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While working as a facility manager for a large group shop in Chicago, a very agitated and irate woman walked into our front
office. She and her sister slammed open the door and stormed the front counter with a very determined demeanor. They were
big enough to be linemen for the Chicago Bears. They also were determined and a little bit intimidating.
As they approached the counter, they began yelling and cursing, and demanded to see the manager. My customer service rep already
was backing away from the counter before they reached it. I quickly moved to the counter before they began tearing it from
its mounts.
"I am the manager. My name is Kevin. Can I help you?" I asked, as I attempted to guide them into the production office away
from other customers in the shop. Once safely away from the front office, they began to describe to me their problem. I took
them in the shop to see their vehicle and within 15 minutes walked back through the office door, all of us laughing and joking
like old friends.
My staff could not believe it. Within a very short time, I had diffused the two women and taken them from irate to eating
out of my hand. I knew I had to understand what I had done and teach that same skill to all of my employees. It's an invaluable
customer service skill. Since then, I have been able to put together a few simple ideas that can help anyone calm down a hothead. These ideas work
about 90 percent of the time. There will be occasional customers who just don't want to be happy. You can't make everybody
happy by using these suggestions, but you will be able to diffuse 100 percent of them by reasoning with them and resolving
their underlying issues.
Customers can be difficult. Difficult is very different from angry, and should be handled in a different way. Difficult might
be demanding, detail-oriented, particular or just plain cranky. Many people fall into this category. Angry people can be scary.
Even the best shops get angry customers. Maybe he or she just picked up their completed car and it died a mile from the shop.
They had to walk back to the shop in the rain or snow to let you know what happened. That's an angry customer. You can deal
effectively with all of these situations by utilizing some of the following tips.
Be calm and cool
The No. 1 rule is to stay calm and keep your cool. It is natural to become defensive when someone is inches from your face
yelling at you. It is very difficult to stay calm, but it is absolutely imperative that you do. If you stay calm, respond
and ask questions slowly and very calmly, your customer will begin to quickly calm down as well. It's like the old adage of
using music to calm the savage beast.
Your demeanor will begin to be reflected by the customer. It's kind of amazing, but it works. Don't ever yell back. Even if
you win the argument, you will lose in the end by losing that customer and potentially the others who might have come to your
shop through referrals from that customer or that customer's insurance agent.
Choose your words wisely
Do not say, "OK sir/miss, you have to calm down." That type of patronizing statement will only fuel the flames. Instead, try
to ask questions calmly that get to the root of why the person is angry. Let them tell you their story, uninterrupted, even
if it is less than factual in nature. Genuinely listen to their story.
Once you have heard the entire story, apologize to them, sincerely, if you own the problem. I don't think you should accept
blame for something that isn't your fault, but you can apologize for that something. If the problem is your fault, own it.
Don't make up excuses or try to assign blame elsewhere. Simply admit the breakdown, apologize and then begin calmly trying
to resolve the problem.
Your customer might have misunderstood information given to them and need some clarification. Don't create an argument or
fan the flames of one that is already in progress, but calmly state the facts, and only when it's your turn to talk. Make
sure you have the documentation to back up your words, if pressed.
Don't fight to be right when dealing with an angry person. You will never win, even if you are right. Simply try to find out
the root of the problem and offer a scenario to fix it.
The angry or difficult customer has a problem that needs resolution. If you resolve the problem, or offer a solution to do
so, the anger or difficult situation will go away.
Keep in mind that all customers have a life outside of this body shop incident. We have no clue what that person's day has
been like. Maybe they just got fired or laid off. Maybe they just endured a death of a loved one or they have a sick child
at home. The problems with their car might just be the last straw in a string of nasty occurrences on a bad day. They are
probably not really angry or frustrated with you, you just happen to be the one they are venting to or looking to for help.
Never take a customer's anger or aggression personally. Try to understand that it is being directed to you, but it's not about
you. It will be easier to take if you do so.
