|
Author: Robert Bacal Article source: http://www.erises.com/. Used with author's permission.
We all have to deal with difficult, angry or even manipulative customers. The process is usually infuriating, frustrating and time consuming. While it often seems we are at the mercy of unpleasant customers (or people in general), that's not really true. By learning defusing skills, and keeping a mindset that helps you become immune to the insults, barbs and attacks difficult customers make, you can reduce the frustration caused by these situations, while offering better customer service. In this series of articles we'll help you with both the skills and mindset to deal with difficult customer situations. This week, we'll talk about maintaining a mindset that will provide the foundation for coping with them.
What's the best way to think about difficult customers? First, a common reaction people have to nasty or abusive people is to feel out of control or manipulated. Unfortunately, if you feel manipulated, you are more likely to react defensively or aggressively, both of which make the situations much worse. So, here's a first thing to remember. It's so important you should memorize it.
I will not allow the difficult, unpleasant person to make me upset, angry, or frustrated. I will not allow this person (who I hardly even know) to ruin my day, or make me unhappy, because in the scheme of things this person is not important enough to control my life (is anybody, really?).
Second, you need to be clear about your goals when you face a nasty customer. Is it to get even? To humiliate? Often your initial gut reaction to such people is to show them up...to fight back. While that's a normal reaction, guess what happens if you try? The interaction goes on much longer than it would otherwise. And as the situation goes on longer, it's likely to get worse, more upsetting, particularly if the customer decides to go over your head.
You need to be practical and realistic here. Put aside the getting even part (remember, you aren't going to let the customer get your goat), unless you want more unpleasantness. Here's a simple set of goals you can work towards.
* I want to deal with this person professionally.
* I want to end this nasty interaction as quickly as possible (which means NOT throwing gasoline on the fire).
By working towards these simple goals, you will do your job more effectively, and act in ways you can be proud of. Let's make no mistake here. You don't have to like the nasty person, or even wish them well. But what you should be doing (for your own benefit) is to continue to act professionally and calmly, and to avoid doing anything that will prolong the visit to hell the customer is trying to inflict upon you. It's to your benefit to do so.
Is there more to this defusing mindset? Yes. In my work with thousands of employees stuck dealing with angry, difficult or hostile customers, one thing sticks out about how the successful employees think. They take a fundamental position that goes like this.
When this customer is gone, I want to look back at the way I acted (regardless of how it turned out), and say, with pride, that I acted professionally, and constructively, and did not stoop to the childish (aggressive, nasty, etc.) level of the unpleasant customer. I never ever want to feel that I acted badly.
Conclusion
You might notice something about what's written above...something that's different than what others focus on. I don't focus on how it's "good" to be nice to unpleasant people. I don't tell you to smile when you are having your butt kicked verbally. And, I don't hammer on the usual value of customer service. That's because I know that the reason you should work to learn how to defuse angry people is FOR YOU. The benefits and advantages of doing so are overwhelming in terms of reducing stress, enjoying the job and feeling a sense of job satisfaction. Remember that. It's for YOU. And by serving the "better part of yourself, you will, coincidentally, be offering better customer service and become a more effective contributor to your organization.
(c) 2005, Robert Bacal, Bacal & Associates. You are welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the "about the author" info at the end) all links are made live, and this copyright notice and indication of authorship are included. Robert Bacal has trained over 10,000 employees how to deal with difficult, hostile, angry, and just plain mean customers via his seminar "Defusing Hostile Customers". In addition, he is the author of "Perfect Phrases For Customer Service", published by McGraw-Hill, and "The Defusing Hostile Customers Workbook", which is designed to be a seminar in a book. Information about both of these books, including free excerpts is available at The Customer Service Zone at http://customerservicezone.com/products/index.htm.
For free articles, hints, tips and help on all aspects of providing excellent customer service, visit The Customer Service Zone at http://customerservicezone.com.
For s comprehensive directory of free help with a number of workplace issues, from conflict to team-work, go to http://work911.com/sitemaps/index.html.
Weight Loss : Keep It Simple
Fed up with needing a calculator to eat dinner? Find out the 6 simple key ingredients for permanent weight loss success so you can forget adding up fats or car...
What Happened to My Website when I Deleted the Home Page by Mistake?
There is a widespread confusion among lots of new website
designer concerning the home page.
How Do We Know When A Relationship Has A Future?
So when we do meet someone new, how do we know when
a bright future is on the horizon? Furthermore, if we think
we have it, how do we really know?
Herbs For Protection
If you have never used plant matter in magic before, I explain in detail in the column Plants, Herbs and Roots for Prosperity the different ways these substance...
Water Chemistry For The Discus Tank
The different water parameters that MUST be followed if we are to insure that our Discus fish are kept happy and healthy.
Dog Shock Collars: Teaching Your Dog Basic Obedience and Breaking Bad Habits
Dog shock collars are a touchy subject among animal owners. While their goal is to train a dog to follow a set of rules, many people feel they can be cruel to a...
Nonsurgical Options for Prostate Cancer
You have Prostate Cancer and you don't know what to do. Should I have surgery or use other options? This article explains some of the nonsurgical options for ...
Five Tips for Analyzing an Income Statement
In today's article, we'll be looking at the income statement, which is the most deceptively simple of the major financial statements. I say simple because it's ...
Bridal Shop Owner Reveals Insider Secrets Every Bride Should Know
Your wedding is nine months away and you decide to start searching for your perfect gown. You walk into a bridal store and start talking to one of the salespeop...
Three Building Blocks of Leadership
It's not enough to declare that your selected candidate for promotion to supervisor is now a "leader." You must provide him or her with three essential building...
Let the Seeds Grow
The thought that every great thing that has ever happened, been spoken or invented began first with a single idea is not a new one, but one I don't think many p...
Packing Lunches for Kids
n this article, we give you tips on how to battle those lunchbox wars. We will show you the different types of food's that will give your child a boost to help ...
Do You Know About These Remedies for Hair Loss?
The answer to the million-dollar question of how to get hair back is to know how you lost it in the first place. You can determine the correct remedy for hair ...
How to Protect Your Baby from SIDS
It is well known that putting babies to sleep on their backs is cutting the death rate from Sudden Infant Death syndrome by 38% The question is "WHY?" The answe...
Lamps - Flourescent, Incandescent, LED, HID, or Oil?
Could you imagine not having lamps at home? - no fluorescent lamps, study lamps, ceiling lamps? I guess not. Lamps or bulbs are so much a part of our society th...
Planning An Exercise Program
When designing an aerobic or strength training exercise program, fitness professionals, such as personal trainers and gym instructors, invariably use the F.I.T....
Goal Believing is the First Step to Goal Achieving
Setting goals is an important. We can't reach goals if we don't set them. But is goal setting really the objective? No. What we really want is goal achievem...
Electric Stoves and Their Benefits
Just what are the benefits of owning an electric stove? There are many things you should consider before you actually purchase one.
Benefits of A Compact Elliptical Machine
With the fitness craze that is going on across the world today, the elliptical trainer is becoming very popular more popular in the average household today. In ...
Ya Gotta Wanna (Lose Weight)
Because you're reading this article, I'm willing to bet that you are interested in looking and feeling better. You, like me, probably want to lose some weight a...
What if There Were No Sales Managers?
Every one knows that sales people are very personable types. They Relationship builders, they people people and some say that they have the gift to gab. With al...
Discovering The Benefits That Hook Your Prospect
What's In It For Me?
Google Bombing Can It Really Get You a Top Page Rank For Any Keyword You Want?
A Google Bomb takes advantage of the fact that Google uses Back Links as a Key Part of their Page rank Algorithm. If you want the number one ranking for a Keyw...
Increasing Short and Long Term Profits
You want people to buy more from you today and to get those who don't buy from you immediately to buy from you in the coming weeks and months.
|
Print this page