It is very important to take the appropriate steps as to not upset the customer any farther and to keep them as a customer. A lot of times it’s not what he CARS says but how it’s said. If the situation is handled correctly, the company may even end up having an even better relationship with the customer. The first step would be to find out why the customer is upset. The CARS needs to set aside any feelings or thoughts they may have in order to come up with a solution. The CARS needs to stay customer-service minded and try to solve the customer’s problem.
It is up to the representative to focus completely on the customer and the problem at hand. The representative must listen actively at what the customer is saying. The CARS must give the customer their full attention. The CARS should start by the customer what happened. They can do this by asking, “Please tell me why you’re upset” or “Let’s go over what happened”. This informs the customer that the CARS is ready to listen. The customer needs to be able to finish the explanation without interruption. Once the customer explains why they are so upset, the CARS needs to repeat the concerns.
The CARS can also ask questions to make sure that the situation is identified correctly. Repeating the problem to the customer also tells the customer that the CARS is listening. This often lowers the customers anger and stress levels. It will also bring the customer and the CARS closer to a resolution. The next step would be to be empathetic and apologize. The CARS needs to be able to express this with words and through body language. Words can say one thing but the body language may say something else. The CARS needs to be able to be understanding as to why the customer is so upset.
This step comes once the CARS understands the concerns of the customer. The fifth step would be finding a solution that the CARS and the customer can agree on. If the CARS knows of a solution that would make the customer happy, the CARS should explain it to the customer. If the CARS is not sure, the CARS can ask the customer for a solution that would make him happy. The customer’s happiness is the number one focus in the customer service world. Once the CARS and the customer have come to an agreement on a solution, action needs to be taken immediately.
The CARS needs to explain to the customer the steps that are needed to fix the situation. Once the situation has been resolved the CARS needs to follow up with the customer to ensure that he is happy with the resolution. If possible, go above and beyond the customer’s expectations. For instance, the CARS can send the customer a gift certificate, a discount on his next purchase, or a hand-written apology. The last step is to use the feedback from the customer to prevent this mistake from happening again. Find the root of the problem and make sure it is fixed immediately.
Talking with other associates and upper management about the situation, will help them avoid the problem in the future. If this circumstance was because of the store’s return policy then that would need to be taken care of so that this does not happen again. Dealing with angry customers can be difficult and challenging. If the situation is handled correctly, it may improve the relationship with the customer, and create more opportunities as well. Listening to the customers complaints and resisting the urge to interrupt the customer are very important in finding a resolution.
