Strategies to Deal with an Unsatisfied Customer (1)
H - Hear the customer out.
Listen to the customer. Let them tell you about their situation. This tends to be the most challenging aspect of dealing with unsatisfied customers because they often lose their temper and become difficult to listen to. However, it is an extremely effective strategy because it gives the customer time to vent their emotions. Until their emotions are addressed, you won't make much headway in solving their concern. It is also critical that you do not interrupt them while they express their anger and frustration. Although it may seem like it takes forever for them to tell you their problem, most people run out of steam in less than a minute.
Some people tend to use profanity when they get angry. Here is an effective technique I learned from a video to diffuse this situation. Substitute the offensive word - usually beginning with the letter ‘F' - with the word "pumpkin" in your head. Although it sounds funny, the rationale is that words by themselves are not offensive; it is our interpretation of them. So, when we use a substitute word we reduce the emotion component of the offensive word. Stay calm and don't take the abuse personally. In the end, you will come up the winner.
www.fatcohouston.com kheinrich@firstam.com
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