Tell Him I'm Out - Tips For Dealing With Difficult Callers
- Listen. Don’t interrupt, don’t try to argue or contradict the caller. If they’re angry they need to let off steam for a while. Wait until they’ve finished, then you can speak.
- Empathise. You don’t need to agree or accept blame for something, just say “ I can see why you feel that way.” Many angry people just want someone to acknowledge their right to be angry.
- Ask how you can help and show your concern to put things right.
- Use their name occasionally when you speak to them. Give them your name if they don’t know it so they know who they spoke to.
- Make notes of the conversation so you have a record.
- Stay calm yourself, don’t get wound up because the client is angry and resist the temptation to argue back. Put your own case calmly and clearly.
- Don’t take it personally ( unless it is personal, of course ). Most times, the client isn’t angry at you in particular. He may be having a bad day, or something unfortunate may have happened to him which has put him in a bad mood.
- Stand up while you speak to him. It can help to make you feel more confident and less intimidated. If the client starts to be abusive, calmly tell him you’re happy to discuss his complaints but you won’t accept abusive language and you’ll end the conversation if it continues.
- Take responsibility for dealing with the situation, even if you have to pass it on to someone else. Tell the client you will get back to him to let him know what’s happening – and make sure you do.
- Remember that clients can actually become much more committed to a firm if they feel that a grievance has been deal with sympathetically and efficiently. Having a client with a complaint can be an opportunity to really impress him with your service ( even though it may not seem like it at the time ).
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