Consumers are more likely to make repeat transactions with companies that prioritize customer satisfaction. If only satisfaction was that easy to achieve!

Why? Because you’ll inevitably run into a customer who makes your job difficult, but you must fight the urge to turn them away.

People get angry or rude for a variety of reasons—some justified, others not. One of the most stressful part of customer service is figuring out how to respond to them properly. When not done right, you risk losing their interest, their business, and maybe even your job.

As tempting it may be to kick those nasty individuals to the kerb, you must learn to deal with them if you want your employer to stay happy with you. Here are ABCs to help you disarm unhappy consumers and win them to your side.

A – Adopt a beginner’s mind

When you enter a conversation, there are often nagging thoughts like: “They should’ve readied their email about their subscription expiring” or “They should’ve assumed that I’m available only during office hours.” These put your mind on the defensive before the talk goes anywhere.

What to do:

Approach the situation with a ‘don’t know’ mindset as if you were a beginner. This keeps you from prejudging a customer or their concern. Forget about what they should’ve done and focus on figuring out a solution. Still acknowledge the problem but move towards resolving it instead.

B – Break down problems

Whether you’re facing one huge problem or several medium-sized ones, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. You might have a hard time deciding what you should do first and what should come next. This may push to slap together a mediocre fix just to tick one off your to-do list.

What to do:

Take one issue then divide it into several smaller portions that are easier to manage. These tiny parts are quicker to tackle, motivating you to address problems at hand than leave them for later. Organize your other daily tasks in this manner to boost your efficiency.

C – Consider mental biases

Sometimes people decide based on their experiences and worldviews. During these times, they develop their opinions based on what they already know rather than on objective facts. For instance, they think you won’t deliver on your promises like the previous company they did business with.

What to do:

Ask questions to understand the root cause of their unease. “What can I do to relieve your fears?” and “How can I help you feel comfortable enough to move on to the next step?” can give you insights on how you can help your customers relax and move forward.

D – Do reflective listening

Broad statements like “I understand” and “Sorry to hear that” rarely make anyone feel better. They don’t accomplish anything and may only further aggravate the situation. So, learn to make reflective responses instead of active ones.

What to do:

Interpret their words and body language, then restate the feelings and thoughts you heard back to them. Seek additional information if it seems that you haven’t understood their sentiment yet. The overall objective is that you make them feel heard and valued.

E – Ease your worries

You might be afraid to challenge someone when they’re being difficult because you don’t want to risk the relationship. You don’t want them to express displeasure with your employer as you may get in trouble with your boss, among other worries that are unbidden.

What to do:

Let go of the idea that you need to fix anything and everything that’s wrong. Your job is to listen and understand their woes then guide them through the next step. Outside of apologizing and validating feelings, tell them you appreciate their patience as you work to resolve the matter.

F – Find some tricks

These don’t refer to you purposely lying to the person that their issue has been resolved when it hasn’t. Rather, they are strategies you use during chats or calls to:

• De-escalate emotion.
• Explain a complex solution.
• Build rapport with them.

What to do:

If you need to buy time while refreshing the system, place them on a strategic hold with the excuse that you’re performing diagnostics or seeking advice from your superior.

For discussing complicated troubleshooting steps, suggest a screen share. These also give people space to breathe and calm themselves.

G – Guide your emotions

Conflict is always going to be part of business. When faced with an angry individual, there’s a natural tendency to justify yourself or retort in a rude way. You must remember that you have a lot to lose when you stoop to that level though.

What to do:

Take their frustrations seriously but not personally. Instead of resorting to finger-pointing or name-calling, maintain a professional tone and keep yourself as calm as possible. Avoid typing or saying anything that may be used against you. Don’t make promises that you can’t keep.

Help needed?

Communicating with a dissatisfied customer will never be an easy feat. The good news is that there’s always a way to defuse a difficult situation. What separates the best support systems from the average ones is their ability to sway angry clients to their side.

If you need further guidance on how to become better at your customer service job, refer to the Remote Workmate blog. If the help you need is more about finding remote work, we can be of service in that aspect as well.