Dealing With Difficult Situations

Sometimes, no matter how hard we try, problems happen, and customers can be difficult to deal with, especially after a negative experience. When people are upset, they can get emotional.

 

Responding to the emotional needs of our customers is one of the best skills we can develop when providing customer service. Whatever the emotional state of customers, it is important to each of them that you understand what they are trying to tell you and how they feel about the services they want you to provide.

 

Listening-The first step in identifying our customers' needs is listening to what they say. Letting customers present their issues and listening to their messages are crucial to identify what is really on their minds. Don't interrupt before they have finished.
- Determine what your customer wants and needs.
- Prevent misunderstandings and errors.
- Gather clues about ways to improve the service you provide.
- Build long-term customer relationships.

Sympathy versus Empathy -When responding to customer's emotions, it's helpful to make a distinction between empathy and sympathy.

Sympathy involves identifying with or even taking on another person's emotions. A sympathetic response is, "I am really angry about those plaques too." Responding to customers with sympathy puts you on an emotional roller coaster and can leave you exhausted at the end of the day.

 

Empathy means acknowledging and affirming another's emotional state. An empathetic response is, "I can understand how that makes you angry." When you respond with empathy, you stay calm and in control. Only then are you at your absolute best, ready, willing, and able to help your customer.

 

Don't Take It Personally-Becoming defensive is a very natural response in any difficult, emotionally-charged situation. However, defensiveness prevents any real communication from happening. Being objective about the information our customers provide can help us respond more objectively and identify their real issues and concerns. Mentally rehearse how you will calmly react to tough situations before they occur.