How to Handle Difficult Customers

1. Replace with your logo How to Handle Difficult Customers

2. Hostile interaction essentials • Conversation control • Diffusion strategies What We’ll Cover

3. Hostile Interaction Essentials

4. The psychology of anger • Anger precludes rationality • Anger must be acknowledged • Anger diffusion results in a lesser payout • Ventilation is crucial

5. Reduce choice • Belabor a point • Rebut issues • Cause a sense of helplessness 4 Things You Should Never Do with Upset Customers

6. Disparaging statements that evoke a negative reaction. • The words alone have no significance. • If we allow our buttons to be pushed, our ability to handle customers diminishes. Hot Buttons

7. The more often you retrieve and think about your hot buttons under non-confrontational conditions, the less likely they will trigger a negative emotional response. -Robert Bacal

8. The Cookie Thief

9. The issue is not the issue. The way the issue is handled becomes the issue. -IyanlaVanzant

10. Customer Customer's Perception of Problem Situations Company Problem

11. Problem Reality of Problem Situations Company Customer

12. Conversation Control

13. Whether you deal with customers in person or on the phone, the way you begin a conversation will affect how the customer treats you. -Robert Bacal

14. Supportive versus provoking language

15. Provoking Language • You are certain you are right • You’re unwilling to see the customer’s position • Challenges customer to back up what he says • Has harsh, confrontational tone • Tends to blame the customer

16. Provoking Language Example • Ma’am, there’s no point in going through all of this with me. You’ll just have to tell the story again to our Customer Care group.

17. Supportive Language Example • Ms. Jones, I don’t think I can help with this. I really need to get you over to our Customer Care group where they can process your credit and ship the new Widget to you. Can you hold while I get someone from Customer Care on the line?

18. Ask 3 closed ended questions

19. Ask 3 closed ended questions • Closed-ended questions can be answered in one word • Closed-ended questions put you in control • Closed-ended questions move the customer to the left brain • Closed-ended questions keep your customers from rambling

20. Make Sure your closed ended questions • Can be answered in one word (or series of numbers) • Are relevant to the customer’s situation • Move the customer from the right brain to the left brain

21. How to say ‘No’ Without Causing Resentment

22. Say ‘No’ with the U S A Approach • Understanding • Situation • Alternative

23. Diffusion Strategies

24. Blending with motion and redirecting energy • Goal is for practitioner to defend self while protecting attacker from injury Verbal Aikido What it is and how it can work for you

25. “Clearly you’re upset. I want you to know that getting to the bottom of this is just as important to us as it is to you.” An Akidoist strategically calms down the attack

26. Strategically Encouraging Calm • Use a calm tone and non-inflammatory words • Speak slowly • Avoid escalating your voice • Never threaten the customer with inflammatory statements like: “If you don’t calm down, I can’t help you.”

27. Strategically Encouraging Calm • Help customers feel they have choices • Very important for customers to feel they have some control over the outcomes • Give them options and let them make choices, even small ones • Reducing choices and removing privileges tends to encourage aggression

28. How to NOT Use Force Against force • “I’m trying to help you, but if you continue to yell and swear, I am going to ask that you call back another time. It’s up to you…which would you prefer?” • “I’m sorry. It isn’t possible to help while listening to that language. If it stops, I can help.”

29. How to NOT Use Force Against force • “If a few minutes helps you calm down before we continue, that would be fine. You can certainly call me back.” • “I want to help you, yet the language is getting in the way.”

30. Use the customer’s intensity and urgency to your advantage:“No question, we’ve messed up. Getting to the bottom of this is just as important to us as it is to you.” Aikido emphasizes quick, decisive movements designed to use the attacker’s force against him

31. How to Preempt an Escalation in Aggression withQuick, Decisive “movements” • Always return calls (promptly) • Minimize transfers • Speak clearly & clarify • Use customer’s name when interrupting • Keep the customer apprised

32. How to Preempt an Escalation in Aggression with Quick, Decisive “movements” • Focus on the issue/remind customer they have some control • Try to find some aspect of the customer’s view with which you agree, but without affirming the customer’s behavior • Any increase in intensity must be redirected to the past • “A problem has developed out of past circumstances, so now we’re looking for solutions…”

33. Blend with your customer’s energy by listening with the intent to understand their pain or frustration. Then respond with empathy. Akidoists blend with their opponent’s energy

34. Set your S.M.A.R.T. goal right now!