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How to Deal with Irate Customers and Solve Problems More
Effectively
The sudden appearance of an irate customer can be one of the most trying
times in an employee's life, but it can also be a world class moment of
truth for a business that can be turned to good if handled properly.
The proponents of Total Quality Management (TQM), of course,
are right: it is far better to do things properly in the first place,
rather than having to repair the damage after a problem has occurred.
But the prevention of problems seldom happens with 100% efficiency. As
a result, into the life of every business some irate customers will fall.
The difference between an ordinary business and a business
with an everybody sells mindset is not that customer relations problems
never occur, but how well they are handled when they arrive. So you better
get ready!
Irate customers are unhappy. They range in emotional state from mildly
disappointed to completely outraged and in the way they present themselves
from calm to abusive. Sometimes their behavior is outrageously bad.
Usually they have a reason for being unhappy - the product didn't work
as they thought it should or someone didn't make good on a promise. Sometimes
the apparent problem is really an excuse for blowing off steam because
something else in the customer's life has gone wrong. Sometimes it just
plain isn't your fault or the fault of the company that employs you. Whatever
the reason, it's still a heavy-duty moment of truth.
The American Society for Quality asked the question, "Why do your
customers leave you and go to your competition?" The answers may surprise
you. Only 9% said they were lured away by the competition. Only 14% said
they were dissatisfied with the product. The overwhelming majority - an
amazing 68% - said they were turned away by an attitude of indifference
on the part of the company employee.
If you want to keep the customers you've got, let them know you love
them (or at least care about them) every time they call or they come in
- even when they are mad.
The person who said, "The customer is always right" had it wrong. The
customer is not always right, but no matter how upset they are, they are
still the customer. If you handle their emotion and the problem correctly,
you can make the relationship even stronger than before. Fortunately there
are a few principles that can see you through in style:
In the vast majority of cases, what the customer wants is a positive outcome.
They may come in the door with fire in their eyes, steam coming out their
ears, and a variety of the more spicy short words floating in the air,
but what they want is their problem solved.
The key to dealing with the customer's tirade intelligently and creatively
is to not take it personally. Why? Because it is human nature that when
someone attacks us - "Listen ya square-headed son of a gun, your darned
product doesn't work! We naturally want to counterattack. You yell at
me, I'll yell back. It's probably why primitive tribes spend so much time
yelling at each other across the battlefield. As colorful as it may be,
it doesn't solve problems, and it doesn't retain customers.
If you allow it to become personal, it can cloud your judgement and get
in the way of solving the problem. I know it can be extremely difficult
to remain calm, cool, and creative in a barrage of insults, but let me
appeal to your ego: the worse the customer behaves, the greater opportunity
it is for you to prove how good you are and turn the situation into a
win for the company.
When customers are upset, they want to do two things: express their feelings
and get their problem solved. There are four clear steps in getting from
mad to glad.
-
Understand the problem. You can't solve the problem if you
don't know what it is, and you can't find out what it is if the customer
is ranting and raving.
Begin by listening. Listen attentively as if it were your best
friend having the problem. Let the customer vent his or her feelings.
It's important that you let the customer explain fully what has happened
and why they are upset. This helps you to understand the problem,
it helps to diffuse some of the emotions the customer has regarding
the problem.
By all means, do not attempt to "cut off" the customer early or prevent
them from having their full say. Even though, from your point of view,
cutting the explanation (or complaint) short may appear to be more
efficient, it can actually make the situation worse because some irate
customers may interpret this to mean that you are not really interested
in their problem. Remember, first they want to be heard.
In fact, they want to be heard so much that a great way to "defuse"
an angry customer, particularly if you know them, is to say, "Mr.
Mooney, you look upset, how can I help you? With a phrase like that,
you signal clearly to the customer: "I'm not your enemy; I want to
help, and I'm ready to listen."
Let me give you an example. Let's imagine that, on your way out the
door this morning, the dog made a mess on the floor; you spilled coffee
on your best shirt, and then you were late for an important meeting.
When you got to work, your boss chewed you out; you had trouble with
your computer, and now the special present you bought for your "significant
other" doesn't work properly. Be honest, would you feel your problem
was trivial or would you see it as the latest Bad Thing in a thoroughly
rotten day?
As you gain an understanding of why the customer is upset, apologize
for the inconvenience and summarize the problem so that both you and
the customer can agree on what needs to be solved. This is a key step
in the process. You need agreement on the problem so that you don't
inadvertently try to solve the "wrong" problem.
-
Create Solutions. Once you both have agreed on the problem,
ask the customer how they think the problem could be solved. Sometimes
you will have to say "no" to their solutions, but when you do, always
try to respond with reasonable alternatives. "I'm sorry Mr. Glusko,
I can't do that, but I can do this."
Strive to solve problems quickly, because that makes customers feel
you are being responsive to them, but avoid the pitfall of assuming
that you know the solution when you don't. It is far better to say,
"I don't know, Mr. Wheeler, but I will check on that and get right
back to you" than to have to tell Mr. Wheeler that the solution to
his difficulty won't be as good as you had originally promised.
If you absolutely must guess what the solution will be, it is far
better to give a conservative estimate. The customer will not be disappointed
if you can deliver a solution that is better than what you first said.
To illustrate the point, let's play pretend once again. This time
the muffler has fallen off your car. You go to the muffler shop, and
the estimate to fix it is $100. When you come to pick up your care
later that day, if the bill is $100, you pay and leave. It's what
you expected. If the bill is only $50, you're ready to put the mechanic
on your Christmas card list! But what happens if the bill is twice
as much as estimated? You don't have to be Sherlock Holmes to figure
this out.
-
Fix the Problem. Once you and the customer agree on the solution
to the problem, move expeditiously. Explain what you are going to
do to solve the problem, and, once again, get the customer to agree
that this is an acceptable solution to the problem.
Keep your promises. If you said you would call and check on something,
do it, and do it in the time frame you promised. When you explain
how you are going to solve the problem, it's good to set up an "out"
for time-sensitive promises: Mr. Wright, it usually takes about two
weeks to make a repair of this sort. If I find out that it is going
to take longer, I'll call you as soon as I know, and we'll discuss
what to do."
-
Follow-Up. Once the problem has been fixed, it's an extremely
good idea to follow up with the customer. Ask if they are satisfied
with the solution. If they are not, see if there is anything that
can be done to increase their satisfaction.
Thank the customer for bringing the problem to your attention. Apologize
again for the inconvenience. Tell them that you look forward to serving
them in the future. You can even thank them for their help in solving
the problem.
Remember, there's no such thing as a business that never has an unhappy
customer, but it's the businesses which work the hardest at satisfying
irate customers that generally do the best overall.
A shining example is Gil's Garage in Burnt Hills, NY. This establishment
does not sell gas or cars. All it does is repair automobiles, and
the demand for its services is so high that it employs two shifts
of mechanics. Mike Brewster, the president of Gil's has an absolute
commitment to customer service.
When one of my colleagues bought a ten-year-old van, it required,
almost immediately, replacement of the steering rack and power steering
pump. He took it to Gil's, and the work was completed at the cost
of about $1,000. A few months later, the power steering pump failed
catastrophically in a town about 50 miles from Gil's.
Mike Brewster personally towed the damaged van back to his shop. He
saw to it that all questionable parts were replaced (including both
the rack and pump) and personally tested the repair job. When the
van was returned to my colleague, the bill was exactly $0.00 because
there was a warranty on the repair work. The result was not only a
happy customer, but also a customer who was transformed from being
irate into an active evangelist for Gil's Garage. Whenever this gentleman
hears of someone who is in need of a good garage, he heartily recommends
Gil's! Wouldn't you like to have that kind of outcome with your next
irate customer?
The best way to dealing with customer relations problems is to prevent
them from happening. There are three key ways of doing that.
-
Match the product to the customer. Make sure the customer knows what
the product is designed to do and what it is not designed to do, and
that it meets his or her need. If your customer claims to want a lawn
mower built only for mowing residential lawns and they mention they
want to clear brush, it would be a good idea to make sure they buy
a machine built for both purposes or that they know their light-duty
mower isn't made to clear brush.
-
Train the customer in using the product. By all means, ask the customer
to read the product manual. But if you also know that one particular
feature causes call after call from frustrated customers, make a point
of educating the customer: "Remember, Mr. Griswold, this model won't
start unless you hold down the chrome level while you pull the starter
rope." Or, "Always put the grass-catcher on before you lower the handle.
If you try to do it in reverse order, it won't work and you could
damage the machine."
-
Keep your promises. Failure to keep promises is, by far and away,
one of the largest causes of customer dissatisfaction, If you said
you would order the parts and have them in by Wednesday, make sure
it happens. If it is not going to happen for reasons out of your control,
call the customer, apologize, and explain the revised schedule or
how you are going to make it right.
Very often, if you analyze what lies behind frustrated customers,
you'll find that it wasn't just one thing, but a series of contributing
factors: the sales person didn't bother to match the product with
the customer's need; the customer didn't understand fully how to use
the product; there was a (relatively) minor problem with the product,
and someone failed to deliver on a promise related to the product
or sale. Taken together, they added up to a Big Upset for the customer.
It's your choice, really. You can treat them as you would like to
be treated, or you can deal with them and solve their problems after
they become irate.
Provided by John Connors, co-author of Everybody Sells:
How to Win and Keep Customers in Price Competitive Selling. Reprinted
from Chapter Nine: "How to Deal with Irate Customers and Solve Problems
More Effectively". John Connors is a principle of Partners & Associates.
He has co-authored another book, Partner Selling. John gives seminars,
key note speeches, and conducts sales training programs. He can be reached
at (877)399-5872 or via e-mail at JWConnors@MSN.com.
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