How To Deal With Angry Customers

How To Deal With Angry Customers

Every day, we meet with angry customers in our line of business, and hence the need to know how to deal with angry customers.

As interesting as building good customer relationships through communication is, there is every tendency that you will encounter some challenges along the way.

One of these challenges is the case where your customer is upset or angry. 

Although the reasons for their anger could be due to some factors unrelated to your products and services.

Still, you must find a way to handle the situation as their anger could hurt your business.

This is why we will be sharing with you who an angry customer is, the various causes of customer anger, and how to deal with them appropriately.

How to Deal with Angry Customers- Who is an Angry Customer?

An angry customer is a customer who feels disappointed and betrayed by your brand or business.

Unlike dissatisfied customers, angry customers express aggressive emotions to show their anger and frustrations.

Angry customers also tend to use certain rude, abusive words or accusatory languages.

Angry customers come in different forms and use different approaches, some of which could be; highly critical, aggressive, impatient, and highly complainant.

Regardless of how angry they are, the burden is on you as a business owner/service provider to know how best to deal with the situation to prevent further aggregation and tarnish your business’ reputation.

Before we discover how to handle angry customers, let’s consider some basics.

How to Deal with Angry Customers – What May Cause Customers to Get Angry?

Now that we are aware of whom an angry or upset customer is, it is essential that we also understand the circumstances and situations that cause them to be angry.

These circumstances or situations vary from one another.

They include;

Past Encounters

One of the reasons why the customer gets angry and upset is because of experiences with similar brands or businesses.

These negative experiences have been built up in their minds.

Hence, any occurrence of a similar situation upsets them immediately.

Poor Customer Service

When your customers are not being attended to appropriately by your communications or customer service team, they will get irritated and upset.

In cases where your customer service representatives or communication team are not properly trained or do not respond to emails, text messages, and requests of your customers, customers will result in complaining and aggressiveness. 

Where solutions are not being provided as well, customers get angry.

Rudeness and interruptions from your communication representatives to your customers is another reason why customers get upset. 

Poor Quality of Products and Services

Customers also get angry when your products and services do not meet their expectations or your promises. 

In this case, be sure to expect calls and complaints from angry and disappointed customers.

Unavailability

Are you easily accessible?

Can your customers conveniently reach you?

If your customers cannot easily assess your business or customer representatives, there is a possibility that they will become upset.

This is true, especially when they have to place an order, make an urgent inquiry, lay complaints, or ask questions.

This could easily get them irritated or angry for such poor services.

Language Barriers/Ineffective Communication

Language and cultural barriers are other factors that can get your customers upset and agree.

As a business or brand, it is only natural that you have customers from different parts of the world with different abilities and disabilities.

This is why you need to devise and adapt methods that ensure effective communication between you and your customers.

When there’s no effective communication, there’s prone to be misunderstandings.

Thus leading to situations where you have to deal with angry or agitated customers.

Untimely Responses to Complaints

When their needs and problems are not fixed or responded to on time, customers feel undervalued and disregarded.

Customers who feel undervalued will definitely be angry with the business.

Personal Reasons

As we earlier stated, sometimes your customers can be upset for reasons unrelated to you or your products and services.

 It could be tiredness for work or home, frustration, media, and health crisis.

Nevertheless, you should be able to respond to them politely, positively, and emphatically.

This way, you get to build trust and loyalty with your customers and prevent situations where you have to deal with angry customers.

Lack of Transparency

A lack of transparency on your part as a business or brand can lead to your customers getting upset and angry.

Lack of transparency could be in the form of hidden costs and charges on your products and services or not keeping to your promises or your words to your customers.

Negative Effects of an Angry Customer on your Business

The actions of an angry customer can have a very negative impact on your business and brand, which is why you should strive to ensure customer satisfaction in your business.

Some of these negative impacts include;

Bad Reputation and Reviews

An angry customer tends to spread bad reviews about your products and services via the internet.

They also do that through word of mouth to potential customers.

This could give others a negative view of your companies image and prevent you from gaining new customers.

Loss of Customers

When an angry customer does not get the right treatment from you, they may stop patronizing your business.

This means that you have lost a potential loyal customer.

Additional Expenses

Another negative effect of an angry customer is that it not only makes you lose potential customers.

You also have to spend more money trying to devise means and methods to acquire new customers for your business.

Reduction in Profit

If your customers keep getting displeased about your products, services, and communication methods, they move on to patronize other businesses.

This could result in profit reduction for your business.

How to Deal with Angry Customer; Things You Shouldn’t Do

When dealing with angry customers, you have to be extremely careful as that is such a delicate situation.

For instance, you must refrain from using certain words or phrases as these would further trigger them and prevent them from patronizing you.

It could also put you at the risk of losing the customer entirely.

Some of these things you should and shouldn’t do when dealing with angry customers are: 

Never Tell  Angry Customers That They Are at Fault

One thing to refrain from when attending to angry customers is telling them that it is their fault.

Even when a customer is at fault either by ordering the wrong item or not following instructions, you should never blame him/her.

Winning the customer’s trust and loyalty cannot happen if you blame your customers for the problem at hand.

Hence, you must avoid this when dealing with angry customers.

Do Not Tell Your Customers There is Nothing You Can Do About The Situation Without First Trying

One of the major keys to a good customer service relationship is knowing when to apologize and take the blame. 

Telling your customers that nothing you can do to help them would only provoke them.

Hence, avoid making such statements when dealing with angry customers.

Never Use a Rude Tone or Word With an Angry Customer

An angry customer can easily read meanings to the tone of your voice or your words.

So refrain from using words like “What is it?”, What do you want again?”, “Can you hold on?” I can not help you because my shift has ended,” etc.

Hence, try as much as possible not to be rude when dealing with angry customers.

Never Interrupt an Angry Customer or Cut Them Short 

Interrupting an angry customer is not the way to calm them down.

Instead of asking them to stop talking, so you can pay close attention and listen to all that you have to say.

That way, you can figure out what the problem is, as well as the solution.

Don’t Interrogate a Customers at the Point of Anger

Asking your angry customers questions like; “why didn’t you?”, “Did you read the model or follow the instructions?”, “Seriously?”  “Are you sure you didn’t.?” can provoke your customers further.

You could focus on asking them questions that begin with words like” what,” when,” “how,” and who.

Do Not Take the Angry Customers’ Actions Personally

Whatever an angry customer says or does, you should not take it personally.

This means that you would have to put your personal feelings aside and focus on the problems at hand.

Putting your feelings aside helps you to remain positive and give your customer the best services that you can.

These are some of the things that could further provoke an angry customer that you should avoid doing when dealing with angry customers.

How to Deal with Angry Customers; Things You Should Do

As we have elaborated in the previous segment customers, get angry and upset for several reasons.

Being fully aware of these, you must find ways to handle them without aggravating the situation.

Here are some of the things you should do when dealing with angry customers.

Genuinely Listen to their Complaints

One of the best ways to handle an upset customer is to listen attentively and reflectively to their complaints.

By listening to your angry customers, you can fully understand their words, disappointments, and problems.

Listening allows you to move past their emotions and feelings to understand their cause of anger.

Thus helping you offer the best solution to their problems and managing the situation appropriately.

Show Genuine Concern/ Empathy

Empathy plays an essential role when it comes to dealing with an angry and upset customer.

Your customers need to know that you care and understand why and how they are feeling.

It also proves to your customers that you regard and value them.

Empathy says, ” I understand your pain because I feel what you’re going through.”

These soothing words and genuine show of concern is an effective way to deal with angry customers and avoid more damages.

Calm Them Down

As much as you’ll want to lose your cool due to the angry customer yelling at you, you shouldn’t.

Instead, you should keep your cool and try as much as possible to calm the angry customer down.

When doing this, be careful not to sound or look disrespectful.

Politely tell the customer to calm down so you both can find a solution to the problem.

Thereby helping you deal with angry customers effectively.

If You Cannot Solve Customers Problems, Provide Tangible Reasons to Back It Up

When dealing with an angry customer, you must provide a valid explanation as to why you cannot provide a solution or answer to the request.

Rather than leaving it at “We/I cannot help you,”

You could also move on to providing alternative suggestions for them.

Never tell customers that you cannot help them without providing tangible reasons.

Maintain a Positive and Calm Tone

Dealing with angry customers is one of the most daunting tasks you will have to carry out occasionally.

This is because customers who are upset often approach you with a very negative tone and language.

Though you might get tempted to follow suit with the same approach, it is essential that you consciously and intentionally respond to these angry customers with a calm tone and a language that changes the conversation from negative to positive.

Fix the Problem

When a customer reaches out to you with a complaint, rather than telling them what you cannot do, tell them about the methods and structures you are putting in place to solve their problems.

Ensure you give your best efforts to try and solve the problems.

This way, you’ll effectively deal with angry customers and show them you care.

Thereby helping you regain your customer’s trust and loyalty.

Personalize your Approach

An angry customer will get more upset when they reach out to you, and your response is robotic or automated.

Instead, try personalizing each approach to your customers.

By personalizing your approach, you could use your customers’ names rather than the general “dear customer phrase.” 

This approach shows your customers that you respect, regard, and care for them.

Apologize

 The customers are always right.

Therefore you will ensure that you, first, apologize for the experiences and feelings that are causing them to be upset.

Apologizing also means taking responsibility for what has happened and letting your customers know you’re truly sorry.

This does not only prove to your customers that you are concerned or you care, but it also helps you to build a better relationship with them.

Overall, these are the best approaches to dealing with angry customers, maintaining your business reputation, and promoting customer loyalty.

Benefits of Managing Angry Customers

Just as angry customers hurt your business, the happy client also positively impacts your business.

When you effectively handle ugly scenarios and deal with angry customers in your business, there are many benefits you’ll enjoy.

Some of these benefits are;

Customer Retainment and Loyalty

One of the most important positive impacts of dealing with an angry customer the right way is that they move past the disappointments and the problems they have encountered while using your products or service.

By moving past these events, they continue to patronize you since you have made them feel valued and important, till they eventually become loyal customers.

Therefore, promoting customer retention.

Increase in Profit

When an angry customer is treated with respect and professionalism, it increases your profit.

This is because they go from being upset to being happy and satisfied.

A happy and satisfied client would recommend your business and brand to other potential customers, which would help to increase your profit.

Good Reviews and Publicity

An angry customer might go around spreading and writing bad reviews about your business.

This might hinder you from gaining new customers.

A customer whose needs were met and problems solved will give a positive and good review of your business.

This will help to build your company’s image.

Saves Cost

The cost of retaining and satisfying existing customers is nothing compared to the expenses you will incur while trying to reach new customers.

This is why you should strive to ensure that your preexisting customers are happy and satisfied, as they could create an opportunity to get more customers.

Feedback

Additionally, while carefully dealing with an angry customer, you have the privilege of receiving feedback on how to improve your products, services, and customer relations.

This will help you find better ways of meeting the client’s demands.

Trust and Confidence

Angry customers can also rebuild their trust and confidence in your business.

However, this can only happen when they are being respected, valued, treated right and when their problems are being solved timely.

Conclusion on How to Deal with Angry Customers

Customers are the backbones of every business.

This is why it is important to ensure that your customers are happy with your products, services, and customer relations at all times.

A happy customer has a positive impact on your business, while an unhappy or upset customer hurts your business.

 These tips are here to guide you in handling your customer relations better.