 Who is the first person a prospective customer interacts with when they come to your business? That person has the ability to be a hero, both to you for your businesss, AND to that customer you want to keep! Recently I had personal experiences of receiving both excellent customer service and not-so- excellent customer service on two unrelated occasions. Here’s what happened: The excellent service: I called to cancel a service. The customer service rep expressed regret since we have been such long-term customers. Then, in a kind tone of voice, he asked, “May I ask why you’ve made this decision?” I explained that we were tightening our budget due to a reduction in income and some unexpected expenses. He was sympathetic, and then asked to explain some other options that might fit within our budget. Two options were realistic for me, and of course, I stayed with the service. He then detailed with exact dollar amounts, what would take place and when. He prioritized our change, arranging everything in a timely manner. And everything happened exactly as he said it would. No surprises. In that moment, my loyalty bank doubled for that company. And that rep was my hero. The not-so-excellent service: I had received a large medical bill demanding immediate payment. The bill claimed that my insurance company reported no coverage, which was a mistake. So, I called to question the bill. The customer care representative, though mostly pleasant, still debated and offered no solutions to our stalemate. After several rounds, I finally said (in an escalated tone of voice), “I know I’m covered, so how are we going to resolve this?” At that point the rep said something helpful: “I will have to ask my supervisor and either she or I will call you back.” All’s well that ends well. She did call back with good news that they confirmed my coverage and my account balance was now zero. The issue was resolved, but it still left me with a bad impression and some fear that this might happen to me again.  FRONT-LINE EMPLOYEES HAVE LOTS OF POWER! Help Them Become the Super-Heroes You and Your Customers Need Secretaries, customer service reps, receptionists or administrative assistants are often a prospect’s first experience with your business. They hold a great deal of power in all customer relationships, and especially those that might not be so pleasant. Customers calling for negative reasons need a hero. Your employees can be heroes-- to the pleasant customers and the problematic ones too! But they must have a plan. EQUIP THEM FOR VICTORY Here’s the deal. Our natural responses to confrontation are NOT the best responses. When we feel attacked, or sense an approaching conflict, we naturally want to respond one of two ways: fight, or flight. With the exception of life-threatening situations, neither fight nor flight is a productive response to conflict. Your people need to be prepared to overcome the natural reaction with a plan of heroic action. Here are some tried and true ‘helping’ techniques for dealing with challenging customers to facilitate a positive outcome—not only positive for the customer, not only positive for the employer, but also for empowering your employee!: 1. BE CALM AND LISTEN ON: When customers express complaints or disappointments, do your employees understand that it really isn’t about them? Encourage them to take a deep breath, stay calm, and REALLY listen (see #3). 2. GET A NAME: Make sure the procedure list includes asking for the customer’s name. Encourage them to use it often. (People like to be known by name. We feel friendlier toward people who call us by name.) 3. LISTEN STRONG: If possible, provide employees with an environment that allows privacy. This will prevent distractions that interfere with listening. Train employees to listen to words and tone. Is the caller crying? Ranting? Feeling confused, or helpless, or cheated? Note-taking to record their words and tone can also be helpful. 4. LISTEN LONG: Callers need to tell their whole story. Just listening empathically can change a customer’s negative attitude. Equip employees with the words to use so that callers know they are being heard. Examples of prompts are: “I see.” “Then what happened?” “Go on. . .” 5. UNDERSTAND: When the caller concludes his or her story, the employee should provide feedback. For example, she might acknowledge any distress, then summarize the problem, as she understood it, back to the caller: “Mr. Jones, I’m so sorry for your trouble, and thank you for calling. I’ll do my best to help. Can I tell you what I’m understanding about your concern? Then please let me know if I miss anything.” After repeating their best understanding of the source of the customer’s complaint, it is important to ask, “Did I understand everything correctly?” 6. ASK QUESTIONS: The customer may not provide details needed to resolve the issue. So your hero should ask any further questions to fill in gaps. Then ask, “Is there anything else I need to know?” 7. OFFER OPTIONS: Then your hero, within the limits of his or her role, might begin to make suggestions toward resolving the issue. They can:
YES, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE BELLIGERENT CALLER? Your employees may ask, “But what about the rude ones? What about the guy who cussed me out last week? What about the one that threatened to have me fired? Are we just supposed to take it?” No one should accept, or should be expected to take, abuse of any kind. The number one rule is still the same: Stay calm. The next step might be different. As Eddie Murphy’s Mr. Robinson character would say (but as your hero’s inner monolog of course—definitely not out loud), “WHO IS IT?!” . . . . . .Is it INCESSANT IRMA? Irma won’t let your hero get a word in edgewise. So, train employees to calmly and politely interrupt to ask a question. This strategy communicates the desire to help and understand, plus it will help the caller gain some focus. For example: “I’m sorry to interrupt you Mrs. Jones, and I feel your frustration. I want to help you but I need clarification. May I ask a few questions so I can better understand?” Possible questions include:
. . .OR Is it BULLYING BOB? Bob’s attitude and words make your heroes feel unsafe. So, train them to assertively, yet politely interrupt the abusive caller. For example, “Mr. Jones, I am uncomfortable with your words and tone. I would like to help, but if you continue speaking in that manner, I will have to disconnect.” . . .OR Is it HIGHER UP HAL? Hal won’t rest without speaking to the higher authority. So immediate agreement that the caller can speak with another appropriate office is important. But if possible, your hero might also briefly explain the normal company procedure (if different). For example, “Certainly, Mr. Jones. Our Director of Customer Service is Mr. Wilson. I’ll transfer you to his office right away. But if you wish, I may be able to help you with your concern. Would you like me to try, or would you prefer to speak now with Mr. Wilson?” Bottom line: Angry callers need love to. And many of them need a hero, maybe more than anyone! Your front-line employees can be Supermen and Wonder Women—for your business, for your customers and for themselves—with training that empowers them to stay calm, listen well, understand, and be helpful. 
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