Life happens, it's a bed of roses with the thorns, you get the softness with the prickings. When you have to deal with difficult people here are some valid points of intervention.
A course in Life Space Crisis Intervention or learning about Emotional Intelligence Quotient are great tools to have under your belts, it is good to learn how to de-escalate a situation that could get out of hand and also learn how to identify the real triggers that make people behave the way they do.
The focus here will be on how to deal with difficult customers on a daily basis. Customers here not only denotes external customers but internal customers also, meaning those who work with you in the same organisation and this includes your boss or supervisor/s.
Customers always remember when they receive excellent service, or if their issues are dealt with in a timely and efficient manner, so keep this in mind whenever you have to deal with an irate internal or external customer, how an issue is dealt with will determine how relations are between both parties moving forward.
It is advisable that when you are dealing with a situation involving an upset customer, you have to take into consideration how they feel, you have to be emotionally intelligent to read the nuances being given off by the customer, when how they feel is established then you can deal with their problems or issues.
Here are some ways to de-escalate a situation and get to the root of the issue, find a solution and ultimately retain your customer, both internal and external, and get recommended to new clients or workers.
1. Please show respect to the customer - Understand that the customer is venting, you are not aware of what other circumstances are there in the person's life, do not take what they say personally.
Ensure that you respond to the customer in an appropriate manner, try not to show any disrespect, this can be seen in your facial expression, body language and how you respond to the individual. Be mindful of these things when dealing with an irate customer, it will come across as wrong.
2. One of the most important things to do is to LISTEN - And get this, people know when you are not really listening to them. Active and reflective listening is an art, learn about them! People like to know that people really care about issues they are going through and one of the things they use as a mark that someone cares is that they listen, actively and/or reflectively.
Listen to understand, don't listen only to respond!
3. Stay calm - If the customer is swearing or being verbally abusive, take a deep breath and continue as if you didn't hear them. Responding in kind will not solve anything, and it will usually escalate the situation. Instead, remind the customer that you are there to help them and are their best immediate chance of resolving the situation. This simple statement often helps defuse the situation.
4. One size doesn't fit all - You have to know what to do in each situation, everyone is different even if the complaint is the same, and the response of "I will get you the Manager", doesn't work for everyone.
5. Put yourself in the other persons shoes - Accept how the other individual feels, show understanding because it's how they feel! Showing empathy to an individual goes a long way in helping to solve the issue at hand.
Express to them that you understand what they are going through and let them understand that you are there to help solve their problems.
6. Present a Solution - Now you need to present a solution. If you feel that you know what will make your client happy, tell them how you'd like to correct the situation. And also be open to any suggestions they make.
Remember always that you are dealing with human beings with human frailties so be gentle, this goes for yourself too!
Source: Business News Daily
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