11 Best Tips For Dealing With Angry Online Customers Over Chat
Angry
customers are a big issue in our modern digital age. With social media having
so much influence on everyone’s life, an angry customer can easily ruin your
reputation with one post. It does not take much time for the post to spread all
over the Internet in a matter of days.
It
has become more important than ever for companies to avoid “bad press”. It can
taint all the years of hard work in a few weeks because of some angry
customers.
Providing
exceptional customer experience is the number one priority of businesses.
Keeping the customer first, delivering satisfaction is important, but we all
know that it’s easier said than done.
Customers’
expectations are very high in the world of eCommerce. No matter how hard you
try, you can’t keep every customer happy.
Everything is not in your control and things can go wrong sometimes. We fail to deliver products on time, some parts go missing, and ship the wrong item. Even after taking all the precautions, following every step, complaints will come.
Take some solace because complaints are not always a bad thing. If a customer is complaining, you turn that negative situation into something positive.
● According to reports, 96% of unhappy customers won’t complain to you and out of those, 91% of them will leave you for your competitors.
● For one customer complaint, 26 other unhappy customers haven’t complained.
Monitoring complaints:
As
a business, you need to be vigilant whenever someone mentions your name online.
You can use some monitoring tools like “Mention”, available in the market for
checking and responding to them. It makes sure nothing unsolved negative issues
are circulating on social media.
Often
a customer will contact you directly over the chat software you are using for
support. If you are not using chat software, we recommend you get one
immediately. You can use Duvim free
for 14-days and you don’t have to enter your credit card details.
It
is an amazing way for keeping the complaints private, resolving them fast, and
increasing customer satisfaction. It also ensures that these complaints don’t
make it to social media.
Importance of Chat software
Apart
from a phone call, perhaps the most important channel for connecting with
customers is chat software. You can work and connect with a customer on a
personal level. It improves the relationship between customers and your company
every time they interact with an actual person.
The
satisfaction level increases when you
solve their queries. 73% of customers say having a pleasant experience is
necessary for maintaining brand loyalty. You salvage future businesses from
that customer after a successful interaction.
Live
Chat is becoming popular with customers more than any other means of contact
according to a study. It is going up by
over 10% every year since the last decade. According to a survey, 73% of customers said
that having chat software is important for them to connect with a business.
Other
benefits of using chat software:
● Faster response
● Handle more queries
simultaneously
● Budget-friendly
We understand handling an angry customer can be a difficult and tricky task. But, you can turn that situation into a pleasant experience by following these tips.
1. Have the correct mental
attitude
2. Develop thick skin
3. Show empathy
4. Practice active
listening/ reading between the lines
5. Show them you’re taking
them seriously
6. Avoid using negative
language
7. Apologize for the issue
8. Use customers’ name
9. Build trust
10. Resolve the issue
11. Share the knowledge
1. Have the correct mental attitude:
Start your interaction with customers by taking a few seconds. Take this time to take a few deep, slow breaths, and go in the right mindset.
When
you go into the right mental attitude, your buttons won’t be pushed easily. You
also respond professionally and calmly.
Remind
yourself that the customer is not angry at you, but they are unhappy with the
situation. It can be your product, service or any other issue.
Every
one of us has problems and moments of weakness, so don’t hold it against your
customers.
Try
to identify the three “Whats”:
● What’s the problem?
● What’s the goal of the
customer?
● What are your options?
However, if a customer is rude or aggressive, you don’t have to tolerate that kind of behaviour.
Use your judgement and escalate the issue to your manager immediately for additional support.
2. Develop thick skin:
Train
your agents for developing a thick skin, not to shy from difficult situations.
Being in customer support is a thankless and difficult job. However, with
proper training and practice, dealing with angry customers becomes slightly
easy.
Let
go of hesitation and anxiety when dealing with an angry customer. View them as
challenges instead of condemnation. Understand that these angry customers are
helping you better your business.
3. Show empathy:
Angry
people need to be heard. Allow your customers to vent out some of their anger
and frustration by letting them do all the talking. Don’t interrupt them when
they are typing their messages.
Empathy
is a powerful tool for guiding your responses and reacting to angry customers.
Try to keep yourself in the customer’s place, feel how they are feeling at that
moment.
When you understand how they are feeling, you could relate to them and provide better solutions. Showing empathy also helps de-escalate anger. It also shows them you are listening to them and respect them.
4. Practice active listening/ reading between the lines
Active
listening is one of the most important skills you can develop in life. You need
to understand between the lines for getting more details about the issue.
Encourage
customers to tell their complete story (in as much detail as possible). This
works on two levels; one it makes them feel heard, and it also reduces some
anger.
You
can do two important things:
● Repeat what the
customer has told you to make sure you have the correct information.
● Ask more questions if you need more details about the issue. It shows support agents are focused on the problem.
You can use sentences like, “I will stay with you until the issue is resolved” to encourage customers not to feel disconnected.
Suggested Read: 19 Sureshot Customer Service Tips For Improving Your Online Business By Increasing Customer Satisfaction
5. Show them you’re taking them
seriously
It
is important to make the customer feel you are taking their issues seriously
and not pretending. When someone is angry at us, our natural response is to
give it back. You need to keep a cool head on your shoulder, use responses
like, “I see why you are unhappy” and then build from there.
It
is difficult to make the customer feel comfortable over chat because they can’t
see us. Use these tips for making them at ease:
A. Use courtesy words
appropriately throughout your conversations
Some lines you can use:
● I apologize. I didn’t understand what you said.
● Use “will you?” instead
of “you will”
● Yes, not yeah
● Sir
● Ma’am
● Thank you for waiting
● Will you please wait
while I check for the issue?
B. Don’t interrupt the customer in the middle of their typing
6. Avoid using negative language:
For
diffusing anger, you need to avoid using negative words at all costs. Train
your staff for developing and practising this skill.
Don’t
use language that somehow implies that the customer is wrong. Customers don’t
want to hear things that make them feel isolated. Use positive language that we
have discussed above.
Use
words like:
● Yes
● Absolutely
● Definitely
● Certainly
Avoid
using words:
● Let me be clear
● Actually
● For your information,
They can see this as aggressive and makes people feel like an idiot and isolated.
7. Apologies for the issue:
Apologize
for the issue they are facing. Acknowledging the mistakes (even if it’s not
your fault/ under your control) goes a long way in diffusing anger. It also
helps build trust.
A.
Be thorough and sincere in your apology:
● “I’m sorry that your
order was late. I have looked into the matter and here is what’s happened...”
● We’re sincerely sorry
that you got the wrong order. We are providing you with free shipping and
discount coupons for your next order.
B. Be deliberate & respectful:
It
shows that you care for their troubles. Use brief explanations, don’t drag. Be
respectful and move forward with the issue.
8. Use customer’s name:
There
is power in our name. It is the most important and sweet-sounding word for us.
Acknowledge your customers with their name. Use the person’s first name if your
company policy allows it.
It
provides the much-needed human touch in this age of automation and bots. It
helps in creating a bond between your company and customers, apart from
diffusing some anger.
When
you address a person with their name, it gets their attention. It shows that
they are not a nameless entity for your business. Addressing them with their
name shows you are also a person who respects them.
How
to use customers’ name:
● Use name sparingly
● Using too many times
can be awkward
● Save data using a person’s name for quick access
9. Build trust:
An
angry customer has some trust issues with your company. It is important to
build trust during the chat for going ahead.
Don’t
think too much about the mistake, it has been made, and it’s time now to make
amends. You need to work harder to repair the relationship.
After
accepting the mistake, showing that you care, it’s time for action. Ensure you
have all the necessary background information including order history. It makes
sure you are capable and confident in helping your customers.
Always
be honest and have transparency in your work process. If possible, give them a
view of what’s going on behind the scenes. It can help customers empathize with
you.
Tips
for building trust:
● Take full
responsibility for mistakes
● Use statements, like,
we have made a mistake; it is our fault, etc.
● Let me find out about
that for you
Don’t use:
● I don’t know
● I need to check with my
colleagues
● I’m new here
● It’s my first day at this task
Suggested Read:
10.
Resolve the issue:
When handling an angry customer, you should be focused on resolving the issue at hand as soon as possible. Can you do something immediately to satisfy their needs? Are there any workarounds available? Let them know instantly if you have something.
When you don’t have an immediate solution for the customer, communicate it. Set a baseline expectation level, don’t promise too much which you can’t deliver. If you’re unable to deliver, the relationship will further deteriorate.
Escalate
the issue to senior members or managers if you cannot help, there is no shame
in taking help from others. Collaborating with others is often the fastest way
to resolve the issue. Duvim chat software has seamless collaboration tools so
every concerned person can work on the task simultaneously.
11. Share the knowledge:
When you solve an angry customer’s issue, you learn much. It is a chance to understand and improve customer support and UX. Sharing the knowledge with everyone in the organization ensures overall improvement.
Streamline
your work process for sharing feedback from angry customers with managers,
designers, product engineers, sales, support, etc.
Ensure
you also keep your support team happy. They are the key link between your
business and the outside world. It means rewarding their hard work.
De-escalating
a high-tension situation takes a lot of empathy and mental work. You can
provide incentives for effectively handling difficult situations. Don’t forget
to praise your staff publicly. This keeps morale high at the workplace.
Conclusion:
Customer
support agents can perform better with scripts (for guiding them) but give them
the freedom to use their best judgement in every situation.
Handling
an angry customer is difficult, let them vent out their anger, frustration and
other hard emotions. Connect with them with empathy, patience, and respect.
Follow
these tips for turning a negative situation into a positive one for your
organization. Remember, you are building relations with customers for a
brighter future.
If
you have any queries, contact us by commenting. Follow us on social media for
more marketing tips.