While we have all had encounters with difficult people, this undesired dynamic takes on a different level of importance when relating to customer service. You can simply ignore someone when you're on personal time. But when your livelihood is at stake, as well as the reputation of your company, the customer demands your attention.
In my earlier years when taking phone calls for a large financial services provider, I was cursed at, hung up on, threatened with a gun, and my personal favorite, told I probably looked like a frog (my wife says I do not).
Sometimes the reason the customer is upset is because your company flat-out messed up. An order wasn't shipped. The invoice was wrong. Somebody provided incorrect information.
Sometimes the customer themselves may have made the mistake. Maybe that order was shipped but went to a different address the customer originally provided. Maybe the invoice is correct, the customer just doesn't realize he ordered additional materials. Maybe the information told to the customer was correct, but he didn't like the answer.
Sometimes the customer is just having a bad day. And you, my friend, are the lucky one who gets to have an earful.
And sometimes the customer is simply just a jerk. Some people are born a jerk and will die a jerk. And giving them great customer service ain't gonna change that. But we can always dream...
The bottom line is that Cesar Ritz was somewhat confused when the legendary French hotelier uttered those famous words in 1908 - 'Le client n'a jamais tort'. Those words translate to "The Customer is Never Wrong" which over the years has changed to "The Customer is Always Right".
Um...NOPE!
In fact, the customer is wrong quite frequently. He may be wrong with his information, or he may be wrong in how he chooses to approach the situation - i.e. yelling at someone he doesn't know.
But, what Mr. Ritz was trying to convey is this simple principle. Customers are people. Some will be nice, some won't. Some you'll like, some you won't.
But a person becomes a customer because he spends his money with you. And everyone likes money. Money is always nice.
So while customers are frequently wrong, their money never is. Because of that, anyone wanting to succeed in the world of business must learn how to deal with difficult customers.
Before we move onto this week's 10 Things, let's hop in our time machine and travel back to the 1960's. Due to the wonder that is YouTube, several months ago I stumbled across a nifty training video that was used by Pan Am Airlines. It quickly demonstrates the importance of always delivering great customer service, despite the circumstances.
In the video, the Pan Am employee took his customers for granted and had some trouble listening, which resulted in a lost customer. Effective listening is our first tip in this week's article: 10 Things I Think You Should Think About...Handling Difficult Customers.
1. Hearing is not Listening
Our daily communications are comprised of four main vehicles: Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening. We listen more than any of the others, at a rate of 40% of our daily communications. While it is likely we all have taken some class in high school or college that helped us read, write, or speak better, very few of us have ever received formal training on how to listen.
If you're feeling a little inadequate in this area, don't fret. Here are some quick tips:
- Allow the customer to vent. Don't interrupt so the customer can get everything off his chest.
- Take detailed notes. Writing down what is said improves content retention rates. The last thing you want to do is ask the customer to have to repeat himself later in the call.
- Pay attention to verbal "cues and clues". Did the customer say the order is needed for a big presentation next week, but now he is demanding the order be shipped overnight? Is this necessary? Everything the customer says, especially when he is frustrated, can help you when providing options later in the conversation.
- Smile. The age-old axiom of smiling over the telephone really does work. When you smile, your body becomes calmer. Being calm improves your chance of listening effectively.
A few weeks ago on my way home from work I called a local restaurant to place a carryout order. I am a fairly picky eater and asked for my food to be prepared a special way. At the end of the call the restaurant employee said, "That will be $14.85 and will be ready in twenty five minutes. Thanks." And then he hung up.
Twenty five minutes later I arrived at the restaurant. Any ideas as to what transpired next? Yep, that's right - my order was made incorrectly because the employee wrote it down wrong. So I waited another twenty five minutes while my new dinner was made.
This mishap could have easily been avoided if the employee had taken ten extra seconds to repeat back to me what he thought he heard.
"Mr. Customer, just to ensure I have it written down correctly let me confirm. You want the Triple Deluxe Burger with everything on it and a side of sweet potato fries, correct?"
"Actually no. I want the Double Deluxe Burger, plain, and a side of waffle fries."
"Ok perfect. Double Deluxe Burger, plain, side of waffle fries. That will be $13.50 and will be ready in 25 minutes. Thank you!"
No, thank you. By investing those 10 seconds, I could have gotten twenty five minutes back. That's an episode of the Kardashians.
Paraphrasing is simply repeating back to the customer, in your own words, what you thought you heard. He will then confirm or correct you. Either way, you have the right information and can do your job efficiently.
Clarifying is similar to paraphrasing with a subtle difference.
While paraphrasing assumes you have the correct information but are asking the customer to confirm, clarifying occurs when you feel you may have wrong information or didn't hear everything correctly.
"Mr. Customer, I believe you mentioned 123 Main Street as the destination but I have 456 Lake Avenue in our computer. Which address would you like it shipped to?"
Sharks are always hungry. Don't swim with them. Similarly, upset customers don't need more reason to be angry. By paraphrasing and clarifying, you're communicating effectively with the customer and getting much closer to solving their problem.
3. Don't Argue
We have all seen arguments and disagreements. The baseball manager, nose to nose with an umpire, kicking dirt and screaming profusely because of a bad call. A husband and wife disagreeing about how to spend money. A mother and father having different viewpoints on how to discipline a child.
Arguments are going to happen in life. They are unavoidable, natural, and potentially healthy. But they shouldn't happen with the customer.
An argument only prolongs an uncomfortable conversation. If the customer is frustrated, arguing with him is not going to change his mind. He wants to hear that he is right. Or at least be shown some empathy. The more we can placate, the easier the call will go.
Recently I was listening to a national sports talk show hosted by Jim Rome. He was interviewing the commissioner of the NBA, David Stern. While it may not be seen in the traditional sense, the commissioner is the customer in this scenario. Without guests, a talk show host has little chance of success. While it is part of his job to ask challenging, thought-provoking questions, it is also in his best interest to have his guests agree to return in the future.
Mr. Rome asked a question regarding the recent NBA Draft Lottery and whether or not it was fixed (the NBA currently owns the team, the New Orleans Hornets, who received the #1 draft pick). Mr. Stern took offense to the question and said "Shame on you" for asking. Mr. Rome could have easily moved on, but instead took a different route.
He let his emotions and ego get the best of him. What transpired was a nearly four-minute, nationally recorded argument between two giants in their respective fields. There was no winner and the customer probably won't be coming back any time soon.
Just like tangos, arguments always take two. Abstain from that temptation, and the customer eventually has no choice but to stop. Remember, the point is to help the customer resolve the situation and bring additional business in the future.
4. Display Empathy
Right or wrong, the customer is upset for a reason. We can all relate to that, even if we choose to express it in a different manner.
"Mr. Customer, I can understand why you're upset. Let me see how I can help you."
"Mr. Customer, I can see why you would feel that way. I can assure you I will begin working on this immediately."
While we have all had our spats with friends, it is difficult to be overly obnoxious toward someone we like. By empathizing with the customer, and putting yourself in his shoes, you draw a connection that makes it much harder for the customer to remain angry. You are demonstrating through your words and actions that you are trying to help.
5. Provide Options
Whether its one scoop or two, carpet or wood floors, or 4-cylinder or V6, we all like choices. It provides us with the feeling we are in control. We like thinking we have the power to make a decision that will affect us.
It is no different with customer service. Rather than telling the customer what will occur, try your best to develop at least two scenarios, even if you feel one is not as desirable. You may not be able to do this in all situations, but you will be surprised at how many times you can provide several choices, even if one is the status quo.
6. Mutually Agree on Next Steps
This may seem simple, and it usually is. But it can't be skipped. Once you provide the customer with options, and he tells you his choice, be sure to confirm the next steps. This could include time frames, cost, action steps the customer must still take, and a number of other things. Just be sure both you and the customer are clear as to what will happen next. You don't want a return call regarding this same issue.
7. Appreciate
According to the White House Office of Consumer Affairs, 96% of customers are more likely to do business with a company again if a problem was resolved professionally and efficiently. More interestingly, they are also likely to refer others.
What this says is that sometimes problems can be our friends. If we resolve issues in a positive manner (not to be confused with always giving the customer exactly what they demand), we can actually generate more revenue in the future. That should make sense. Making mistakes is human nature, and customers realize that too. How we handle them can shape their future business decisions.
Regardless of how difficult this customer may have been, it is important to genuinely demonstrate your appreciation for their business. Thank them for their business, their patience, their understanding, their time, or all of the above.
It is six times more expensive to attract new customers than it is to retain existing ones. So let's be sure to thank them.
8. Document
The unfortunate truth is that some people, and customers, will take advantage of situations if possible. We may be more lenient if it is the first time making an exception or resolving an issue. It is possible for a customer to exploit that fact and continue to bend the rules. An exception is just that -we don't want it to become a rule.
Be sure to document your customer conversations, an overview of the problem, and the agreed upon resolution. This is best kept in a company-wide repository where other customer service associates can view when accessing the customer's account. Ideally, this would be kept in a CRM.
9. Escalate if necessary
There may be times when the customer is so belligerent or hostile, you cannot help resolve the issue. You may be having trouble communicating to the customer, or your personalities might simply clash. In these times, it is okay to bring onto the line a manager.
Sometimes a new person on the phone will help the customer calm down. A different set of eyes, void of emotion from the prior conversation, may have a soothing effect on the situation and make it easier to resolve. You don't want this option to be a crutch, but rather a last-ditch effort to solve the problem.
While it is NEVER appropriate to hang up on a customer, it does make sense in certain situations to pass the baton to a manager.
10. Move On
When I managed a call center team years ago, I was monitoring a call where a customer was extremely rude to one of my employees. There was yelling, personal insults, and swearing that would make a sailor blush. As I started to intervene the customer hung up.
My employee was so rattled he asked to leave work for the afternoon.
Two weeks later in a 1:1 with him, he told me he had trouble sleeping for several nights after that call.
Three years later, long after I went to a different company, there was a going-away party for a mutual friend at a bar and this gentleman was in attendance. I overheard one of his conversations with some past co-workers. In it, he was still talking about that same call and how it bothered him so much he got out of customer service completely.
Wow!
I often use the phrase, "Don't let people rent space in your heads." Do you think the customer thought about that call three minutes later, let alone three years? While the call may be difficult, and the person may be disrespectful and out of line, he has not earned the right to rent space in your head.
Walk away from your desk, take some deep breaths, go outside for a walk, get a soda. Take a few minutes to decompress. And then say a "mental goodbye" to that customer and move on with the rest of your life.
10.5 Final Thoughts
I can't believe I am actually going to quote Rocky Balboa, but in the final movie of the series Sylvester Stallone delivers an inspirational speech to his son. In it he says, "It ain't about how hard you can hit. Its about hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."
Its inevitable you're going to encounter a difficult customer. Its not about who wins the "fight". Its about moving the relationship with the customer forward. Because customers may not be always right, but having them is.
That's good stuff. Can't wait until you publish that book you started 15 years ago.
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