How to Talk to Your Angriest Customers

Angry customers may seem frustrating to your customer service team, but remember that customers who are angry are also frustrated by something about your business. It can be tempting to view every angry customer as a ‰Û÷problem’, but that would be the wrong approach to take. If you take the time to find out why your customers are angry, you can use their feedback not only to solve their problems, but to offer better customer service to your clients in the future. Here’s how you can talk to your angriest customers in order to diffuse the situation and offer better service all around.

First of all, just listen

Before you ever try to communicate with an angry customer, listen to what it is that they have to say. Don’t assume that you know why they’re angry and don’t act like they’re at fault for for being upset. It may be hard to control emotions but your customer service representatives need to understand that they can–and should–control their reactions.

Your customer may not be aware of what exactly is causing their anger, so you need to ask careful questions. Are they unhappy with the quality of a product or service you provided to them, or are they angry about something else? They may be frustrated because of something completely unrelated to your business, but they feel the need to ‰Û÷vent’ because a minor issue with your business pushed them to the tipping point.

Whatever your customer tells you, listen closely, document their issue, and find a way to resolve the problem. Then, you’ll be on the way to turning an angry customer into a happy one.

Practice empathy

Customer service reps really need to put themselves in their customer’s shoes in order to understand their anger. Is Mr. Smith upset because he’s had to call several times about an as-yet unresolved problem? Maybe Mrs. Jones is angry because she’s spent money that she really couldn’t spare on a product that’s faulty and she’s been unable to get a replacement. Customer service agents need to be able to put themselves in the angry customer’s shoes so they can approach the problem with empathy and understanding instead of judgment and aggression.

Keep it positive

Always try to lead with a positive question, like ‰Û÷how can I help?’ or ‰Û÷is there anything I can help you with?’ Don’t be tempted to ask ‰Û÷what’s wrong?’ This is not only a loaded question, it’s also a negative one. Try to keep your tone positive and reassuring so your customer knows you’re doing your best to meet their needs.

Visit Answer 365 for more great tips on dealing with angry customers and other customer service issues.