Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Every day in the sales world, there are people that become irate and must be handled in the right way.  Many salespeople are not trained the right way on how to handle them, meaning that they are slightly trained, but when the irate call actually comes, they respond in the wrong way.  The training was provided, but the practice may not have been there through the tool of role playing or management may not have made it clear enough that handling an irate call the right way is critical to success

Irate customers should be handled in the exact same way that a buying customer is handled!  No matter what the circumstances are, the customer is always right.  Many salespeople disagree with this statement, but the customer pays the company and the company pays the employee and therefore, the customer is boss.  Obviously, this does not mean that the customer can ask you to participate in some illegal activity, but they are allowed to get irate.  An irate customer should be treated with respect just like a buying customer would.  Salespeople work hard at obtaining the customer, but don’t always try as hard to keep them happy, and the object of sales is to not just get a customer, but keep the customer.

Meeting the needs of an irate customer will usually calm them down some.  Providing a solution to their problem as opposed to just arguing with them is the preferred method.  Some customers are looking for a discount or even a refund, and it should be the goal of the salesperson handling the customer, to make sure every effort is pursued to calm this customer down and keep him happy.  Obviously there are the exceptions and those minor groups of people are never happy.  The majority of irate customers just want someone to fix their problem and that is all.  The salesperson should make every effort to resolve the problem and get on to the next customer.

Remember, any negative reaction could cost you your job!  “Act, don’t react” is probably the best advice a salesperson could take when handling an irate customer and making sure that you don’t get rude with them is vital.

Irate customer calls don’t come often if you work in a somewhat reputable company, but when they do come, make sure you are ready to handle them properly and every party involved will be satisfied.

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Global buy sell B2B trade marketplace

Most sales people are like runners in a race.  They only run the race to the finish line (closing the sale).  They don’t think beyond the finish line.  That’s why a lot of runners loose the race at the finish line.  Or in the case of a salesperson, the customer never buys anything else from the company because of how he was treated after the initial purchase.

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The older we get, the more excuses we make for not chasing after our dreams. But truth is, goals are attainable at any age.

Great tips bytrade.  I would also add that it helps if we train our customer service reps to not become personally involved in the situation.  Many reps tend to react to whatever the customer is saying and get angry or frustrated instead of letting the customer vent and then working with them when they calm down.  Many times, customers get angry because they feel they are not being heard or we are offering them solutions before we really listen to them.  The idea is to give them the opportunity to resolve their own issues and simply support them along the way.

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Guy Farmer, MSW
Unconventional Training
http://www.guyfarmer.com

Thank you for a great tips. In addition, Approach the angry customer and ask what they are displeased with. Usually restating the issue they are having will help to calm them. For example, say, "I can understand your frustration with..."

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The best way to handle irate customer is to listen, respond and act. First of why is the customer angry either he is not happy with the product or the service he received. By listening to him will help you understand his frustration, responding correctly to his query will calm him down and by acting you will resolve his issue.

Your thoughts?

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