High-Achieving Women's Blogazine

We all know that angry callers are a fact of life and at some point we all may encounter an angry person especially if we sell products or services.  The key to handling an angry caller is not to take h/her hostility personally. Before trying to respond to an angry caller, let h/her vent. 

Only then will h/she be interested in hearing what you have to say.  When you respond, indicate that you heard and understand what is said.  Do this by providing a summary of the key points.

It is important to empathize with the angry caller even if you believe h/she is wrong. It is at this point that you must listen for subtle messages h/she sends.  Develop a relationship with the caller by using h/her name.  This makes it more difficult for h/she to attack you and much easier for h/her to be receptive to your offer to correct the problem.

Avoid using the word “you” near the beginning of your statements. Phrases such as “You need to…” place blame on the caller. Instead, use “I” phrases such as “Might I suggest…”. Don’t say “I’m sorry”. You can, however, apologize for the caller’s inconvenience. You can say that you regret that h/she is dissatisfied. But do not say the words “I’m sorry”. Ask the person what you can do to correct the problem.  Let them know how you will correct the problem and the date that it will be corrected and by whom.  Be sure to leave the caller with the appropriate contact numbers and a definite follow-up date.

It is extremely important not to let an unpleasant caller ruin your day.  When you hang up the telephone, leave any unpleasant feelings about the caller behind and continue your day with much success.

Hope you enjoyed this post.  It helped one of my clients handle an anger customer several months ago.