Working with difficult customers

One of the greatest challenges for telemarketers is not letting the stress and frustration of difficult customers get to you. Difficult customers are often rude, unreasonable and direct their anger onto you.

By learning how to allay a difficult customer's hostility, and by not taking the hostility personally, each workday becomes more pleasant, and three benefits will be quickly realized.

First, your morale will improve and the stress that leads to turnover will be reduced. Second, your clients are better served, which leads to higher customer satisfaction and, ultimately, sales. Last, the personal satisfaction you will gain from helping an individual turn a problem into a positive solution is immeasurable.

The benefits are easily realized by focusing on 10 key points.

1) Listen: Customers often get loud and overbearing in an effort to be heard. They have something to say and need to vent their dissatisfaction.

When you interrupt or impose your viewpoint, you are sending a message that tells the customer to become more forceful. This aggravates both sides. By patiently listening and not making a comment as soon as the customer pauses, he or she will remain calmer. If you approach your response from the customer's viewpoint, you will set the stage for an intelligent conversation where the customer feels he or she is number one. To get and keep the customer calm, talk about his or her needs and concerns. Address what was said as important, and don't negate what he or she said by addressing other issues you believe are more relevant.

2) Buffers: When addressing your client's concerns, he or she will believe you listened if you show empathy to his or her plight. Phrases such as, "I understand your concern," "I hear what you're saying" or "I can appreciate how you feel" position you as someone who has the customer's interests at heart. A good first impression is crucial in getting an agitated customer to relax. It is also very important to follow your empathic statement with comments that show you are there to help the customer find solutions.

3) Delete but and however from your vocabulary: The words but and however negate any positive comments you may make to help calm a difficult customer. For example: if someone told you, "That is a wonderful dress, but those shoes look awful," the only thing you hear is the negative. The compliment is completely overshadowed. The same is true in customer service. If you tell a customer, "I want to help, but the company policy does not allow adjustments after 30 days," the only thing the customer hears is that you will not help. Avoid fueling heated situations with the words but or however. They only make your client feel you are being confrontational. Even worse, they make the client think that you are saying he or she is wrong, and you won't help.

But and however can often be replaced by the word and, or by a simple pause before making your second point.

4) Avoid wrong: Even if the adage "The customer is always right" is not always true, it is important to avoid making the client feel he or she is wrong. People will argue vehemently to avoid being wrong. One of the simplest ways to avoid a battle of who is right and wrong is to never place blame. Keep a customer from becoming defensive by never actually using the words "you're wrong."

5) Name power: A difficult customer is often someone who is asserting himself or herself to feel important and in control. Making him or her feel important without becoming assertive keeps all parties calm and relaxed.

When you ask a customer his or her name, he or she sees that you are taking an interest in him or her as an individual, and that makes the person feel special. The more you address the customer by name, the more he or she will feel important

A person's name is the sweetest sound, and each time you use it, the person will realize you are making an effort to work with him or her. Also, give your name to all callers. It accomplishes several things. First, your clients feel in control. They know who they are talking to, and they will treat you more like a person than a robot. The personal touch of a name gives substantially more credibility to your solution and importance. Best of all, when you use names, you are no longer a stranger, and that makes it a bit easier for everyone to stay even tempered.

6) Realize the good in your life: Some customers are unreasonably difficult because of issues that have nothing to do with you. Their lives are complicated by divorce, health problems, financial crisis, etc. They take out the stresses of their lives on any individual who crosses their path. When dealing with an unruly customer, step back and realize his or her behavior may be driven by extraordinary circumstances.

Don't take the negative vibes customers direct toward you personally. Most important, count your blessings and realize all you have to be thankful for.

7) Affirm understanding: By paraphrasing the customer's problem, he or she has tangible proof that you are trying to see his or her viewpoint. After restating a customer's problem, add, "Is that right?" or "Is that everything?" That gets the customer to say "yes" and see that you really did hear everything said.

When customers affirm that you understand their needs, it is a signal to you that you are working with them in a positive manner. As conversation progresses in that direction, all parties feel satisfied that something is getting accomplished. This results in everyone staying calm and content while focusing on the solution.

8) Change wording: The words "angry," "unreasonable" and "obnoxious" are often used by customer service representatives to describe very difficult customers. When you describe certain customers with these words, however, the vision in your mind can make you tense and cause your blood pressure to rise. You can trick your mind into a calmer state by referring to these customers as "peeved." "challenging" or "needy." When you use words that have softer connotations, your mind defines the situation as softer, and you maintain a more relaxed state. You can also use this technique when paraphrasing a difficult customer's situation as you work to tone down anger.

9) Ask them what they want: It's amazing how often customer service reps neglect to ask customers what, specifically, they want. Customers will often passionately express their complaints and only give a vague description of what they are looking for. This is frustrating for both the customer and the representative. When frustration builds, everyone becomes more uncomfortable. When you uncover the customer's specific need, you establish a solid foundation for finding a solution. The solution is often simple and the frustration easily avoided if you just ask the customer what he or she wants.

10) Solutions vs. problems: When the majority of a conversation is about problems, it is very draining on the rep and the customer. When the focus is on problems, too much energy is placed on blame or reasons for a problematic situation. This makes everyone more uncontrollable and the situation more heated.

When the focus is on solutions, everyone is happier because all energy is focused on correcting the situation. It is much more pleasant to look at the good rather than the bad. After getting a handle on the customer's viewpoint, a positive tone will come from suggesting three solutions. You will feel good about guiding the customer to a solution. The customer feels good because he or she is participating in the problem resolution. Together, you'll come up with a solution that seems sensible.

By following each of these simple points, you will disarm irate customers. By avoiding the common mistakes that spark a customer's argumentative side, many calls will become more pleasant. When customers recognize your effort to align yourself with their viewpoint, confrontations will be minimized and solutions will be more rapidly achieved. Best of all, you can take pride in helping people and in a job well done.

Mark Anthony is president of Training For Success Inc., a Riverdale, New York training company that specializes in strengthening customer relationships and sales.

Copyright Technology Marketing Corporation Jul 1994
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