4 guidelines for how to deal with angry customers.

The phone rings. The caller on the other end of the line is freaking. He is screaming into your ear and you are trying to figure out how to help him. Problem is, you’re on edge from an earlier call, and you are afraid you might lose it on this guy. This is one of the challenges of customer service. How to start each interaction with a clear head. What is a customer service representative to do? Check out these 4 essential rules for how to deal with angry customers.

#1 Breathe through it.

If you’ve ever done yoga or meditation, you know how important it is to focus on the breath: slowly inhaling and exhaling to center yourself. While the caller is on his rant, put the phone on mute and take a good, cleansing breath. The more calm you are, the less inclined he will be to continue with the same level of ferocity as he began.

#2 Put yourself in the caller’s shoes.

Keep in mind, the angry man screaming in your ear is a real person with real issues. What may seem like small beans to you might be the whole enchilada to the caller. So put yourself in his shoes. Imagine that this issue is the straw the broke the camel’s back. How would you want to be treated if you were on the other end of the line?

#3 Smile your way through the call

Smiles can actually be heard through the phone. When you smile, it sends signals to the brain telling you that you are happy! Even in the face of the most challenging call, if you can maintain a positive outlook, the caller will hear it in your tone of voice. That lets him know you are in his corner and will do everything possible for a speedy resolution.

#4 Be a great listener.

Being a superb listener is a customer service representative’s best asset. In order to properly and quickly resolve the caller’s issue, you need to have a detailed understanding of it. That means closely listening to what he says and clearly documenting the notes in your ticketing system. The more you know about what’s going on, the better you’ll be able to help!