When one of your customers is angry, fostering any sort of partnership might feel impossible. I’ve found, however, that if you approach them the right way, you can turn any angry customer into someone willing to put in the time and effort to help your business.
Empathize with angry customers
You pour your blood, sweat and tears into your company, so listening to someone tear it down isn’t easy. Still, it’s vitally important that you keep an open mind.
You have to be your own unbiased mediator, and solve the problem without blaming your team or your customers. Remember that someone who is angry is looking for a fight, and normally has a legitimate reason for being upset.
There is a strong correlation between empathy and conflict-resolution, so find out the root of their anger, and disarm that emotional response by satisfying the practical. That way they won’t just feel placated — they’ll feel their problem is being taken care of.
Follow up with everyone
This is one of the most important, and often overlooked, elements of customer service. A survey of nearly 6,000 consumers from around the world found that 27 percent ranked following up as one of the most important parts of a positive shopping experience.
Just like with empathy, following up with your customers is a great way to attack the source of a problem, instead of just the resulting anger. Make absolutely sure your customers are happy with your company.
When you do solve an issue, call them back later on to ensure they’re still satisfied. If customers walk away feeling like the only reason you gave in was because they yelled, they won’t want to help your business.
Foster relationships
While offering free and discounted goods and services to someone who feels slighted by the business can occasionally work, free stuff isn’t a customer-service remedy. Instead, you need to build a relationship with your customers, even when they’re angry. Don’t treat their complaint like it’s something you have to deal with — rather, treat it like a problem you have to solve because you want to make their experience positive.
Tackling problems like an actual person, rather than through an escalation script, is a much more organic, comfortable service solution, and it builds a mutually beneficial relationship. They get great service from you, and you get their business. After that, your customers will have no problem recommending you to friends and helping you expand.
A partner is anyone who wants your business to succeed, whether they have a vested interest in it or not. Your community, customers and employees are all, in their own way, your partners.
It’s important to treat them with the respect and dignity you’d afford a partner. If someone is upset, be empathetic, see that the problem is solved and check-in to make sure they are still happy. A bad experience doesn’t have to be the death knell of a positive customer relationship — in fact, if handled properly, it could lay the groundwork for a new partner. ●
