In every business, you will likely encounter angry customers at one time or the other. Dealing with angry customers is challenging and requires patience together with reflective listening to solve their complaints and retain them for additional transactions.
Providing a unique customer service experience is what every business should strive for. However, to provide a better customer experience you must learn to deal with customers’ resentment during difficult situations.
Examples of the things that often cause a customer to be angry include fault in a product, lack of after-sales support, unhelpful or untrained staff, lapses in service, etc. And some other times, you may not even be able to easily identify what the issue is – but you still have to deal with it.
Satisfying an angry customer is essential for business growth. It prompts you to improve your brand’s product or service.
Dealing strategically with angry customers also helps to build loyal customers who will patronize your business despite all odds. A business can expect 70% of customer retention if its problems are solved satisfactorily.
10 Reliable ways to deal with angry customers
If your business sucks when it comes to dealing with angry customers, this guide will expose you to the top 10 tips to deal with your angry customers. Here we go…
1. Practice active listening
Practicing active listening is the main tactic to subdue a client’s anger. Customers want to be listened to. They expect you to give them your attention to know everything behind their displeasure. Allow your customers to rant first, and ensure you listen patiently to understand their complaints.
After listening to the reason for their anger, the first thing you should do is to summarize their whole complaints to show them that you understand what they are facing, and per adventure, if you missed one part, you can politely ask questions.
While listening, ensure you keep eye contact and stand or sit straight to be able to listen to every minute detail before offering suggestions and solutions.
2. Don’t respond harshly
The best thing to do while a customer is venting is to keep calm. Don’t respond harshly to them. There is nothing to gain by responding similarly or engaging in another jaw war with them. It will only escalate the situation.
So, practice self-control even if the fault is from the customer and don’t pick up a fight. After all, you are in business to serve the customer.
3. Don’t take things too personally
The customer is not directly angry at you or the staff in charge. They are only angry about the service you rendered or the quality of your product. So, don’t take it too personally. It’s a “normal thing” in business.
Customers are only expressing their disappointment by venting and it has nothing to do with your personal feelings. You should know that your manner of approach will dictate whether the customer will stay or not.
4. Learn to apologize
Never underestimate the power of apologizing to your customers when they are angry. Seeking an apology has immense power or control over your customers. Some businesses have lost a lot of their customers due to the inability to apologize for their mistakes. It costs you nothing to apologize whether your customers are rude or not.
Apologies melt a customer’s stony hearts and turn angry customers into happy customers. If you want your furious customer to continue patronizing your business, seeking an apology is important. A simple apologetic statement would perform the magic e.g “I’m sorry for the inconvenience, I will work on it shortly.”
5. Have empathy for your customer
Having empathy for your customers will create a good rapport with them. An important quality every business owner must have toward dealing with customers’ anger is empathy. When a customer is angry and seeks help, you have to be empathetic by placing yourself in their condition and thinking accordingly.
When you speak with a soothing tone, it makes the customer feel that you genuinely understand their problem and are eager to solve it. Also, avoid using unpleasant statements during such a situation.
6. Appreciate them for raising the issue
A simple appreciative statement can drastically change the mood of an angry customer. Thank them for bringing up and expressing their concern when they make a complaint about your product or service.
This simple action will help you establish a stronger customer relationship. Show that the time it takes your customer to raise a complaint means a lot to you through your appreciative words.
7. Provide a solution
Once you have identified the cause of customers’ anger, it is paramount to provide a lasting solution to it. You can do this by asking the customers what they feel should be done or you put forward your fair and realistic solutions to the problem.
This will make customers satisfied to some degree if not completely and you will be assured of retaining them.
8. Work then through the steps
You must let them know the next step so that they can be assured you take them seriously. Give them a clear and detailed explanation of the process to resolve their complaints.
It doesn’t matter if the process is complex or simple, break it down for them to calm their nerves. With this, you will win their heart back.
9. Promise and commit to what can be fulfilled
When providing solutions to their problems, ensure you promise and commit to the timeframe provided. This is very important in order not to shatter their heart.
A business is more respected than others if it never breaches a promise and goes above and beyond to resolve a client’s issue. Ensure you stick to deadlines when resolving clients’ complaints.
10. Have a follow-up service for your angry customers
Have a follow-up service to ensure the customer is satisfied with the solution being provided. It helps you to know whether the resolution is appropriate and working perfectly.
The follow-up service will make the customer trust your brand for more transactions. If you want to retain angry customers after customer solutions, a follow-up service is required.
Summing Up
Dealing with angry customers is one of the most vital tasks every business needs to undertake. It helps customers to trust your brand and patronize your business.
There are several approaches to handling angry customers, however, a proper understanding of the underlying issue is essential. With the 10 tips above, you will be sure to deal with angry customers in your business.