[Smart Marketing] Angry Customer Equals Opportunity

You have an angry customer. Let me suggest that this is not necessarily a bad thing.

We all dread the call. It’s a customer and he or she is mad. We either did something we shouldn’t have done or didn’t do something we should have done. Either way, we have some fence mending to do.

There are several ways of viewing and dealing with the angry customer. First, there is the wrong way. The wrong way can be summed up briefly. "We’re right, you’re wrong." Even if you are technically in the right, this is not the response you want to offer the angry customer. Frankly, he/she doesn’t want to hear it.

Keep one thing in mind that is very important when dealing with the angry customer. She is not angry at you, personally, but at the situation in which she finds herself. An angry customer is, more often than not, the result of a failure on our part to either set reasonable expectations or to manage the customer’s expectations.

So, how do you deal with an angry customer and turn the experience into something positive? It’s not hard, but you have to put your ego and your temper aside.

TAKING STEPS. First, let your customers vent. And while they’re venting, LISTEN CLOSELY! Don’t minimize your customers’ problem and don’t argue with them. If you’re in their presence, nod your head in agreement and try your best not to say a word until he or she is finished. If the rant is on the phone, wait until he or she is finished before responding.

Second, apologize. Even if you’re not in the wrong, apologize for whatever has made the customer feel bad or mad. "I’m truly sorry you feel that way, sir," goes a long way towards "de-clawing" angry customers.

Third, accept responsibility. Notice, I didn’t say blame, I said responsibility. Whatever is wrong, you’re going to make it right, whatever it takes (within reason). If you’ve listened, chances are you’ve heard not only what has made the customer angry but what will make the customer happy. Usually, this is something clearly and easily within your power and ability to correct.

Fourth, fix the problem! Contractual-based or insurance-related termite damage claims aside, there’s probably very little you can’t make right, if you truly want to keep the customer and to turn a negative situation into a positive situation.

Fifth, follow up to ensure satisfaction. When you’ve heard what the customer has to say, apologized for his or her discomfort with you, accepted responsibility for making the situation right, and then fixed the problem, make sure the customer is truly satisfied. This is especially important because often problem customers who have had their problems satisfactorily addressed and resolved become absolute disciples for your company.

In our business, where we provide service to hundreds (and in some cases millions) of customers, we’re going to bump into what I choose to call "opportunity customers" from time to time. We can blow them off and tell them goodbye, which ultimately reaches a point of severely diminishing returns, or we can view them as ways to make us better at what we do.

I choose the latter approach.

The author is senior vice president of Massey-Persons-Brinati Communications, a subsidiary of Massey Services Inc., Maitland, Fla. He can be reached via e-mail at bbrewer@pctonline.com.