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Seek resolution.
Ask them how they would like the situation resolved. They may not want what you think they want. Yes, it is true that sometimes what they want is unrealistic, but try to accommodate their desires as much as possible.
Doing a little extra to resolve the situation will go a long way towards satisfying the customer and winning their continued support.
Pause before speaking.
Always pause before you respond, that pause indicates that you are thinking about what they have said and that you are formulating an appropriate response, not just rattling off some stock answer that you tell everyone.
In reality, you may be responding with a stock answer, but the customer needs to feel that the answer was unique and special for them. They need—and deserve—to be treated like an individual and not some number.
Don't pass the buck.
Whoever gets the irate customer first should have as much authority as possible to resolve customer disputes.
No one wants to be on hold while you "talk with your supervisor," or "see what you can do," or be passed around. Let their first point of contact be their last, no matter how far down the chain of command that person might be.
Handling and resolving customer complaints should be one of the first things any new employee learns. If you can't trust your employees to make intelligent and sensitive decisions then why did you hire them in the first place?
Act quickly.
No one wants to wait hours or even days for some sort of resolution. When you make the customer wait, you are adding to the frustration and the problem, not resolving it. |
