How to Handle Angry Customers in a Call Center

Having to deal with angry customers can make the call center job challenging and sometimes depressing. It is important to know how to deal with the difficult customer. Below are some tips you can give your employees to help them become more effective when dealing with challenging customers.

1. Show Empathy – Working with angry people can be frustrating. Try showing empathy. One way to do this is to apologize for their inconvenience or for how they are feeling without apologizing for the actual issue. Be sincere when apologizing; phony empathy is easy to detect.
2. Go a Step Beyond – Providing customer service above and beyond what is expected will go a long way toward diffusing the anger a customer may be exhibiting.
3. Listen – Pay attention to what your customer is saying. It is much easier to help the customer if you listen to the message rather than react to the angry tone.
4. Speak Calmly – When you react with a calm voice, the angry customer will usually calm down. Make sure you do not tell the customer to calm down, but do use a calm tone when responding.
5. Simplify the Solution – Angry customers are more involved with their emotions, therefore it is better to provide resolution to their problems in small, easy to understand steps. Don't talk down to them, but be aware that they are not in a position to absorb a lot of new information because of their emotional involvement.

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Janie Sullivan, MBA, MAEd, has been teaching adult learners for over 20 years. She has taught online over 15 years, specializing in writing, communications, and small business applications. Janie directs the Center for Writing Excellence where she offers writing, editing, and formatting services for writers. She has been published in several newspapers and magazines as well as multiple online sites. She teaches communication, business strategy, leadership, and management courses. Janie has published a book "Develop and Deliver an Online Class." This is the third book she has written about writing and teaching online. She also has published a novel and an anthology of short stories.