For the past two years I have worked at an arts academy during my summer and winter breaks. During the summer one of the main jobs I have is to help organize the many performing arts summer camps that are run through the academy. Definitely one of the worst parts of this job is having to make the phone calls to the sure to be unhappy parents, when something doesn't work out as planned.
Dealing with unpleasant and often angry costumers is really a part of every job. The first time you deal with one it can be a bit unnerving, but as with most things-practice makes perfect. The main things to remember is STAY CALM, and don't let the customer get to you. As much as you may want to tell this person off, just remember the business you would lose- and then remember that that person has a grapevines of friends that they will tell to also not use your business anymore. Always stays courteous and apologize to your customer for any inconvenience that might have been caused.
Also make sure you have the facts to back up the reasoning behind your bad news. There have been a few times where I was told to make a call, and then was asked questions that I had no idea how to answer. To keep from sounding completely incompetent I would usually tell the customers that I was an intern and was unsure of the answer, but I could ask my boss and get back to them- or have the boss talk to them directly. I now try to think of what the customer might ask before the calls and try to figure out all the answers before-hand, so I don't feel like a fool in front of the customers, and the customers still feel confident in the services of the business.
Unfortunately there are always those people who are never satisfied no matter how polite you are or how well you answer their questions. Best advice for these people- just keep smiling. There was one phone conversation I had last summer with a very upset mother when I told her that her requested place for camp location had been changed. She yelled, ranted, and raved at the incompetency of our program for about 15 minutes- even though the new location was only five minutes away from her chosen one. It didn't help that this was the last phone call at the end of a long workday either. But, all I could do for her was apologize, offer a refund if she wanted to withdrawal, and just stay pleasant and listen while she ranted. You can't please everyone, and you shouldn't have to, but for good customer service you do your best to remember that the customer is always right.
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5 comments:
I think the hardest part for me is keeping my mouth shut after dealing with unpleasant customers. despite the fact that they may be lurking nearby while you vent about the situation, i think its also important in keeping positive after the whole ordeal.
it very tough sometimes to deal with unpleasant customers. i know for myself, i dont handle mad people very well and i get all flustered and defensive and you just dont want the customer to get the best of you.
I've learned that when dealing with an angry customer you just have to not let it get to you. It sounds weird but if you visualize that you have a sheild on and whatever the customer says to you will not break through, it helps. I had several customers that would come back, at the fabric store I worked at, with problems with our special orders department. It was never organized and it wasn't my job to keep organized so most of the time when there was a problem it wasn't my fault. At the time you just do the best you can.
A trick I used while working at a grocery store was to imagine they were saying what they really meant.
For example, when a customer became incensed over my store's lack of marshmallows, I'd pretend they were saying...
"Blah Blah Blah I love S'mores so much I'm going to stand here and abuse someone half my age for ten minutes Blah Blah I'm so unhappy Blah I hate everything and myself blah blah where's the cereal at? blah"
But I'm the sarcastic type, not like you nice folks.
I agree with what you said about staying calm when dealing with angry customers. It is very important to just listen when they are ranting because I don't think they mean anything personally. The customers just want to vent to someone and by listening to them is the safest thing to do in case you say something that you may regret.
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