I see you’re upset. Here, tell me the problem.The bad news is that angry customers can embarrass and insult you, even when you didn’t cause their frustration. The good news is that most angry customers are easy to placate—and they may even turn into loyal (and more pleasant) customers later. Even better, strategies for soothing the savage customers don’t entail whips, tranquilizers, or armed militias; perfect phrases will do.
I see you’re upset. Here, tell me the problem.
Why don’t you calm down, and we’ll see how we can resolve this problem.
Okay, relax, I’m here to help you.
I didn’t mean to get you upset. I’m sure we can resolve this.
Sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you. Here’s what I meant.
Why don’t you relax a little, and we’ll figure this out.
Quick tip: Body language matters. Look at customers directly, without staring them down. Keep your body posture open and inviting. Nod your head. Smile. And remain focused.
When customers make a scene in your lobby or office, separate them from the crowd. Talk them into going with you into a private setting by explaining the advantages of doing so:
Why don’t you come in my office where it’s quiet and I can focus on what you’re saying.
Step over here, and I’ll get you a glass of water.
Have a seat in our waiting area. We can talk there, and you’ll be more comfortable.
Let’s sit in our lounge. It’s comfortable and we won’t have any interruptions.
Why don’t we step outside so that you can have some privacy?
Let’s step over here where it’s quieter and I can hear you better.
In letters or e-mails, calm customers in the first line. Avoid leading language:
Leading: I’m sorry you had to go through this. I’m sure it caused you great mental anguish.
Sympathetic: I’m sorry you had to go through this. I’m sure it wasn’t pleasant.
Leading: Thank you for letting me know about that humiliating experience.
Sympathetic: I’m sorry to hear about that experience.
Thank you for letting me know about this situation.
I appreciate your telling me your concerns.
Thank you for giving me the chance to help you address this matter.
Thank you for letting me know about the situation at the … branch.
Thank you for telling me about your experience.
I appreciate your taking the time to let me know about the situation at our store.
I am sure we can resolve this situation immediately.
I appreciate the opportunity to clarify any misunderstandings.
I’m sure I can explain what happened and find a good solution.
I need to hear your point of view and then talk to our clerk about why it happened.
Your input gives me an opportunity to resolve this problem.
I know I can settle this easily.
Start by asking questions without making leading statements:
Leading: When did this terrible problem begin?
Neutral: Start from the beginning and tell me what happened.
Leading: How did he insult you?
Neutral: What did he say to you?
Leading: Which part of the bill did they get wrong?
Neutral: Which part of the bill concerns you?
When exactly did this happen?
Do you have any papers or e-mails that record this information?
Can I see your contract—the specific wording will help me understand the situation.
Can you tell me exactly what happened?
What did you say afterward?
But don’t blame your company or anyone in it:
Blame: I know that Anne can really be rude.
Sympathize: You should expect respect every time you walk in our doors.
Blame: The pricing isn’t clear to anyone.
Sympathize: I can see you were confused.
Here are some other sympathetic phrases:
I know that must have been difficult for you.
The situation must have seemed perplexing.
Yes, there are a lot of words on the policy statement.
Web sites can be difficult to navigate.
I’m sure the steps we took to reach that decision must seem complex.
The industry language can seem confusing.
Immediately after you sympathize, show how you can help:
I can explain that to you.
Let me translate that into plain language.
I can show you how.
Let’s walk through the … together.
Why don’t you ask me questions, and I’ll help you understand.
Show specifically how you will resolve problems if the customers’ complaints are valid:
The employee’s manager will talk to him and ensure this situation doesn’t recur.
We will send you the refund immediately by overnight mail.
Our crew will be at your house to repair the damage within 24 hours.
We’ll make a note on your record and ensure that this doesn’t happen again.
We’ll extend our return policy, since this was our mistake.
We will replace all the … within the next two weeks.
Our truck will be at your home first thing in the morning.
When you can’t repair the problem as soon as your customers want, play up the positive side of what you’re doing.
Only: We will need only a few hours to …
Just: The refund will just take …
First: We will put your order in first thing.
Ahead: Because of our mistake, we will put you ahead of everyone else.
Priority: Resolving this is definitely a priority.
Expedite: We will expedite the shipment time.
Less than: This should take us less than a month.
Here are some other useful solution-oriented phrases:
Our crew will be at your house as soon as possible—in less than two weeks.
You will have the refund in only two weeks.
We will focus on getting this done—it’s a priority.
I will contact the wholesaler first thing in the morning to see what he can do.
The changes will take only a few weeks—and will be made before Christmas.
The change will take only three months—usually it takes five.
We’re extending the sale date for you.
Come in and have a meal on the house.
I’m sending you 10 discount coupons as a way of saying we’re sorry.
We’re not going to charge you for service that month.
We’d like to give you a sample pack of our new …
I’m not going to charge you for …
I’ll give you a consultation on the phone—no charge.
This occurred because our representative was charging you the old prices; the new ones just came in Friday.
You have the same name as one of our other customers, and our system confused the two.
We never received your address change form, and your shipment went to the wrong address.
Your invoice got lost in the system.
Our employee was new and credited your account incorrectly.
This never happened before so we couldn’t anticipate it.
I apologize for her behavior.
I’m sorry about the time involved.
Sorry about the …
I apologize for the … Believe me, it will never happen again.
Quick tip: Be careful not to overapologize. You risk making the situation worse than it is, alienating customers even more and possibly setting yourself up for a lawsuit.
If you want to send other information, please do. Otherwise, I will check in next month.
Let me know that you received the package.
I will follow up on your case periodically and let you know if I detect any problems.
You should hear from our consultant this spring. If you need advice earlier, just call.
Thanks again for letting me resolve this issue.
I apologize again—and thanks for being so considerate.
I appreciate all your patience—you’ve been a good sport.
Once again, I apologize and can assure you the situation is completely corrected.
Thanks for being so understanding. As I said, this won’t happen again.