14 Tips for Calming Upset Customers

1.Don’t take it personally.

a. It’s not about you.
b. You will lose.
c. They just want someone to listen.

2. Make it a challenge.

a. See how many customers you can turn around and make happy.

3. Look for the “gifts”

a. You will get valuable experience.
b. You will have fewer upset people in your life.
c. You get the opportunity to correct it.
d. You get the opportunity to learn.

4. The customers are often embarrassed.

a. They know that they made a mistake but they want someone to blame.

5. Keep your cool.

a. Show them that you are going to be professional no matter how upset they get.

6. Listen

a. Don’t give away the store before you know what it is that they are complaining about.

7. Remember that it might be bigger than us.

a. Personal problems.
b. Use to having to get angry to get results.

8. Don’t interrupt.

a. Listen until they are done before replying.
b. It will just make them angrier.
c. Keep eye contact.
d. Keep body language positive.

9. Keep a respectful tone.

10. Remove the upset customer from public areas

11. Let them cool off.

a. Telling them that you need to look into a problem first.

12. Keep it positive.

a. Talk about what you “can” do and not what you “can’t” do.
b. Don’t talk about policy.

13. Use the “broken record” technique.

a. Keep repeating what you can do for them until they calm down.

14. Ignore impoliteness and cursing.

a. Re-write it in your mind.