Handling Angry Customers with Handling Angry Customers with Tact and SkillTact and Skill

March 9th, 2011March 9th, 2011

Presenter: Andrew SanderbeckPresenter: Andrew Sanderbeck

Waynesville, North CarolinaWaynesville, North Carolina

PCI WebinarsPCI Webinarswww.peopleconnectinstitute.comwww.peopleconnectinstitute.com

Foundation of LearningFoundation of Learning

Share your experiences. They Share your experiences. They provide valuable insight.provide valuable insight.

If you are doing something If you are doing something that gets the results you want, that gets the results you want, keep doing it.keep doing it.

Take the information you Take the information you learn here and put it into your learn here and put it into your own styleown style..

Goals and ObjectivesGoals and Objectives

Guidelines for Creating Your Strategy Guidelines for Creating Your Strategy for Handling Angry Customersfor Handling Angry Customers

Angry Customer ScenariosAngry Customer Scenarios Five Step Process for Providing Five Step Process for Providing

Customers with a Positive ExperienceCustomers with a Positive Experience Application of the Five StepsApplication of the Five Steps Other TechniquesOther Techniques The Nature of the Irate CustomerThe Nature of the Irate Customer LEAF, Plus One!LEAF, Plus One!

Polling Question #1Polling Question #1

We see an angry customer or two in our We see an angry customer or two in our library almost every week.library almost every week.

YesYes

NoNo

Polling Question #2Polling Question #2

I agree with the following: The customer I agree with the following: The customer is always right.is always right.

YesYes

NoNo

Your aim = customer satisfaction Your aim = customer satisfaction

1.1. Don’t argue backDon’t argue back

2.2. Use your ears more than your Use your ears more than your mouthmouth

3.3. Show the customer that you careShow the customer that you care

Think about these angry customer scenarios Think about these angry customer scenarios now occurring in your librarynow occurring in your library

A customer who is upset about the A customer who is upset about the quality or delivery of our quality or delivery of our product/service product/service 

An item that the patron claims was An item that the patron claims was returned, but the library has not returned, but the library has not found itfound it

Incorrect information given to the Incorrect information given to the customer customer 

Think about these angry customer Think about these angry customer scenarios now occurring in your libraryscenarios now occurring in your library

A customer who is negative toward A customer who is negative toward your library due to past experiencesyour library due to past experiences

Confrontational issues and conflictConfrontational issues and conflict A customer owes the library .25 for a A customer owes the library .25 for a

late fee late fee  Dissatisfaction expressed about a Dissatisfaction expressed about a

library policy or procedure. library policy or procedure. 

How are these situations being handled?How are these situations being handled?

Confrontation (Right and Wrong)Confrontation (Right and Wrong)

Giving the customer what they wantGiving the customer what they want

Internal ConflictInternal Conflict

As a learning and growing As a learning and growing opportunityopportunity

The Five-Step ProcessThe Five-Step Process

1.1. StrategizeStrategize

2.2. AcknowledgeAcknowledge

3.3. ClarifyClarify

4.4. ResolutionResolution

5.5. Check BackCheck Back

The Five-Step ProcessThe Five-Step Process

Step 1 – StrategizeStep 1 – Strategize

Develop your goal for the interaction. Develop your goal for the interaction. What do you want as the end result? What do you want as the end result? (i.e., save the customer, resolve an (i.e., save the customer, resolve an issue, etc…) issue, etc…) 

Identify your parameters: what can you Identify your parameters: what can you do or provide the customer do or provide the customer independently or with your supervisor’s independently or with your supervisor’s approval? What approval? What can'tcan't you do because of you do because of policy or business reasons? policy or business reasons? 

Polling Question #3Polling Question #3

I believe I (We) have a strategy that I believe I (We) have a strategy that we use for handling our angry we use for handling our angry customer situationscustomer situations

YesYes

NoNo

The Five-Step ProcessThe Five-Step Process

Step 2 – AcknowledgeStep 2 – Acknowledge

The acknowledgement is essential to The acknowledgement is essential to communicating in challenging communicating in challenging situations. Use phrases like, “I situations. Use phrases like, “I understand how you feel”, “I see”, understand how you feel”, “I see”, “I apologize”, “I am sorry”, “I can “I apologize”, “I am sorry”, “I can see how you might feel that way” so see how you might feel that way” so that customers feel that they have that customers feel that they have been heard and that we respect been heard and that we respect them. them.

The Five-Step ProcessThe Five-Step Process

Step 3 – ClarifyStep 3 – Clarify

Sometimes we mistakenly proceed to Sometimes we mistakenly proceed to resolve a problem based on what we resolve a problem based on what we THINK the customer was saying. This third THINK the customer was saying. This third step of the process allows us to clarify and step of the process allows us to clarify and draw out information to make sure that draw out information to make sure that we understand the customer’s true we understand the customer’s true concern concern

The Five-Step ProcessThe Five-Step Process

Step 4 – ResolutionStep 4 – Resolution

The fourth step is to create or co-The fourth step is to create or co-create a resolution. As we present create a resolution. As we present the resolution, we want to state the resolution, we want to state specifically what we are going to do specifically what we are going to do for the customer. We may also offer for the customer. We may also offer alternatives. alternatives.

The Five-Step ProcessThe Five-Step Process

Step 5 – Check backStep 5 – Check back

The check back is our opportunity to make The check back is our opportunity to make sure that the customer is satisfied and sure that the customer is satisfied and feels good about the resolution. feels good about the resolution.

Examples of check backs include: Examples of check backs include:  ““How does that sound?” How does that sound?”   “ “What do you think about …?” What do you think about …?”   “ “Are you with me?”  Are you with me?”    “ “Will that meet your needs?” Will that meet your needs?”   “ “Would that be satisfactory?”Would that be satisfactory?”

Applying the Five-Step Applying the Five-Step ProcessProcess

Our strategy is to retain and satisfy the Our strategy is to retain and satisfy the customer whenever possible. We want to customer whenever possible. We want to provide the customer with a positive provide the customer with a positive experience while balancing both the experience while balancing both the business and customer needs. We don’t business and customer needs. We don’t want to simply waive fines because we are want to simply waive fines because we are afraid that we will lose the customer. afraid that we will lose the customer.

Adopting the Following Adopting the Following Measures May HelpMeasures May Help

Be PatientBe Patient

Be PositiveBe Positive

Control Your AngerControl Your Anger

The Nature of Irate CustomersThe Nature of Irate CustomersIrate customers are unhappy. They Irate customers are unhappy. They

range in emotional state from mildly range in emotional state from mildly disappointed to completely outraged disappointed to completely outraged and in the way they present and in the way they present themselves from calm to abusive. themselves from calm to abusive. Sometimes their behavior is Sometimes their behavior is outrageously bad.outrageously bad.

The Nature of Irate CustomersThe Nature of Irate CustomersUsually they have a reason for being Usually they have a reason for being

unhappy – their expectation of a unhappy – their expectation of a product or service the library offers product or service the library offers wasn’t met or someone didn't make wasn’t met or someone didn't make good on a promise. good on a promise.

How important is it?How important is it?

LEAF Plus OneLEAF Plus One

ListenListen

EmpathizeEmpathize

ApologizeApologize

FixFix

Plus OnePlus One

Plus One! Sharon’s StoryPlus One! Sharon’s Story

Polling Question #4Polling Question #4

We currently have a “Plus One” We currently have a “Plus One” program at our library.program at our library.

YesYes

NoNo

What can you do at your library What can you do at your library to apply Plus One? to apply Plus One?

ConclusionConclusion

This five-step process will diffuse any This five-step process will diffuse any situation once you learn to pull it off situation once you learn to pull it off with tact, finesse, and most with tact, finesse, and most importantly: empathy. Once it is importantly: empathy. Once it is perfected, you will not only be able to perfected, you will not only be able to calm down a hot situation with an calm down a hot situation with an angry customer, but you'll be able to angry customer, but you'll be able to get those same formerly angry get those same formerly angry customers to recommend your library customers to recommend your library to their friends and colleagues!to their friends and colleagues!

Questions/CommentsQuestions/Comments

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Handling Customer Complaints without Handling Customer Complaints without Taking Things Personally Taking Things Personally

Wednesday, March 16th at 1:00 pmWednesday, March 16th at 1:00 pm