Do you remember the last time you became
fed up with a store or hospitality clerk? If they blamed you or
disrespected you, it inflamed the situation. If he or his establishment
made decisions without informing you or allowing you to intervene, that
may have frustrated you even more.
What would have calmed you down? If you felt that the clerk cared about you, offered to help instead of shining you on or brushing you off, and actually solved your problem... I'll bet that would have satisfied you.
When confronted by an irate customer, demonstrate respect every step of the process:
Recall the best customer service you ever experienced. The agent probably said something like: "I can understand why you feel that way. I'm sorry you were disappointed. Let me make it right."
That's all you need to say. No fault finding; just demonstrate concern and empathy. How you choose to make it right is up to you. If the client feels cheated, you could use the discounted upsell to placate her. This allows you to save the sale while adding profit to your bottom line.
Remember: When people feel they've lost control they become out of control. If you allow them to keep their dignity and allow them to feel cared for and respected, you'll convert them into raving fans.
The good news is that most of the time customers feel aggrieved is either due to or compounded by poor service. If you adhere to these principles, by contrast you'll project sincerity and helpfulness, and they'll quickly calm down.
There's a great way to give a client exactly what they wish. I'll discuss this in my next post or you can read it here: It virtually always satisfies the customer and sets a wonderful precedent that boosts the bottom line for many transactions to come. Until then,
profitable business All!
What would have calmed you down? If you felt that the clerk cared about you, offered to help instead of shining you on or brushing you off, and actually solved your problem... I'll bet that would have satisfied you.
When confronted by an irate customer, demonstrate respect every step of the process:
- Ask her to describe the situation. If you can take the time, allow her to vent uninterrupted. Maintain a calm friendly demeanor while actively listening. Not many people can keep up more than two minutes of tirade without losing steam.
- Accept ownership - without focusing on blame - of the problem and assure her you're on her side and you'll do your best to solve the problem. Frame the conflict as you and her against the problem versus you and your firm against her.
- Once you determine the best course of action, inform her of the steps of the solution. Use inclusion words like "we." By using inclusive language, your client feels part of the process.
- Follow up with the client once you solve the problem. Emphasize how you both arrived at the solution and allow them to invest in the process and its success.
Recall the best customer service you ever experienced. The agent probably said something like: "I can understand why you feel that way. I'm sorry you were disappointed. Let me make it right."
That's all you need to say. No fault finding; just demonstrate concern and empathy. How you choose to make it right is up to you. If the client feels cheated, you could use the discounted upsell to placate her. This allows you to save the sale while adding profit to your bottom line.
Remember: When people feel they've lost control they become out of control. If you allow them to keep their dignity and allow them to feel cared for and respected, you'll convert them into raving fans.
The good news is that most of the time customers feel aggrieved is either due to or compounded by poor service. If you adhere to these principles, by contrast you'll project sincerity and helpfulness, and they'll quickly calm down.
There's a great way to give a client exactly what they wish. I'll discuss this in my next post or you can read it here: It virtually always satisfies the customer and sets a wonderful precedent that boosts the bottom line for many transactions to come. Until then,
profitable business All!
"Let me make it right."- This statement reminds me of BP's commercial that I have probably seen over a hundred times in the last month. Even though they are getting all the blame for this oil spill. The fact of the matter is, is that it could have happened to any of these oil companies. But it is very hard to explain that to angry Americans or customers who have lost their tourism or fishing jobs due to the spill.
ReplyDeleteGood point. Even in the case of a multi-dimensional global incident like the Gulf Coast disaster, this is easily demonstrated. Had BP acted with rapid candid disclosure instead of trying to trivialize the damage, their PR would have been less nightmarish.
ReplyDeleteConsider a contrasting example: the Tylenol cyanide scare. The CEO of Johnson & Johnson quickly acted to score what is largely considered the greatest coup in public relations history. Although still a tragedy, his prompt frank unselfish actions turned a tragedy into a tremendous opportunity to instill credibility and admiration into the brand.
Thanks for the comment and the readership!
pb All!
Chris
During the time I was a sales person for my company I dealt with a few irate clients and potential clients, I was new to the whole thing and didn't handle it very well.
ReplyDeleteIf I had read this article beforehand I may have done much better, it really explains the process much more clearly then what was explained to me in my training.
thanks for the great article.