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It was back in2004 and I was starting my career as a customer service rep. There were no touch screen mobiles at that time but the monopoly of the government telephone company had been broken by THE GREAT INDUSTRIALIST DHIRU BHAI AMBANI IN INDIA. Within a very short span of time many people in rural India had mobile phones but they did not know about the more subtle functions of the mobile phones like sending SMS which they were doing for the1st time in their lives. When the call came in at my office in Dhiru Bhai Ambani Knowledge City Navi Mumbai I could only hear the sound of a tractor. It stopped . The customer had called in from Rewari in Haryana. There was a rusty Jat voice asking me how to send SMS which was challenging I being a Bengali . It was a difficult task opening up the features of the mobile on my computer and explaining to the customer to go to options , type the message in vernacular and how to send it to a certain no. I could hear the whistle of a train coming in and could understand the farmer had stopped at a railway level crossing. I was happy when the customer was able to send the message. Luckily the customer had an instruction book in vernacular which helped. The customer was happy and I could hear the tractor starting before the phone disconnected.
Many of us have to deal with angry or unhappy clients as part of our roles, and it's never easy. But if we know what to say and, more importantly, how to say it, we may be able to save the situation. In fact, we can even end up with a better relationship with our client than we had before.
Dealing with difficult customers can be challenging. But if you handle the situation well, you may even be able to improve your relationship, and create further opportunities.
Make sure that you listen actively to his problems or complaints, and resist the urge to interrupt or solve the problem right away. Be empathic and understanding, and make sure that your body language communicates this.
If you're not sure how to fix the situation, then ask your client what will make him happy. If it's in your power, then get it done as soon as possible. Follow up with your customer to make sure he was happy with how the situation was resolved.
