How to Handle an Irate Customer on the Phone

If you're a salesperson or customer service representative or even a business owner, then at one point or another you're going to get an angry phone call from an irate customer who's sure he has been poorly treated. How you handle such a situation can mean the difference between further angering the person or diffusing the person's anger. These tips will help.

Instructions

1. Realize that any hostility isn't directed towards you personally. Be warm and friendly and remain calm at all times. An angry customer will just get even angrier if you respond with hostility.

2. Listen to what the caller has to say. If the person is yelling, you can try to calm him down by acknowledging that he is upset and you're hear to help fix the problem. Say something like, "I understand that you're upset. Can you tell me what the problem is and I can get the ball rolling to try to fix it?" Or let him know that you're going to take notes to make sure you fully understand exactly what the problem is.

3. Apologize. If a customer feels that she's been wronged, often an apology will go a long way. Avoid making defensive problems and simply say, "I'm sorry that happened. Let's get to work fixing that problem right away."

4. Provide a solution that will make your customer happy. The solution may ultimately cost the company some money, but the investment is worth it if the customer is a regular or a big spender.

5. Recap the problem and solution. Restate the problem and every change you've made to correct the problem so that the irate customer knows exactly what was done.

6. Thank the customer for taking the time to call you and let you know about the problem. He has done you a favor by alerting you to a problem other customers may also be experiencing.