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Customers become upset for various reasons. Sometimes their anger is justified;
sometimes it's not. Either way, in working to resolve their upset, it helps
to know what caused the upset.
A Customer Could Be Upset Because...
o She has expectations that have not been met.
o He was already upset at someone or something else (his boss, his spouse, his
kids, a co-worker, other business).
o She's tired, stressed, or frustrated.
o He feels like a victim-not much power in his life in general.
o She feels that no one will listen to her unless she yells and makes a ruckus.
o He will use any excuse to prove he is right, whether he is or not.
o She walks around with a chip on her shoulder-nothing is right in her life.
o You or someone in your organization promised him something that was not delivered.
o You or someone in your organization was indifferent, rude, or discourteous
to her.
o He was told one thing by one staff member and something else by another.
o She acted on something told her by a staff member and it was wrong.
o He feels you or someone else in your organization had an unpleasant attitude
toward him.
o She doesn't feel she was listened to.
o Prejudices-he may not like your hair, clothes, makeup, etc.
o She feels she can manipulate you to get what she wants if she makes a lot
of noise.
o He's suspicious of your organization and thinks your organization or you are
dishonest.
o She made a wrong assumption about what your organization would do for her.
o He was told he has no right to be angry.
o She was given a smart or flip reply.
o He was transferred on the phone without his consent.
o She was screened on the telephone.
o He is embarrassed at doing something incorrectly.
o Her integrity or honesty has been questioned.
o You or someone in your organization argued with him.
o You don't have enough job training to handle their situation quickly and accurately.
Upset people have little patience. Annoyances that a person usually tolerates become intolerable when that individual is upset. You can't control another person's behavior. But you can change your behavior to avoid causing annoyance.
Avoidable Upsets
The annoyances you have some responsibility for causing are:
o You or someone in your organization promised something that was not delivered.
If you promised the customer you would get back to him and you didn't, then
he may become upset. With good reason. Most of us become upset when people promise
action and don't follow through.
o You or someone in your organization was indifferent, rude, or discourteous
to her.
Many times discourtesy is unintentional. You may not have thought about your
statement before your blurted it out. Some people try to make funny comments,
but these may come across as rude. Treat every customer as you would a special
aunt or uncle.
o He feels you or someone else in your organization had an unpleasant attitude
toward him.
Perhaps this customer was surly himself, dressed unusually, or treated you poorly.
This is no excuse for you to react unprofessionally.
o She doesn't feel she was listened to.
People want to be listened to. They don't want to have to repeat themselves.
o He was told he has no right to be angry.
Everyone has a right to their emotions. Telling them otherwise is sure to make
them even angrier.
o She was given a smart or flip reply.
Sarcastic remarks only heighten anger, they seldom ease tension.
o He is embarrassed at doing something incorrectly.
Make sure the customer understands that he needs to know before he tries to
use your product or service. Go over any procedures about returns or guarantees
beforehand. That way you'll have fewer customers who are angry because of a
misunderstanding.
o Her integrity or honesty has been questioned.
Treat customers with respect and dignity. If there is a problem, assume your
organization has made the mistake until shown otherwise. Instead of, "You
didn't pay us," say, "We don't have a record of receiving your payment.
Would you be kind enough to see if your check cleared the bank?"
Work to eliminate body language, voice tone, or facial expressions that convey distrust. Avoid projecting an "us versus them" attitude about customers.
Never call a customer a deadbeat, liar, cheat, thief, etc. Never threaten a customer.
o You or someone in your organization argued with the customer.
As Dale Carnegie said, "The only way to get the best of an argument is
to avoid it." This is especially true with customers. If you argue with
a customer you always lose-even if you win the argument. It's not good for the
other customers to witness an argument. They won't like seeing you treat a customer
poorly, whether or not the customer was in the wrong.
Returning Calls
Following up on the information you promised is one way you can avoid receiving
upset callers or visitor. Even if you have to call a customer back to say you're
still checking, she'll appreciate knowing that you haven't forgotten and are
doing your best.
Summary
People get upset for a variety of reasons, many of which are under your or your
organization's control to prevent. The easiest way to calm upset customers is
to not make them angry in the first place.
© 1989 Morgan Seminar Group
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Rebecca L. Morgan, CSP, is a dynamic speaker and seminarist. This is an excerpt from her book, Calming Upset Customers. Additionally, she's authored the books TurboTime: Maximizing Your Results Through Technology, Life's Lessons: Insights and Information for a Richer Life, and Professional Selling. For information on her speaking services, books, and tapes contact her at 1440 Newport Ave., San Jose, CA 95125, 408/998-7977, 800/247-9662, fax: 408/998-1742, rebecca@RebeccaMorgan.com, www.RebeccaMorgan.com. Please contact Rebecca for permission to reprint or repost this item.
Personal Productivity/Time Management | TurboTime | Customer Service | Professional Selling | Management/Communication | Training | Motivational
