Tackling Intense Customer Service Moments

Practice customer empathy

Empathy:
The ability to sense others’ emotions and understand their thoughts or feelings.

Types of Empathy:

• Feel others’ emotions with affective empathy
• Understand others’ perspectives with cognitive empathy

Acknowledge and address the customer’s emotions when resolving issues. When practicing empathy, your beliefs take a back seat to the customers’ emotions.

Build customer trust with organizational values

Company handbooks outline the values you should apply to your service. Embody company values in your work.

Understand Your Company

• Read handbook and training material
• Learn more about company values

Boldly and consistently communicate company values in all interactions.

Mitigate legal risk in customer interactions

Legal Barriers:

• Laws, policies, and practices that protect businesses and customers from unethical practices and litigation.

The Title VII Civil Rights Act legally prevents discrimination in employment and service.

Understand Legal Policies

• Review privacy notices
• Study refund policies
• Learn refusal of service rules

Reach out to HR or legal departments for in-depth interpretation of policies. Invest time in understanding legal barriers.

Anticipate and address customer issues

Active listening and questioning can help anticipate customer issues. Gather all details before presenting a solution to avoid errors. Use customer feedback to identify recurring issues and prepare solutions. Know your company policy and prepare alternatives before problems arise. Prepare solutions in advance to anticipate customer needs and prevent problems.

Recognize intense customer moments

Handling Difficult Customers

• Remain firm on company policy
• Follow up with documentation
• Avoid heated arguments
• Clarify no exceptions allowed

Handling Personal Conflicts

• Call for help immediately
• Find a safe space to wait
• Secure a witness if possible
• Seek support from coworkers

Handling Emergency Moments

• Stay clam and attentive
• Cooperate with emergency personnel
• Avoid creating your own solution
• Document the incident accurately

Implement active listening with customers

Incorporate active listening in all interactions to understand customer needs better. Active listening involves no interruptions and full attention. Empathize and understand your customer’s perspective. Summarize and paraphrase customer concerns.

Maintain your professionalism with customers

Being professional means you are dependable, knowledgeable in your field, courteous, poised, respectful, and committed to serving.

Seek constructive feedback to improve professionalism. Always prioritize the customer in a customer-centric approach.

Building Customer Trust

• Allow customer control
• Reassure their concerns are heard

Balance assertiveness with customer empathy

Assertiveness is not being aggressive. Use calm and assertive tones when delivering information – good or bad. Use empathy in assertiveness to understand and acknowledge others’ emotions. Balancing compassion with assertiveness helps find solutions with the customer.

Take responsibility for customer interactions

Accountability develops customer trust.

Owning Your Work

• Be accountable for your work.
• Own your mistakes.

Recovering From Mistakes

• Offer an honest apology
• Take responsibility proactively

Handling Intense Moments

• Embrace accountability
• Own your mistakes quickly

Leverage customer negotiating skills

Negotiation requires understanding your offer and finding a mutually beneficial solution. Ensure a solution satisfies both the customer and the company. Negotiation involves flexibility in problem-solving. During tough times, customers need assurance. Use negotiation skills effectively.

Document customer interactions

• WHO? Collect names and contact details of all involved parties.
• WHAT? Document the sequence of events to understand what happened.
• WHEN? Record the dates and times of when events happened.
• WHERE? Find the location or a point in a process where a problem occurred.
• HOW? Record the resolution of the issue for a fair analysis.

Ensure accuracy in documentation by having a colleague review it.

Benefits of Templates

• Keeps information consistent
• Helps you remember what to record

Documentation enhances customer service and records history.

Set realistic expectations for resolutions

Inform the customer about all relevant policies and processes. Clearly communicate the resolution. Clarify all relevant timelines. Ensure the customer has all reference materials.

Implement customer follow-ups

Customer satisfaction surveys help verify if a product is fulfilling its purpose. Loyalty programs offer a chance to follow up with customers and gather feedback.

Enhancing Customer Service

• Collect customer data
• Follow up on issues
• Maintain customer trust

Engage in additional customer service training

Increase knowledge to provide more solutions. With training, customer assistance improves. Training can boost your career progression.

Benefits of Training

• Offers more resources
• Provides physical aids
• Gives digital assistance

Additional training can create opportunities for you to meet mentors who can help you throughout your career.

Practice self-care as a customer service professional

Build a healthy work/life balance to handle intense customer service situations effectively. Taking care of your home life will set you up to effectively deal with customers. Incorporate self-care into work by knowing your emotional limits.