[K.R.N.]

As the editor for a national newsletter on customer service, I have to admit that, no, the customer is not always right. However, as an employee in the service industry, it is your job to serve these people, whether they are right or wrong. That’s not to say you should stand for verbal or physical abuse of any kind. But there are ways that you can get the customer to calm down and actually get to solutions. From my experiences in talking with industry experts and from years of writing articles, here are a few things to keep in mind:
1. Customers are usually angry at their situation, not you. If a customer starts to yell at you, instead of getting defensive or angry, think about how they must feel for just a second. Showing empathy is one of the first steps you should take to calm someone down. On the other hand, if you get defensive right off the bat, it immediately sends a signal to the customer that you are ‘uncooperative,’ and may aggravate him or her further.
2. Acknowledge the problem/agree with them. It’s hard for any ‘reasonable’ person to continue yelling abuses when you show you are on their side. Saying something like, ‘I’d be upset too if I were in your situation,’ or ‘I agree – that policy does seem unreasonable,’ doesn’t admit guilt, but it shows the customer you are human and are on their side. Caution: This doesn’t mean you should slam your company in front of the customer. That’s never appropriate. You should simply take the opportunity to acknowledge the customer’s problem and let the customer know you understand how he or she feels.
3. Show you care. I hate to say it, but you will have a hard time working in the service industry if you couldn’t care less about customers. Indifference and having a poor attitude are among the biggest complaints customers have about companies. While you may not be able to change the rules or even turn a customer’s situation around, if you make an effort to listen to the customer and show you care, you will go a long way in earning an upset customer’s appreciation and respect.
4. Take action. Don’t promise to do things for customers if you’re not going to follow up on what you say. I guarantee that if you don’t live up to your promises, the customer who might have come in or called a bit frustrated will come back furious – or they may never come back at all. That may be good for you, but it’s not good for your company or its reputation.

User Detail :  

Name : K.R.N., Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 26, City : Lake Worth, State : FL, Country : United States, Occupation : Editor, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, 

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