Customers are the lifeblood of businesses. After all, companies will not last long if they do not have the support of consumers. As a business owner, you need to ensure your clients are always happy.
But you can’t always please everybody. There are times when you encounter an irate customer for some unknown reason. In that case, what do you do? How do you deal with irate customers?
Reasons why customers get irate
There is no perfect product or service, and customers can get dissatisfied and even irate for various reasons. They can get upset because of a defective item they bought from your company.
They can also get frustrated with your representatives’ service quality, and customers can be excessively unreasonable when they don’t get what they want.
All of these contribute to your customer’s overall experience in dealing with your company, and the good news is you can do something about it.
10 tips for handling irate customers
There are many ways your customer service team can effectively alleviate irate customers. Here are some of them:
Apologize and confirm understanding of their issue
Clients get in touch with you because they may have a bad experience with your products and or services. In any case, agents should make it a habit to apologize for the unpleasant customer experience.
Remember that apologizing does not necessarily mean that your company is mainly responsible for your customer’s unhappiness. Instead, it is letting your consumer know and feel that you acknowledge their experience.
Afterward, ensure active listening, get as much information as possible, and refrain from interrupting and asking questions.
After letting them air their frustration, confirm if your understanding of their issue is correct. Doing so will help you determine the appropriate course of action and resolution.
Probe their reluctance
Sometimes, your team will encounter irate customers who beat around the bush or refuse to tell what the problem is, making it challenging to provide them with solutions.
An effective way to deal with these consumers is to ask what holds them back from sharing their entire problems. Customer service agents asking how they can make things right moving forward is also an excellent way to lessen the customers’ hesitation.
Express empathy
Irate customers tend to soften up when you make them feel that you relate to them. Customer support staff can achieve this by confirming understanding of their issues.
Paraphrasing their sentiments can also make them feel that you are on the same page as them. Agents can even share a similar experience with clients to assure them that they genuinely understand their circumstances.
Simplify the problem
Irate customers can sometimes complicate simple issues. If your representatives can simplify it, they can proceed by reassuring the customer of an effective solution. They may break down various aspects of the problem if possible.
For example, if a customer’s television lacks reception, the customer service agent should walk them through basic troubleshooting, such as checking the power cord and restarting the device. If it does not solve it, assess the next possible root of the problem.
Could it be a product, installation, or obstruction issue? Move from one factor to another until the representative and the customer can correctly determine the main reason for the client’s dilemma.
Do not take things personally
Remind your customer service department that it is not their fault if a customer calls in frustrated. It may be because they are going through a bad day, such as not receiving a parcel or not qualifying for a limited promotion by your company.
Train your team not to take offense whenever a client calls in to express their dissatisfaction with your company. Remind them to be empathetic and work with customers to find a solution.
Be strategic when using your tools
Every business operation has available tools that customer service representatives can utilize to help resolve customer complaints. Using them strategically gives your staff more time to find solutions and makes your consumers feel that your team is going the extra mile for them.
For instance, representatives can place customers on a quick hold while reassuring them that they’re working on the problem. It gives your staff time to focus on searching your company’s database for alternative solutions while giving your clients ample time to cool down.
Your customer care employees can also offer to connect the customer to the appropriate department and stay with them while waiting for another representative to take their call.
Be polite
It may sound like simple advice, but being polite toward irate customers can add value to your customer experience. It means refraining from being condescending and sarcastic.
Being polite is also about addressing customers properly, such as using their last names and titles when necessary. It is also refraining from interrupting or cutting them off when talking.
These may be small things but can potentially impact your consumers and their perception of your brand.
Pace the speed of your response
Train your team to refrain from replying too fast or slow to customers. Answering them right away may give them the impression that they did not listen or understand the client’s concerns. It may also make customers feel that your customer care team just wants to get things over with, which is terrible customer service.
Similarly, replying too slowly may also make irate customers feel that your team does not know the answer to their concerns, causing them to feel dejected and affecting their customer experience.
Before responding, it is an excellent habit to pause for a couple of seconds before answering. If any of your staff honestly cannot understand the problem, then they should apologize and politely ask the customer to repeat their concern. Note, however, that doing this more than once can cause your already irate customer to be angrier.
Work with the customer in finding a solution
Another effective way to lessen customers’ frustration is by making them feel that they are not alone in solving their issues. Your team can achieve this by working with clients to find a proper answer to their concerns.
For instance, discuss their plan of action to resolve the customers’ problems. If they do not understand something, then take time to repeat the steps while explaining the rationale behind them.
Your team should refrain from using jargon and always confirm understanding of the issue with clients. Doing so ensures seamless communication between the customer care representative and thus a quicker resolution. After all, solving issues is a team effort.
Follow up whenever necessary
Irate customers will remain mad if you do not ensure a timely resolution to their complaints. Your team can do it by contacting these customers to follow up on previous or existing dilemmas, which will make them feel that your representatives genuinely care about their problems and are willing to work on resolving them.
The merits of pacifying an irate customer
Successfully pacify your irate customers with the above tips and enhance your overall customer experience. It can be a rewarding experience for your company and clients. Moreover, this can even create more loyal customers and strengthen your relationship with them.
