Try as we might, there’s no realistic way to keep everyone happy. If you’ve worked in the service industry before, you’ll know that some people just exist in a constant state of dissatisfaction… which can spell trouble when they come marching with something on their mind. Although frustrated people are notoriously difficult to work with, we as professionals still have the responsibility of hearing them out and offering what assistance we can. However, the manner in which we offer help can quickly take things from bad to worse if we aren’t careful. What should and shouldn’t we do when dealing with upset customers? Join Wordsmith and let’s find out!
Fully automated responses
Many businesses use automated responses as a first step whenever customers have inquiries or concerns. This is fine for the most part, as automation makes weeding out simple problems (such as those that can be solved via frequently asked question [FAQ] sections) easier. Additionally, automated responses are a handy way to let the customer know that their message has been received and will be followed upon shortly. At this point, most businesses would have employee handle the request… but some businesses also force their employees to follow the dreaded “script”.
What is the “script”? It’s when the employee has to cycle through a series of pre-set responses before they can provide any solutions or real responses – the most notorious of which being asked to describe the problem again or providing answers already used in FAQs. If the customer wasn’t already frustrated enough, being treated like a dummy might push them off the deep end!
This is especially problematic if the customer is prone to taking whatever upsets them onto social media. With how commonplace it is to take screenshots and post things online, a business with unhelpful customer service will have their online reputation constantly on edge.
While it may be company policy to have all messages recorded for “better customer service”, competent customer service agents should be given the authority to exercise their best judgement. Depending on the amount of detail provided by the customer on the initial ticket, a lot of the preliminary back-and-forth can be cut out entirely – for example, if a customer had a faulty toaster and they already said removing the plug and trying another outlet didn’t work, then the agent should refer to another potential solution to expedite things. However, if the customer just said “toaster doesn’t work” on the ticket, then the agent would have grounds to go through their checklist.
Playing the waiting game
Some businesses have the nasty habit of delaying their responses to create the illusion of being “busy.” This can happen during job interviews, as well as during customer support. Not only is it a scummy business practice, it also creates unnecessary anxiety for whoever is waiting.
A first-come-first-serve basis is the usual business standard, but the drawback here is that people with urgent problems will have to get in line like everyone else if they are seeking help during peak hours. Some businesses may try to streamline the process with the triage method, but this places additional responsibilities onto customer service agents (and dishonest workers may use that as an excuse to pick and choose cases to handle), so first-come-first-serve is still preferred. Regardless, most customers understand this and are willing to put up with the wait. They may still be very vocal and complain about the wait, but as long as your agents are handling the tickets in a timely manner while also providing results, the customer’s prior animosity will quickly be forgotten.
What inconvenience?
Customers encounter problems all the time, perhaps due to faulty manufacturing, ageing parts or even due to misuse. Regardless what the reason for the problem may be, it’s easier for everyone to just admit acknowledge that the customer has been inconvenienced and to apologise for it – even when the customer is the one at fault!
“It may seem counter-intuitive, but admitting that a mistake must have been made and you will look into it can sometimes be the quickest bridge to taking an angry customer to a happy one,” describes Frederik Hermann of Birdeye (an online reputation management business). “When you start by offering an apology instead of being defensive, it provides the customer reassurance and makes it easier for you to understand the situation better to find the best solution.”
Hermann’s second point is an important one, as accusing the customer of being the one responsible would likely lead to greater hostilities even if it were true. Should a customer-inflicted mishap be the case, a simple “we’re sorry to hear that you’re experiencing troubles” is a quick and easy response without pointing blame at anyone.
Not following up offline
If a customer’s complaint was lodged online, say on a message board or on your company’s social media page, Hermann recommends taking the conversation offline – such as via a call, an email or somewhere less publicly visible.
The reason for doing so is three-fold:
· It makes subsequent correspondence more efficient and gives the customer the feeling of direct support, thus making them more receptive of the help and being satisfied afterwards
· It protects the customer’s privacy (especially if sensitive information is involved)
· Damage control from prying eyes in case a major problem is involved – it’s better to have the company divulge this information publicly in a press release than it is to have it discovered on a message board!
Taking only the good without the bad
As much as we like to keep our reputation pristine, some customers are inevitably going to find fault in our products or services… be it out of malicious intent or out of genuine grievance. When this happens, they are often quick to take to social media and/or other public forums to voice their discontent. What do we do then? Should we remove the criticism to keep out the negativity?
No doubt such thoughts may have crossed your mind before, but deleting comments or criticism can actually be harmful to your public image! Since reviews and customer opinions are inherently subjective, there’s no way to appeal to everyone – meaning perfect ratings are and always will be a pipe dream. Furthermore, hiding low scores and criticism are considered a deceptive business practice. Have you’ve heard about the fast fashion brand Fashion Nova? They were sued by the US Federal Trade Commission for only displaying 4- and 5-star reviews.
Provided you receive legitimate criticism, you should definitely get in contact with the customer to figure out what went wrong. “This shows the customer you are addressing that you are working hard to regain their trust and shows potential clients how far you are willing to go for your customers,” explains Hermann. Simply reply to their comment acknowledging the problem and send a personal message with the steps for following up.
Upset customers may be prone to being irrational, but they are still customers nonetheless. Trying to butt heads with quickly exacerbate the situation and you’ll need to decide whether or not their patronage is worth keeping. Just as easy as it may for an upset customer to leave scathing reviews, happy customers will be glad to leave genuine positive feedback after receiving empathic and timely help!