How can you be a customer service champion when customers are blaming you regarding things that are not under your control?
Harris Interactive reported that customer service agents and representatives fail to answer their customers’ questions 50 percent of the time. This is one of the reasons why customers get angry.
Call center agents need not to fuel the already burning fire. Instead, they need tons of patience and a universe-like — and yes, this is an exaggeration — to become a customer service champion.
It’s kind of a battlefield out there where customer service representatives are the SWAT bomb specialists trying to diffuse a time bomb ready to detonate. In order to handle the situation well and effectively, one must extremely focus, get their act together, and execute the plan. And the plan is… Say those magic words to keep them cool or stop their ranting for a moment and make them listen because you are a customer service champion.
According to “Understanding Customers” by Ruby Newell-Legner, “It takes 12 positive experiences to make up for one unresolved negative experience.” Dealing with irked and unhappy customers is indeed a difficult challenge. But this situation can be a golden opportunity for a business if customer support rep knows how to handle it with grace.
A lot of customer support people have to deal with fuming or dissatisfied clients, and nobody said it was easy. White House Office of Consumer Affairs stated that “News of bad customer service reaches more than twice as many ears as praise for a good service experience.” But if you know what to say and, more significantly how to say it, you may be able to manage and recover from the situation.
Even more, you can wind up with a healthier relationship with your customers compared to what you previously had.
Agents, managers and company leaders should know the importance of these words. Whatever the consequence is, may it be the worst irate customer speaking with you; make sure to hold on to these magic words to allow you to bounce back from a very dark situation.
Always guarantee that you listen enthusiastically to the customers’ problems or grievances. Don’t forget to resist the impulse to disrupt or resolve the problem immediately. In addition to this, ask your client what will make him happy if you’re not positive how to fix the situation. Get it done immediately if it’s in your power to do so. Last but not the least, always follow up with your customers to guarantee they are truly happy with how the situation was resolved.
What words and phrases do you use to deal with irked customers? Share it with us by contacting us!
