When the Customer Swears or Yells #2
Robert Bacal
THE SITUATION
In Item 15, you saw one way of dealing with an extremely angry customer. It showed the importance of derailing customer rants, or inappropriate behavior. In this alternate example, you’ll see how other techniques can be used for this purpose. We’ll use the same situation as in Item 15.
TECHNIQUES USED
■ Distract (1)
■ Empathy Statements (2)
■ Find Agreement Points (3)
■ Refocus (4)
DIALOGUE
As in Item 15, the customer is upset because he received a parking ticket that he feels is unwarranted.He visits the town clerk (which is where tickets are paid), and starts to yell and swear at the clerk at the counter.
Customer: What the [bleep] is going on here? One of your stupid meter maids gave me a ticket for parking near a hydrant when I was dropping my kids off and I wasn’t within 10 feet of the [blank] thing. I’m not paying this thing, and I want you to cancel the [bleep] thing now. I have children to take care of and a job where I don’t get paid if I’m not there, so don’t waste my time here . . . [Customer appears to be starting a long rant without stopping.]
Employee: How many children do you have (1)?
Customer:Well, three.What does that have to do with my [bleep] ticket?
Employee: I know it’s a challenge enough to have to take care of children and go to a job every day (2).
Customer: Yeah, it sure is.
Employee: Yes. It is (3). Let’s go back to the ticket, to see what we can do to provide you with an avenue to appeal it (4).
Customer: OK.
EXPLANATIONS
In this situation, the employee uses “Distraction”— specifically a technique called “topic grab” (1). It’s used to try to derail an angry customer by providing an unexpected response. In this situation, the employee “grabs” the reference to the customer’s concerns about childcare, and asks the customer how many children he has. When the customer responds with a specific and short response, control of the conversation returns to the employee.
The employee responds with an empathy statement (2), followed by finding an agreement point (3). Notice the artistry involved in creating a point of agreement. In (2) the employee offers an empathy statement, which the customer agrees with. In (3), the employee reaffirms the agreement, creating a sense that the customer and employee are on the same side.
Finally, the employee makes the transition from dealing with the customer’s angry feelings to dealing with the specific issue of the ticket and what the customer can do. This is done with a refocus statement (4).
HINTS
The topic grab must be based on something the customer says. You can’t choose something at random. Use something the customer has referred to that has no connection to the customer’s problem. Your topic grab question or statement must be short.
If the customer refuses to answer your topic grab, and responds with something like “It’s none of your business,” then you simply agree with that response: “You’re right, it really isn’t. Let’s see what we can do with the ticket.” If the customer responds, and then stops to let you speak, the technique has done its job. Then you use the opening to refocus.
See Also: 15. When the Customer Swears or Yells #1, 17. When a Customer Won’t Stop Talking and Is Getting Abusive on the Phone #1