Dealing with Angry Customers: How to Keep Them Calm and Happy

Building meaningful customer experiences is what every business strives for. Putting them first and keeping them happy is important, but it’s never easy. In the digital age, customer expectations are higher than ever. Sometimes, no matter how hard we try to keep them happy, many things can happen when customers order online.

From delayed deliveries, complaints, and damaged products, these are just some things retailers face when running an online business.

Whatever industry you’re in, chances are, you have encountered a handful of irate customers. Their high expectations make them simply hard to deal with. This happens if a customer wants to return a product after a perceived issue.

To make the return process easy, companies turn to reverse logistics systems, such as a FedEx return manager, to promote a convenient return shipping experience both for the company and customers.

Customer complaints aren’t a bad thing. They offer the opportunity to learn and turn a bad situation into something positive, especially if you know how to provide a meaningful customer experience. With this in mind, we’ll talk about ways to deal with angry customers and the best practices to keep them satisfied.

Employ reflective listening

Nothing feels better when you hear someone say “I understand” when you feel upset. The same goes for when dealing with customers. Sometimes agents tend to be defensive once the customer begins to rant about their frustrations.

While it’s understandable that your first reaction is to defend your business, taking the defensive side immediately is a sure way to spark an even bigger argument. In this case, it’s important to practice active listening to understand what the customer is saying by studying their words and body language.

From there, this will help you craft a more meaningful response, depending on the feelings and thoughts you heard from the customer.

After you have completely understood their point of view, move forward. Otherwise, ask them to further explain what happened to understand their situation better and determine the right response to the issue. In other words, your goal is to make them feel valued and heard.

According to the Harvard Business Review, customers prefer to feel understood and heard when dealing with front-line employees. What fuels their rage is when they spend so much time discussing their issue and getting no assistance in return. Thus, it’s important to train agents to allow customers to air their grievances before solving the problem.

Stay calm at all times

The saying “The customer is always right” might still ring true. The profitability and reputation of your business still lie to your customers. That’s why there are many things to lose if you choose to stoop down to their level. Treating them with disrespect and disdain will reflect not only on the agent but also the company.

When talking to an angry customer, we may feel tempted to match the level of their tone. But high tensions and snappy comments make someone look defensive. To avoid this, reverse the situation by encouraging the customer to mirror your action by staying calm. This promotes a more meaningful conversation if you choose to maintain a calmer tone.

In psychological terms, people tend to mirror someone’s emotional signals. If you’re talking to the customer over the phone, smiling will reflect on the tone of voice, even if they cannot see you. Keeping your tone at a moderate level will also encourage the person to lower their volume and pitch as well.

Appeal to them by building trust

An angry customer’s trust in the business has likely been severely damaged, so it’s important to restore that trust as you move forward. The good thing is, it’s never too late to repair that relationship. The secret lies in showing you care and truly understand their frustration.

Be transparent and honest with the client. Take responsibility and completely own that fault. Another great tip is to add personality to show how you empathize with the customer. Use positive scripting, such as “definitely,” “certainly,” and “absolutely,” to let the customer know how you’re willing to help them solve the problem.

Positive phrases will also prevent the customer and the agent from responding aggressively. For example, tell them how the company will respond to their problem and offer helpful suggestions. Offering feasible solutions will help the customer and agent arrive at a meaningful agreement.

Dealing with angry clients isn’t always the worst thing. There are plenty of ways to turn the situation around and leave them feeling satisfied.

The key is to listen to them and treat them with empathy, patient, and respect. But if the situation is becoming abusive, always think of your employees’ well-being and help manage their emotions when talking to difficult customers. 

Meta title: Three Ways to Deal with Angry and Difficult Customers
meta desc: Dealing with angry customers isn’t always a bad thing for a business. Learn ways of taking control of the situation without ruining the company’s reputation.

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