20 WOW Telephone Techniques: Tip #17

What to say to the yelling or cursing customer

Bored Telephone Worker

  • “I’m trying to help you, but if you continue to yell and swear, I am going to ask that you call back another time. It’s up to you…which would you prefer?”

  • “I’m sorry. It isn’t possible to help while listening to that language. If it stops, I can help.”

  • “If a few minutes helps you calm down before we continue, that would be okay. You can certainly call me back.”

  • “I want to help you, yet the language is getting in the way.”

 

Note: Your tone is critically important with the above statements. You must come across calm, neutral, and non-threatening.

If you liked this tip, you might also like our customer service eLearning, which is loaded with phrases, approaches, and templates for how to handle challenging customers.