How to Deal with Customers Who Complain About Your Accent

Sometimes, customers complain about your accent or need assistance understanding you. First, let me say, I'm sorry you have to deal with impatient and sometimes unfair customers.

The most important thing to remember in these situations is to handle them professionally and empathically. If you receive a complaint like this, here are some steps I want you to take:

If you need help preparing agents for supporting customers across languages, check out my LinkedIn Learning Course: Customer Service - How to Deliver Support Across Languages.

• Stay calm and composed. Feeling defensive or upset when faced with criticism is natural, but reacting emotionally will not help. Take a deep breath and maintain a professional tone.
• Apologize and empathize. Acknowledge the customer's frustration and apologize for any inconvenience caused. Express your understanding of their concerns and assure them you are doing your best to help.
• Speak slowly and clearly. Make an effort to enunciate your words and speak at a slower pace. This can make it easier for the customer to understand you and can help diffuse the situation.
• Maintain a friendly, supportive tone. Remember, feeling defensive or frustrated is natural - that's entirely okay! Remember to remain warm, professional, and supportive, even when your customer is complaining or difficult.
• Offer alternative communication methods. If the customer still needs help understanding you, offer to communicate via email, chat, or by connecting them with another agent who may have a more familiar accent.
• Know when to escalate. If the situation becomes hostile or unproductive, it may be necessary to escalate the call to a supervisor or manager.

Learn more about De-escalation Academy!

I'm not a proponent of passing interactions on, yet you may want to escalate a call when you encounter the following situations:

• The customer becomes hostile or abusive. No employee should have to endure verbal abuse. If a customer's behavior crosses the line, it's appropriate to escalate the call to a supervisor or manager.
• The customer's issue remains unresolved. If the language barrier prevents you from effectively addressing the customer's concerns, involving someone who can better assist them may be necessary.
• The customer requests escalation. Sometimes, customers may ask to speak with a supervisor or manager. In these cases, respecting their wishes and escalating the call is important.

I want you to know that you've made no mistakes and done nothing wrong. Some customers put up a mental block to understanding. That has everything to do with them, not you. Your job is to speak clearly, be patient, and always do your best. You got this! 

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If you need help preparing agents for supporting customers across languages, check out my LinkedIn Learning Course: Customer Service - How to Deliver Support Across Languages.