You may be faced with customers who are angry, sarcastic or reticent. All must be dealt with in such a way that their problems are surfaced and resolved appropriately.   The following steps may be useful as you work with these situations and assume that an employee has already graciously explained the policy and attempted to resolve the problem without achieving customer satisfaction.

Introduce yourself - Many customers will relax when they realize that a manager or supervisor will be dealing with them. Statements like “I understand that we have let you down…” or “John tells me that you have a concern…” can help to ensure customers that you are open-minded and willing to help.

Allow them to speak - Defuse any emotion by allowing them to vent. Listen carefully without interruption, nodding occasionally and maintaining a concerned expression. Resist the temptation to “fix” it here. It is critical that the customers be given the opportunity to explain their position. If they are reticent and struggling to explain, ensure that you are asking questions to encourage conversation and that your manner is encouraging and supportive.

Acknowledge their position - By verbally acknowledging the customers position you reassure them that they have been heard. Say, “I hear you, you don’t feel that you’ve gotten your money’s worth from this product” or “ I understand, if I were in the same position I might feel that way too” will go a long way towards defusing the customers emotions.   Don’t miss this step. A customer who has not been acknowledged sufficiently will frequently continue to complain until we signal that we have heard and understood them.   

Don’t focus - Customers do not need to hear why a problem occurred or who was responsible for the error. In fact, efforts at providing background reasons for a problem may be misinterpreted as excuses. They may even reinforce a customer’s notion that we are unorganized or not operating as they feel we should. 

Involve customers in the solution - Customers who are involved in orchestrating the solution to their problem will be more likely to feel satisfied with the outcome. By saying.. “It’s important to me that you are happy. What can we do to make this better?” we allow the client to become a part of the solution. 

Confirm solution - Having developed a workable compromise that is acceptable for both the company and the customer, confirm what will be happening.

Follow up - Where you have delegated the subsequent recovery to an employee ensure that you follow up with the customer to ensure satisfaction.