How to Deal with an Angry Customer

Jun 21, 2010 Elise Cooke

A business owner or employee should be very thankful that an angry customer came to him/her. He could have bad-mouthed the company to all his friends and at various sites on-line, without the target of his grievances even knowing there was an issue. While the unhappy client is still willing to talk, there's time to figure out a solution to the problem.

Customer Complaints are Valuable Information

For every single unsatisfied customer who informs a business of his difficulty in patronizing it, there may be several more who ran into the same problem, but didn't bother to mention it; they just went to a competitor instead. Consider whatever the unhappy client says, then, to be a valuable education in improving the products and practices of the business. Listen carefully to what he's saying. Ask questions so he knows someone is listening, but don't interrupt. Don't pay any attention to insults either; dig through the mud to get to the diamonds. Take notes so your client doesn't become more angry having to repeat himself.

Verify the Information

When the angry customer has finished what he has to say, summarize the heart of the issue and ask him if he agrees. Be respectful.

Stay with the Angry Customer

Resist the temptation to pass off an unhappy client to someone else, even if he's rude. For those who lack the authority to do fully rectify the situation, try to include the customer during the explanation of the issue to the manager. It's important that he feels heard.

Assess the Complaint

The substance of the issue likely falls into one of three broad categories:

There's been a mistake on the part of the company.
The company's processes need improvement.
There is a misunderstanding on the part of the customer.

Even if the customer is in error, there may be ways product descriptions can be more clear in order to avoid unhappy clients in the future.

Unsatisfied Customers May Be Able to Help

If the solution to the problem is an easy one, promise to fix it without delay, even if the company has to incur higher costs to do it. In the long run, saving customers is much cheaper than attracting new ones. For more difficult issues, or if there's really nothing to fix but the unhappy customer's ill feelings toward the business, enlist his help. Ask, "What do you think would be a good way to solve this problem?" The client has had more time to mull over the quandary, and has undoubtedly considered what he would like to be the outcome. More often than not, his desires will be quite reasonable. Bonus: By agreeing to his requests, he'll be more likely feel that the company really does value his business.

"Pay" the Angry Customer for His Time

The unhappy client just approached the business with free advice, at his own expense and valuable time. Consider how much a consultant would have cost! "Pay" that fee by offering to throw in something for free or by granting a reasonable discount.

Document Well

Record all dates and take notes of all customer contacts, the issues, agreements, and steps taken to solve the issue. This is good for several reasons:

The customer will be gratified not to have to repeat himself, if something comes up, even months later.
There will be a record for training purposes.
There will be a record for future policy changes and client dealings with similar issues.
Should either party forget what was agreed, the record will help.

Follow Up

Provide the customer with a direct phone number or email where he can reach you. After steps have been taken to answer the unhappy customer's concerns, call him personally to see if indeed the issue is solved. None of this effort takes that much time, but it makes all the difference in inspiring customer loyalty and improving business practices.

Customer Management System

Monday, July 12, 2010

Customer Management System - How to Deal with an Angry Customer