10 steps to dealing with an unhappy customer

Nicole Leinbach-Reyhle, a regular contributor to Forbes magazine, says there is a proven way to kindly and productively handle difficult customers, and it comes in a 10-step method.

Ms. Leinbach-Reyhle's step-by-step process goes:

1. Put your emotions aside
"Calmly listen to what they are saying, then just as calmly reply and react to them."
2. Avoid challenging their complaint
"It's easy and — quite frankly — natural to want to tell a customer they are wrong in what they are saying. However, this won't help you in your efforts to diffuse a customer from getting more upset while sharing a complaint."
3. Thank your customer
"The old saying 'kill them with kindness' could not be more true in a situation with a customer complaining. But rather than smile and pretend to care, genuinely let them know you are thankful they are sharing with you their complaint or concern."
4. Acknowledge what the customer is saying
"Listening to your customer complain may not be your ideal scenario, but try your best to really hear what they are saying."
5. Offer support
"You have to be the judge here on what works best here — but keep in mind that support means giving the customer something in response to their complaint."
6. Be flexible
"If no resolution is available to make your customer happy or at the very least, content, then consider how else you can help them."
7. Make sure the customer is hearing what you are saying
"After offering a resolution or identifying what you can — or cannot do to accommodate any requests they may have or simply to respond to the complaint they stated, ask the customer if they have understood what you said."
8. Offer an apology
"Let them know you're sorry they were inconvenienced or disappointed or upset, then also thank them for giving you the chance to work it out with them."
9. Follow up
"This is simply another way to show them you care, as well as it suggests you still have their complaint and concerns in your mind."
10. Move on
"You can't dwell on customer complaints in order to move on and forward with your next tasks on hand. Most businesses are bound to get them every now and again since very simply, you can't please everyone."


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