http://theexperiencefactor.com/handling-an-irate-customer/470/ Creating extraordinary experiences one person at a time Thu, 29 Jul 2010 14:02:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 http://theexperiencefactor.com/handling-an-irate-customer/470/#comment-143 Jen Kuhn Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:23:31 +0000 http://theexperiencefactor.com/?p=470#comment-143 Thanks for adding to the approach of handling an irate customer. I like that we have similar ideas on this...you make an exceptional point by reminding people to listen. It's human nature to jump to the action/solve phase just for some peace and quiet! Yet people want to be heard. Thanks for sharing your insight, Jen Thanks for adding to the approach of handling an irate customer. I like that we have similar ideas on this…you make an exceptional point by reminding people to listen. It’s human nature to jump to the action/solve phase just for some peace and quiet! Yet people want to be heard.
Thanks for sharing your insight,
Jen

]]> http://theexperiencefactor.com/handling-an-irate-customer/470/#comment-142 Tony Park Tue, 09 Feb 2010 19:08:49 +0000 http://theexperiencefactor.com/?p=470#comment-142 I have always followed the LEA approach. 1. Listen! Don't interrupt and let the customer let off steam. Stay as calm as possible. 2. Empathise. You would be pretty annoyed if they had debited your account with all your funds too! Explain that you would be angry/upset/etc if that happened to you also. Be prepared for more emotion and follow the first two steps again. Don't add any more fuel to their fire. 3. Action. Summarise what the customer has said in terms of understanding the problem. Ask them if you have understood correctly. By getting them to say yes, you are building your first tiny agreement. Now gently probe into any more details of the situation that is necessary. Keep your voice relatively low, calm and steady. Once again be prepared for another outburst but just follow the three steps again. It works with most irate customers who are angry out of frustration with the situation or stupid company policy rather than anything you have personally done. If you do this well, the customer will end up apologising to you!   I have always followed the LEA approach.
1. Listen! Don’t interrupt and let the customer let off steam. Stay as calm as possible.
2. Empathise. You would be pretty annoyed if they had debited your account with all your funds too! Explain that you would be angry/upset/etc if that happened to you also.
Be prepared for more emotion and follow the first two steps again. Don’t add any more fuel to their fire.
3. Action. Summarise what the customer has said in terms of understanding the problem. Ask them if you have understood correctly. By getting them to say yes, you are building your first tiny agreement. Now gently probe into any more details of the situation that is necessary. Keep your voice relatively low, calm and steady.
Once again be prepared for another outburst but just follow the three steps again.
It works with most irate customers who are angry out of frustration with the situation or stupid company policy rather than anything you have personally done.
If you do this well, the customer will end up apologising to you!
 

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