hey everyone this is your contact center coach here to talk about one of the most important
skills you can have as a contact center agent how to handle angry callers in this video i'll be
talking about complaints and give you some great tips on how to manage even the most difficult
callers i'll also be giving away something valuable to one lucky viewer who watches this
video through to the end this video is brought to you by benchmark portal the source for contact
center training certification benchmarking and consulting services if this is your first time
on this channel thanks for stopping by if you like this video please subscribe and hit the like
button below to keep getting more helpful videos just like this one so let's get started in our
first two videos on soft skills we define them as skills that are not measurable like vocal quality
attitude or effective questioning there are skills that can make you a world-class performer
in how you handle calls and how you interact with others in this lesson we're just going
to focus on one soft skill that can keep you on your feet under pressure handling angry customers
let's face it handling complaints or angry customers is not the easiest part of a contact
center agent's job but it's a necessary part that when handled well can make you a superstar
think of a complaint as a gift it's an opportunity to correct a service or improve a product when
they don't live up to customer expectations that builds trust and long-term relationships between
you and your customers so take it as a gift because customers can be your best advocates not
just your worst critics when handling a complaint identify the reason for the complaint and reflect
back your understanding of the issue for example let me see if i understand this correctly
this acknowledges that you understand and allows the caller to make corrections after all you don't
want an angry call to escalate further because you didn't take the time to thoroughly understand
most importantly apologize even if the customer is red-hot and wrong an apology is always welcome
but be sincere or you'll get flagged for a legal procedure every time use the tools you
have to identify a solution and provide options when possible this makes callers feel valued
and it's also a lot harder for them to be angry with you when they made the choice
finally document the resolution thoroughly in the customer record
this is critical in the event that they call you back or call someone else
some important do's and don'ts first don't take it personally that can be tough especially when
you're being called names but just remember they're not really angry with you they're
angry with the situation so keep your cool respond don't react responding is thoughtful
and polite reacting is emotional and that can lead to escalations keep some distance from emotions
focusing on the issues not in the way it's presented picture a filter between you and
the caller that keeps the angry stuff on the other side only allowing through the facts that you need
regardless of how the caller expresses it they're asking for help some people are just
better at it than others so try to understand and empathize with the reasons for their anger
and why they need your help to defuse anger allow the caller to speak that's why they're calling you
so just listen gather details and ask questions if the caller is venting let them go
they'll pause when it's okay for you to speak so wait and listen for the pause
when you do respond do it with empathy there's some great tips on empathy in a previous soft
skills video linked above speak in a voice that's slightly lower in volume lower in pitch
and slower than normal this low and slow approach has a calming effect and puts you in control
if you can offer something extra like waiving a payment fee or allowing additional time even the
smallest offer can result in a happier ending because it says we appreciate your business
for watching this video we have a super offer for you
simply subscribe like and let us know techniques you use for diffusing anger in the comments below
when we reach 100 likes for this video we'll give away a free agent certification course
to the person who left the best comment but you do have to subscribe like and comment to be eligible
so do all of that and share this video with your friends to drive those likes up to 100 and you
could be the winner of an excellent training and certification course valued at 195 dollars
by the way we have some other great online programs that can help you
in your career development you can find links to those in the description below well that's
all for now this is your contact center coach saying game over thanks for taking the time to
make yourself a better player for your company and for your customers now go out there and be great