customer-support

I have good news and bad news. The good news is you can deal with angry customers effectively. The bad news is that's not as easy as it seems.You are not the one to blame, it's a part of being a customer support specialist. Whether you like it or not, there will always be haters aka angry customers.So here's what to do to get out of that loop of insanity safe and sound.

Take a step back.

When emotions take the best of us, we tend to screw things up.Yes, an angry customer will most likely ruin your day. But you need to be self aware and emotionally stable.This will ensure that you will look at the bigger picture. In such a situation, there are two crucial elements in the equation.

• The right mindset: always remember that the customer is not angry at you. They are just so because of the bad experience.
• Empathy: you should focus on understanding where your angry customer comes from and relate to their pain.

Embrace Active Listening

Our CTO once told me something I will never forget:

”There's a reason we have two ears and only one mouth.”Effective customer support starts with good listening. The more you listen the better chances you have to solve the problem rapidly.

Shuffle the anger

Consumer advocate and author Ron Burley, wrote in an INC column that beginning a conversation is your best insurance against that customer going rogue and blasting you on the Internet. So now that you listened carefully to the angry customer rumbling about their problem, the first thing you should do is to apologize for the bad experience.

‍Never let anger cloud your judgment.

The next step is to give your customer an overview of the process. So they know beforehand how things will move forward.The point is “Forget trying to "win."

Instead, make the customer feel you're working together to make things right.“

Unfold the problem

Finally, your angry customer cooled off. They are now collaborating with you to fix the issue.

Solving the problem won't be an easy task.You need to extract relevant data. But that's the tip of the iceberg because every situation is unique. While there are best practices, most problems involve other teams too. And usually, things get chaotic super fast.

Let me illustrate.If the issue involves the product team then you should delay and see any other compensation. Anything should be fine as long as it's related to your services(coupons, free merchandise from your online shop etc).

‍One of our blog posts covers how to apologize when such a mess happens.Quick tip: In order to enhance the customer experience, you should definitely check the achievement habit.  Its Author, Bernard Roth introduces design thinking to solve scalable problems.

Keep in touch with your angry customers

Congrats, you have successfully solved the issue. That’s not the end of the journey though.According to Verint’s customer retention statistics, 31 percent of the time, customers switch brands because they found a new company with better prices.You need to make sure that they are ready to come back next by adding a call to action. That may range from pushing them to openly ask more questions to giving them extra coupons for your product.

Prepare templates

Phew! That was a close one. But you made it!I hate to break it up to you. Chances are you are going to be in such a situation again. When that happens, you have to be ready.

How you ask?

Just craft your templates. This time not only store them in your database but rather let them few keystroke away from you.

In his support kit, Chase Clemens recommends using text expander. It's a rich tool that will help you get the job done.If you are not a fan of web apps, consider using alternative desktop apps on Mac or Windows. Some are even free of charge.

Step out and leave the rest to your colleagues

Admit it.. Some customers can't just give you a rest. They are non relater and rude. And taking into consideration that you are a flawed human being like the rest of us, you will explode at some point.

Maybe you need to breathe some fresh air or something. It's okay to let your colleagues take over. After all, Customer support is a team sport.It's okay to let the company take care of you.

At Veamly, we share a special bond. We are proud to build a badass remote company that embraces diversity.Coming up next, stay stuned.Wanna deal with angry customers effectively? Book your demo right freaking now.