Customers are integral part of your daily business operation. Every business is expected to keep its customers satisfied all the time; that s why initiatives like outsourcing to a call center in the Philippines are widely practiced.
Despite all efforts in providing exceptional customer service, however, your business can still have customers who are hard to please. Every now and then, you will meet customers who have mastered the art of frightening customer service representatives over the phone.
How should you deal with them? Here are some examples of customers who may intimidate your agents and the right ways to talk to them.
1. The Interrogator
This customer seems friendly at first, since he is the type of person who loves to interact with people. He may raise a relevant inquiry regarding your product or services, which can excite your sales or customer support agent since it s a promising sign of interest in what you have to offer. This initial question, however, will turn out to be just the first out of many questions he will later throw at your agent.
He may be aware that he s raising a lot of questions, so he apologizes in the middle of the conversation; but then he remembers that he has a few more concerns in mind, so he proceeds in interrogating your agent.
No matter how good your agents are in giving accurate responses, their patience can definitely be tested once they speak with this type of customer. So, remind your agents to be extra patient in guiding the customer since the most common reason this kind of customer has a lot of questions is because of unfamiliarity with the advanced processes or features of your product or website. Building a customer service knowledge base is another way to proactively provide a self-service platform where answers to common customer inquiries can be found.
2. The Raging Bull
There are two types of irate customers that your agents may encounter: those who are already upset even before the call and those who got frustrated during the call because of a declined request or failure to meet expectations. Either way, your agents would be the target of their repulsion towards your business. They won t stop until your agents promise them that everything will be fine or at least feel sorry for the inconvenience they are experiencing.
The first thing that your agents should remember when interacting with fuming customers is to let them speak. Let them vent everything out and respond to them in a matter-of-fact manner. Explain what can be done and set expectations on how long they have to wait. Never engage in a verbal fight with irate customers. If they insult your agents or throw harsh words at them, train your agents how to terminate conversations without sounding discourteous.
3. The Perfectionist
Some customers are just too critical that they feel like they know more than your agents or that they can guide your business to do things right. From the way your agents speak on the phone, to your ordering process and post-sales activities, this type of customer will remind you that you have been doing everything wrong. This is also the type of customer who often demands to speak directly with supervisors instead of frontline agents.
Just like when dealing with irate customers, your agents should not also be aggressive when reacting to the opinions of critical customers. Advise them that they can always send suggestions or feedback through email, since this method allows a more detailed exchange of messages. Assure your agents that not all instances where the customers demand supervisors by are signs of them being ineffective. Lastly, tell the customer that his suggestions are appreciated since they are useful to the improvement of your operations.
All call center agents, at some point in their career, will have to deal with difficult customers. Although these customers may scare your representatives at first, you should remember that they can also be blessings in disguise. Handling complicated situations are perfect opportunities for you to build an impressive customer service reputation. Some people just need exceptional customer service, so give it to them and you will win their favor.