If a customer is making unrelenting blows at the chink in your armor and you’ve tried rising above it, piling on the kindness until you think flowers are going to bloom out your…ears, used every other trick up your sleeve and it just isn’t working. Is it ok to fight back?
The answer is maybe. First, make sure you are reading your customer correctly. Only then, with a big dose of calmness can you stand up to your customer. Be cautioned, if you come on too strong with the wrong customer it could cost you more than an apology. And of course there are rules…
- No matter what happens – Stay calm and stand up for yourself.
- Let the customer know that you want to help them but you will not tolerate verbal abuse. – Often this step alone will put an end to the bad behavior.
- If an error was made fix it. Apologize, but never grovel, with some personalities this can actually aggravate them more.
- Make sure you are heard but keep your voice low and quiet and use slightly longer than usual silences to gain power in the situation.
- Have a good working knowledge of your business and its policies.
- Remember your goal isn’t to “win this fight” it is to win the customer over.