564 words
After an upset customer has left, you may want to take a few minutes for a time
out or a cool down. You may need to compose yourself and calm yourself down.
It is important not to focus on what you did poorly. Don't reproach yourself for making mistakes. Instead, use this time to learn how you could handle the situation differently in the future.
Review The Incident
Ask yourself these questions:
o What did I do well in calming this upset customer? (For example: call him/her
by name, look him/her in the eye, listen well, want to help, avoid interrupting.)
o What could I have said that would have calmed him/her better or sooner?
o What did I say that I don't want to say again?
o What body language can I use to calm the upset customer better next time?
o What body language do I want to work on eliminating so it doesn't escalate
the upset?
o What did I learn?
o Phrases that will help me remember that I am a valuable person and want to
be the best I can be:
I am a valuable person.
I am working on becoming the best I can be.
Don't Take It Personally
It is easy to feel that you've been called stupid, when the customer is really
upset at the organization, a policy, one of your co-workers, or himself. He
is lashing out at whatever is near-in this case, you.
More often than not, his misfortune was not caused by you. You must remind yourself of this. If he says "You screwed up my order," he probably means "My order didn't arrive on time and you people are going to pay for this. Whoever did this is in big trouble, and since I don't know exactly who it is, you're going to hear my anger-perhaps you'll put things right."
Sometimes the mistake was your fault. We all make mistakes. It often disarms people if you admit is was your fault and apologize. But only do this if it really was your fault. If you have made this mistake before, ask your boss how you can eliminate the error.
Don't Bore Your Co-workers
Some people say it helps to get over their own upset if they tell their co-workers
about the incident. Ask yourself, "Was this a pleasant experience? If not,
why would I want to share an unpleasant experience with people I like? Will
it help their day go better? Will it make them happier?" The answer is
no, it won't make their day happier. So why burden them?
If there is something your co-workers can learn from your experience, then certainly you should share it. For example, you may have learned something about a customer's "hot buttons," because you unknowingly set them off. This information is useful to your co-worker, so he doesn't get into the same hassle with this customer.
You may also want to ask your co-worker for advice. "What would you have done?" "What do you think I should have done?" "What should I do differently next time?" These questions can help you learn from the experience.
But if you just want to get it off your chest, don't bother anyone else. Write out the story to yourself. And you can become your own advisor. Ask yourself what you could have done differently.
© 1989 Morgan Seminar Group
_______________________
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
