One of the easiest ways to diffuse an angry customer is to kill them with kindness, but you don’t have to be a doormat and let them stomp their feet all over you while being your caring self. Besides, by acting very, very sympathetic – especially if someone is being nasty on purpose –  really gets under their skin, and admit it… at times that can be very gratifying. It also usually shames them into behaving more courteously.  Getting your point across can be as easy as offering an unprompted  “I’m sorry you’re having a bad day”.  This unexpected statement calls attention to the bad behavior in a non-threatening way.  It also could startle them into asking why you said that.  Your unassuming reply can be “It just seems like you’re having a bad day”. Often calling out their bad behavior in this gentle way is enough to put a stop to it. To top it off, you earn points for empathy, whether heartfelt or not. Regardless if this technique works immediately or takes a bit of time you’ll have to keep piling on the kindness for the rest of the transaction. And who knows, you could win over a long-term customer who always goes out of their way to be especially nice to you!

Next week: Sparring with your customer