10 Tips for Dealing with Angry Customers

It’s not nice dealing with complaints and negative reviews, but it’s going to happen and learning how to deal with angry customers could stop it escalating out of control and save you time and aggravation.

If you are dreading that difficult telephone call or are ambushed by an angry customer on the phone, here are 10 tips that will help you deal with it.

1. Plan but don’t delay

Before contacting an angry customer try and find out what the problem is. It may be that you need to check with one of your team. If they are the source of the anger, then don’t blame them but try and understand why the complaint was made. Using that information, you can begin to think about your response and how you will resolve the issue.

More than anything else though, do not delay reaching out. Whether it’s a telephone message, email or an online review, get back to them quickly and at the very least tell them that you are investigating their problem. Do not let them stew and build resentment.

We’ll come back to how to respond to negative reviews and complaints online further down this blog so stay with us, but when you can, remember that dialogue is best.

2. Park your emotions

If you’re able to speak to the customer on the phone, then stay quiet and listen to what they are saying. Take a deep breath and make sure that you stay in control and reply calmly.

3. Actively listen

It might be natural to say that they are wrong and become defensive, but it won’t help diffuse the situation. In fact, you are more likely to end up in an argument and things getting out of control.

Instead, actively listen and check with them that you have understood their problem by repeating it back to them. This will help you identify the real reason for why the customer is angry.

4. Tell them what you are going to do

Sometimes listening and acknowledging their complaint may be enough, but more often than not you will need to offer them some support. If you have really listened to what they have had to say, then the best thing to do is offer them one firm way to support them. It’s up to you to judge what is best, but bear in mind that support means giving them something in response to their complaint.

If that support is not good enough then …

5. What is your plan B?

If you can’t make the customer happy, or at least content, then it’s worth having a plan B up your sleeve. Of course plan B could be offering them alternatives but …

It’s sometimes worth making a gesture of goodwill that they would not expect. This is where having a customer complaints procedure is helpful. One company that we have heard of will send an unhappy customer a £10 gift voucher for a coffee shop and attach a conciliatory note.

6. Check that they understand

When you are on the call check that they have fully understood what you have said. Do not be demeaning but restate your intent.

7. Say why you are sorry

Don’t just say sorry, tell them why you are sorry and thank them for giving you a chance to sort out the problem.

8. Follow it up afterwards

When you’ve got through that call, it doesn’t finish there. If you have promised remedial action, confirm that it has happened and then give the customer a follow up call. It will show that you care. In fact, you may find that they even become a future advocate of your business because you addressed and solved their complaint.

9. How to handle negative online reviews

If you get a bad review or a complaint online, then much of the above should still be applied. So, reply as quickly as possible, be polite and helpful and see if you can take the whole conversation offline – you don’t want to have an argument in front of other potential customers. It’s also worth considering, that a timely and helpful answer to a bad review can even be appreciated by these potential customers.

Here are some big No-Nos for responding to negative feedback online:

Do not provide too many details.
Do not get defensive – it will invite an argument
Avoid saying anything that could trigger a rebuttal. Stay calm with your responses.

10. Ask for feedback

Make sure that you get honest customer feedback. Sometimes a bad review could show you how to improve your service in the future. In fact, successful businesses proactively ask for feedback, it can often lead to endorsements which if used well are one of the best ways of attracting new business. This can also be one of the most effective ways of improving customer loyalty.

Use technology to keep customers informed

One way to avoid complaints is to invest in systems that keep your customer informed. Our field service CRM software helps you manage your team more effectively and has a customer portal where they can view notifications and alerts, get real time status updates and see quotes and invoices. Why not book a demo and see how we can help your business?

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