Yesterday I delivered my “Becoming a Customer Service Rockstar” presentation to a wonderful long-time client, the International Contact Center Association (ICCA). During the Q & A segment, an attendee asked,
“What response would you use in the event a customer/client starts yelling and cursing at you?”
That was such a great question that I thought I’d share my response with you.
You don’t have to get frustrated dealing with demanding, irate, or unreasonable customers and you don’t have to put up with verbal abuse and threats from customers. You just need the right tactics, assertiveness, and the right attitude. Here’s how I responded to my attendee’s question yesterday.
Draw the line on yelling and profanity with phrases such as:
▪ “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 fine. 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 to the above statements. You must come across calm, neutral, and non-threatening.
These phrases let customers know that you will not tolerate verbal abuse. They give customers the option of “shaping up” or ending the interaction.