In addition to loyal customers, theres one kind that youll definitely meet along the way irate clients.
We know for a fact that you cannot please each and everyone who happens to be in your store or who availed of your service. So to be able to provide great customer service amidst the anger and outburst, here are some suggestions to defuse the heat, address the issue, and maintain loyalty among your clients:
“The Customer is Always Right.”
Its not that the client is always right in any situation; its more of you assuming that your clients have the right to become angry. And that right would be expressed in situations like when the product or service did not meet their expectations.
For example, if youre a postcard printing company and your result came out different from what is expected by your client, it is only right for him or her to be angry especially if this is not the first time that it happened.
Whatever the cause, you will definitely encounter an irate customer one time or another. The most appropriate response during situations like these is to not be angry yourself; instead, evaluate the complaint first and assume that the client has the right to be furious. When you finally understand what caused the problem, then thats the time you address the issue at hand.
Listen Before You React.
Listen to what your client have to say before you react to the anger. Do not, in any circumstance, fight emotion with another emotion.
Remember to listen to help you identify the problem. Hear the words as well as the emotion involved during the irate speech. Even if its a technical problem, you still have to acknowledge the distress and concern that beset your client.
And please, do not react with your own sentiment. Its nothing personal. You just have to be attentive and give significance to the emotion that your client is feeling at that time.
Patience is a virtue.
Learning to be patient and knowing how to listen attentively would help you mollify the client fast. The more you vie for your clients anger, the more time it would take before you could even resolve the problem.
Your clients emotion comes in waves. The first wave would definitely be anger, sorrow, and distress so its worthwhile for you to just go with it and listen. Do not interrupt. And wait for the next wave which is ebbing emotion. This is the time to take the opportunity to reassure your client that youll do everything in your power to provide a solution to the issue.
The bottom line is to be patient and wait for your clients ire to decline, and then you give reassurances. It may seem at first that your irate client does not care about you or whatever you have to say. Nevertheless, he or she needs your advice and reassurance thats why the client approached you. So be sure to address the issue at hand and not the emotion. This way, you client will more than likely be grateful that you were able to provide a solution despite his or her anger.