Angry Customers

“Your most unhappy customers are your greatest source of learning.” – Bill Gates

I hated dealing with angry parents as a teacher. It would consume my whole day thinking about what I should of said or did. I rarely took the blame and always thought, “If they were better parents…” or “If their kid would just get his act together…” It was useless. And, in reality, many times, it was my fault. I didn’t communicate well. I overpromised and underdelivered. Or, worst of all, I lost my cool. Now that I’m working in “business,” parents have switched to customers but the sentiment is still the same. These lessons are a reminder more for me but maybe you can apply it to yourself:

1. Be Kind – My biggest regrets in life are when I’ve lost my cool. I always regret lashing out. It makes me look like a monster and the chance of repairing the relationship is cut in half. Act and respond as if that person was family or a friend.
2. Prepare – Don’t go into the meeting without the facts. Have the details of what you are going to discuss on paper. You will forget details, so have them on paper to point to when questions come up.
3. Buy Time – You aren’t always going to have time to prepare. A customer will contact you with issues you didn’t see coming. That’s to be expected. Take a breath. Or, ask for some time to think. Most people will give it to you as long as they feel you are working on their side.
4. Don’t Make Promises You Can’t Keep – I hate letting people down and I don’t enjoy confrontation. So, I overpromise. It works to get the customer calm in the moment, but I often regret overpromising on actions I can’t deliver. Again, buy time and come up with a plan that works for you AND them.
5. Don’t Engage in Disrespect – Work to solve the issue at hand. If the discussion veers off into cursing and name calling, stop it in the moment. Tell them you’ll work through the problem when cooler heads exist. Every problem is figureoutable. No sense in ruining your reputation.

In the end, angry customers are a gift. They give you the opportunity to practice addressing issues. However, there are some customers that aren’t worth the time or effort. Identify those customers and refer them elsewhere.