Telephone Tips for Dealing with Angry Callers

Dealing with irate customers on the telephone can be stressful. Telephone customer service is not for the faint of heart, but thankfully there are some things you can do to help make these calls less stressful. Here are some telephone tips for dealing with angry callers that will help keep you calm.

Keep your cool

You may want to get defensive or apologize profusely, but ignore any strong emotionally-based urges. Instead, focus on keeping an even, calm tone and listen to what your caller is saying. Keep your emotions out of the call–the caller isn’t angry at you, specifically–and look for a logical solution to the problem. Channel your inner Vulcan and keep emotions out of the resolution process as much as possible.

Let them rant

Your caller is angry and they need someone to understand their anger. It’s important that you let them air their frustrations completely before you even try to respond. Let them talk, take notes to help you identify the main problem, and then you can respond once they’ve had their say.

You may not even have to do anything by the end of the call, since sometimes the customer just wants to have their complaint heard. However, if they become threatening, you may have to end the call. Check with your company’s policy on harassing telephone calls before you make any decisions about ending the call.

Ignore the hold button

The last thing you want to do to an angry caller is to put them on hold. This will make your caller feel unimportant and can make them even angrier. Remember, they want to be understood, not ignored. If you absolutely have to place the call on hold, do so only after obtaining the caller’s permission and make the hold as brief as possible.

Give options

Give your caller options when it comes to a resolution. This may mean offering to replace or refund a product, or even both. Or you may offer to provide a different or extra product or service. You may have to go above and beyond your normal levels of customer service, but it could mean the difference between one angry customer and a bad reputation when that angry customer tells twenty of his friends and family about your poor service.

For more tips on providing excellent customer service, visit Answer 365 today.