by
RAPHAEL ADEYI , CUSTOMER SERVICE PERSONNEL , FIRST BANK NIGERIA PLC
It's important to handle difficult customers professionally. Learning how to stay calm and how to stay cool under pressure can help you get through challenging situations with grace and professionalism.
If your client is especially angry, then talk slowly and calmly, and use a low tone of voice. This will subtly help lower the tension, and ensure that you don't escalate the situation by visibly getting stressed or upset yourself.
If your client has sent you a difficult email or they're angry with you over the phone, then offer to meet with him or her in person if you can to address the problem. This will not only diffuse anger (since it's harder for most people to get truly angry face to face) but it also shows that you genuinely want to address and fix the situation.
If you feel that your client is being unreasonable, you might start to get upset, especially if he or she is criticizing you, or your organization, unfairly. So learn anger management skills so that you can stay calm in these situations.
Occasionally a client or customer may become verbally abusive towards you or your team. Know in advance what you'll tolerate, and what you won't. If things escalate, you may need to be assertive and stand up for yourself, or even walk away from the situation to give the client time to cool down.
People in your team might be the ones on the "front line" when it comes to dealing with difficult customers. Make sure that they know how to engage correctly in emotional labor. (This means that they should know how to manage their own emotions when dealing with difficult people.)
Work on improving your conflict resolution skills. These skills can help you if you need to negotiate with your clients.
- See more at: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/unhappy-customers.htm#sthash.ZhrNUe1g.dpuf
