The angry customer. No matter the product or service, every contact center deals with angry customers on a daily basis. If you’re reading this, chances are about 99.99% that you’ve been an angry customer at one time or another.
While irate customers are a fact of life for call centers, it’s how we handle that customer that determines our success, and in the end, your success. We believe that every caller – whether angry, happy, calm, or teetering on seething – is an opportunity to create a loyal customer.
At Centris, we train our Customer Service Representatives (CSR) in empathy and problem solving. We are quick to apologize and validate their feelings, whether they are frustrated or angry. It is not uncommon for our CSR’s to respond to a customer by saying:
“You are right Mr. Smith and you have every right to be upset. I would be upset if this happened to me so I know exactly where you’re coming from. The good news is that I have the perfect solution to your problem. Not only that, we’ll make it up to you. Would you please allow me the chance to resolve this for you?”
We can’t fix what happened (or didn’t happen) prior to the call, but we can empathize with what they’re going through. It’s our way of making sure the customer knows we hear them and we understand.
Second, we empower all CSR’s to problem-solve no matter where the issue originated. Our CSR’s does not play the blame game, and really, how would that ever help your customers? Instead, we take ownership of each product or service we represent which allows us to not only take responsibility for any issue, but also quickly and efficiently offer a solution.
Because we listen, empathize and problem-solve, customers rarely have to be sent to a Supervisor. In fact, less than 3% of our calls are escalated which saves the customer valuable time. However, if a customer feels a Supervisor would better serve them, we will always honor their request.
At Centris, it’s all about servicing your customers whether they reach us in a state of panic, anger, or with a simple question. We believe the kudos we earn for a great call creates loyalty toward your product or service.
John Tschohl, the Founder and President of the Service Quality Institute in Minneapolis, Minnesota, discussed the five steps to saving a customer in an article published by the Call Center Times. If you’d like to read more of Mr. Tschohl’s article, you find it here:
