Angry Customers Don’t Say Yes

Angry customers don’t say, “Yes.” They say a lot of things, but “Yes,” usually isn’t one of them. No one likes facing an angry client, but stay in sales long enough and you’ll have to. Postponing the inevitable doesn’t help and can make it worse, so learn how to cope effectively now, and start practicing.

Most customers are angry because they believe you have caused them pain. Your mistake may have cost them a job, income, an opportunity, a client, media coverage, business or whatever else. Whatever it is, it hurts on a financial, emotional, mental or physical level and they need you to acknowledge your role, fix it and assure them it won’t happen again.

You might be happy to lose an angry customer, but consider this: when we have a good experience with a company we tell, on average, about three people. When we have a bad experience with a company we tell, on average, about eleven people. Now, multiply that by Twitter, Facebook, industry blogs and social media and you’re really out of luck if you get the wrong client angry. So learn to deal with other people’s anger:

1. Acknowledge their anger. Don’t tell them how to feel. Don’t say, “There’s no need to get angry.” DO SAY, “I know you’re angry.” The faster you acknowledge that the better off you are.
2. Stay calm. Just because they’re angry, you don’t have to be. Let them fume, fuss and vent, but stay calm and don’t take it personally.
3. Don’t rush things because you’re uncomfortable. Let them rage, scream and vent as long as they need to and as long as they aren’t attacking you personally.
4. Once they’ve vented get them talking about solutions. Ask them, “What would you like me to do to make this right again?”
5. Find and agree on a solution and a schedule or deadline for that solution, then make it happen no matter what.

You’ll have avoided bad publicity, shown you can be trusted to make things right, and have another chance at making things work. It’s not easy, but it’s doable.

Quote:

“Where there is anger, there is always pain underneath.”
~Eckhart Tolle