer might have had which were not met.

Empathize. Apologize. Prioritize.

Express sympathy without sounding like you are patronizing. Let them know that their reaction was reasonable and anybody would have done the same in their situation. Apologize for the bad experience they had. Make sure they realize that you understand their pain and have prioritized the fixing of their problem to the top.

Take responsibility and plunge into actions.

Acknowledge the pain of the customer, let them know that you are always there  with a quick response and you will work on the situation. Working on the problem right away to get a fix helps prevent the situation from escalating.

Keep your commitment and deliver as promised.

When you let the customer know that you’re taking a certain action on the problem to fix it by a given time, do everything you can to meet that expectation. Always let them know what steps have been taken to rectify the problem.

Follow up.

If the solution takes time to clear up, call or email the customer once it is done. Always get a Feedback. If possible also send a thank you note to the customer letting them know how much you value them. Include a discount coupon or a free item if it is feasible.

If a conflict is not resolved and the situation gets out of hand, there is a chance that the customer will go online and write bad reviews on every platform available. Should such an event occur, here is what you should do.

Stay polite during a customer conflict. Never ever raise your voice during an argument with a customer. Always find a solution. Stay in control. Be transparent, assertive and amicable. #tweetdisel A lot of times the most disgruntled… Share on X