An irate customer can ruin your day and cost you a lot more than a single lost sale. Whether or not the reason for their anger is justified, if you don't deal carefully with their problem, an irate customer will broadcast their dissatisfaction to as many people as they can now and for years to come.

So, what do you do when an irate customer presents themselves – on the phone – or in your store?

Defuse the situation. Tell the customer you're sorry they're unhappy, and ask them to explain the problem.

Don't try to explain your side of the issue and don't argue with the customer. The customer doesn't what to hear what you think. They want you to hear why they are mad, and fix it.

Watch your tone. If you sound testy or annoyed, it will increase the customer's annoyance.

Empathize with the customer – but don't overdo it.

Ask the customer what they want your company to do.

Take action. If you can do what the customer wants, do it. If you can't do exactly what they want, do something different that you can do, such as give them part of their money back, or give them a coupon for money off their next purchase.

Comments