10 Steps to Turning an Angry Customer into a Happy One

I am not a fan of conflict. In fact, I have grown to become a master of dodging conflict and angry people in general. This is because I know that anger is a fleeting emotion and it can be turned on its head with a degree of patience and a focused, human approach.

What I do love, is problem solving. The combination of conflict-dodger and problem-solver has its benefits when it comes to customer support. I deal with angry customers by understanding that there is a reason behind the emotion, and then take steps to transform the negative situation into a beneficial result for all involved.

Recognize the value of a complaint

A customer’s complaint can hold great value to your business. It is important to listen to their feedback and recognize that they are doing you a favor by helping you to improve your product or service. Rather than getting stressed about an uncomfortable string of emails, use a complaint to build a stronger relationship with that customer.

Online sellers who are expanding into global marketplaces will be familiar with the challenges of creating successful responses. No matter how exceptional you and your support team are at providing a great customer experience, there will always be at least one angry customer who sneaks through the cracks. How you respond will define that customer’s opinion of your company and whether they share positive or negative stories about their experience.

When that angry customer comes knocking at your inbox, or on social, here are a few guiding steps that will take you to a positive resolution.

1. Listen

The most important thing is to listen so that you gain a clear understanding of the customer’s issue. Read their message carefully and don’t be afraid to ask questions if you need clarity on the query.
Customer preferences may vary depending on where they come from. The way they interact with your business can change depending on location.

If you find yourself frustrated or offended by a message, try not to take things personally — it could simply be a difference in communication style, whether a message is direct or conversational. The customer is in touch with you because they have a problem they need you to understand.

Their feedback will benefit your business. Use this opportunity to strengthen your relationship with your customer. It is important that you listen and are equipped with all the knowledge and tools that will solve their problem.

2. Apologize

The best way of dealing with an angry customer is to be honest and apologize. When you admit the mistake and show the customer that you are very sorry about the situation, you can turn their attitude in your favor.People appreciate honesty and often the apology is the result that they were hoping for. According to a study by The University of Nottingham, people were twice as likely to forgive a company who apologized than one who offered compensation.

Explain to the customer that this is not a common issue and that you are working on a resolution.
You will need to go above and beyond to make up for the error, by being extra attentive to the unhappy customer. Be courteous and offer a resolution that might make up for the mistake.

3. Show empathy

Put yourself in the customer’s shoes to see if you feel that you have been acknowledged effectively. By feeling empathy for your customer’s situation, you naturally understand how you should respond.
In written correspondence, all you have is your vocabulary and punctuation to rely on — it is important that you ask yourself ‘how does this message make you feel?’
Empathizing with your customer in this way, will lead you both to a positive resolution..

4. Maintain a calm tone of voice

Remain calm and your customer is likely to mirror your mood. Be as clear and concise and possible so that your message is easily understood. Ask as many questions as required to identify the issue. Be patient and polite. If your customer is angry, or if you are denying them a request, it is not recommended that you use a casual tone of voice. Although the majority of people prefer a casual tone of voice in email interactions, 78 percent of people find that casual-toned responses actually cause them further irritation when they are being denied a request.

Source: CSI Survey ‘The Best Tone for Email Customer Support’

5. The power of a name

Remember that a person’s name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.”- Dale Carnegie, the author of ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’

Treat your customer like an individual, address them by name and show that you know their details by having any previous interaction or order history at hand. There are great benefits to be gleamed from providing a personalized experience. The short-term benefit of personalization is that transaction rates increase six times with personalized emails. The long-terms benefit is the customer loyalty that springs from having a great experience.

Making a personal experience is not just a matter of being polite — it makes your customer feel happy. Not only that, but they will recognize you as another human being, rather than a nameless entity from an elusive company.

6. Get your customer to trust you

Christine Comaford, an expert on persuasive language has devised a formula for creating trust.

The equation is: safety + belonging + esteem = trust.

In order to gain the trust of your customer, you can put this equation into action. Increase the customer’s status, or esteem by giving them an element of control over the situation. You can do this by simply asking for their help to resolve the issue. Show that they are important to you and that they are an integral part of your community by recognizing their individual needs and knowing their order history. Aim for a first time resolution if possible. Ensure that you provide a comprehensive response for effective results.

Be honest with your customer and stay true to your company’s identity. Build a level of transparency to establish authenticity and a mutual trust with your customer. Transparency will help you and your agents to communicate with more confidence.

7. Don’t take it personally

Try not to get frustrated because the customer will sense this in the language you use and even in the formatting of a message. Avoid using clumped paragraphs but opt for clear, concise sentences, using bullets and numbering to highlight important details. Don’t be defensive, as this is likely to lead to conflict. Their rage is not aimed at you.

When you show that you are sorry for the situation and empathize with the customer, they will identify with you as another human being and will see that you are trying to help. Be confident that you are headed in a positive direction to a resolution and a happier customer.

8. Avoid negative language

Default to a positive tone and avoid using negative language. Show that you are confident and that you are extremely sorry for the situation. The trick is to evoke positive emotions with your language.
Use positive language throughout in order to reverse a negative reaction. Heighten the status of the customer, showing that you value their opinion with phrases such as, ‘you are my top priority’.

For example, you might say ‘If there is anything else I can do to help turn your experience into a positive one, please let me know’.

9. Resolve the issue

You can always turn a negative situation into a positive one, when you show that you are committed to finding a resolution. Try to find an effective resolution as quickly as possible. If you are unable to find a solution, be honest and admit this to the customer. Assign an agent who is more qualified to deal with the problem.

10. Share the knowledge

At XSellco, our agents use Fusion SmartTags to quickly find and share information. There are pre-defined SmartTags that automate a customer’s name or order information. Our team has also built custom tags that suit their needs, which include localized information, product details and any elements needed for common support queries.

These tags can be used in messages for speedy and effective responses, but they can also be used when on a call. For example a customer might call with a query about product features that cater to their localized marketplaces. The agent can quickly enter a hashtag followed by the name of the feature into the body of a message, and will immediately see the required information. The sooner you can resolve the issue, the happier the customer will be.

Communicating with an angry customer is never easy, but if you allow the person to vent their frustration and you show them respect, empathy and a great deal of patience, they will recognize that there is a human at the other end of the email and you can turn their negative opinion into a positive one.

This was originally published on the XSellco blog.