We”ve all had at least one in the past. You know, the dreaded “angry customer” phone call. That”s right, before you can even get the receiver to your ear, the caller is already well into their rant about their problem with YOUR product or service. And, unfortunately, we often react in the worst way…EMOTIONALLY. When this occurs, the situation most always spirals out of control with NEITHER side being satisfied, much less even being productive.
After more than a decade of experience inside the customer support department of a major corporation, I learned how to make the best of this bad situation.
Let”s face it; anger is an irrational, fragmenting emotion. If someone is already upset when they phone you, anything, and I mean ANYTHING you say, or try to say, will probably only agitate them and end up being used as their “ammo” to further vent their frustration.
I learned long ago that I had to detach my emotional ego from this problem solving scenario. Too often we “take it personal” when someone is upset and verbally vents their anger, thus prompting us to “throw our two cents worth” into this situation. And guess what? It”s NOT WORTH EVEN TWO CENTS! It only exaserbates the situation.
The solution? I call it “Passive Receptive Customer Service”. It”s a simple 5-step process:
Step 1: LET THEM VENT! Let the customer “blow off their steam”; let them voice all their frustration, etc. It”s the only way their frame of mind will return to a more rational state. Just listen and take notes till they “run out of ammo”.
Step 2: ASK THEM TO DEFINE THE PROBLEM! Yes, they just blew off their vented anger, but now you need to ask them to calmly and fully explain the overall problem. And, yes, you are taking more notes here!
Step 3: ASK THEM FOR THE SOLUTION! Who better knows what will bring this storm to an end? Simply ask them “what will it take to solve this problem?”. Too often in the past I”ve discovered that the solution suggested by the customer is so SIMPLE that it”s almost embarrassing. Oh yes, take more notes here!
Step 4: PROMISE THEM YOU WILL SOLVE THEIR PROBLEM! Hey, now you have the solution plainly explained. Assure the customer you WILL solve their problem. A firm deadline will GREATLY EASE the discomfort of a disgruntled customer.
Step 5: DO WHAT YOU PROMISED! Follow-through is CRITICAL here! The crediblity of you and your company are at stake here…DON”T DROP THE BALL.
I have utilized this process many times in the past with incredible results. In one situation, I took a customer who was about to cancel huge purchasing contracts and turned them into our happiest client! And I didn”t really do anything but let him vent, let him tell me the problem, and let him tell me the solution. All I did was take notes, promise I would solve the problem, and followed through with my promise.
There is nothing magic about successful customer service. All it takes is a level head, open ears, and following through on your promise. Try it, you will be pleasantly surprised at the outcome.
NOTE: This “Passive Receptive Customer Service” method can be easily used via email support, too!
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