Tips to soothe a raging customer
In this new regular feature, we introduce you to a remarkable customer service specialist who will teach you how to masterfully handle difficult customer disputes that arise in your dealership.
It takes patience and calmness when dealing with difficult customers who are raising their voice and cursing. But with a few tricks, you can turn a “suing customer” into a “saluting customer.”
How many times has someone in your dealership been confronted with someone saying something like this:
“Take your damn warranty policy and shove it! When I bought this car from your dealership, I was told by your sales staff that my car is covered from ‘bumper to bumper’ for everything. I mean everything including rust on the hood! I don’t give a *#% about your &%@ policy, just fix it or else!”
Don’t match their anger
You and I know that not all the customers behave like angels. Sometimes we run into the “customer from hell” and most dealerships sometimes encounter a stream of angry and belligerent customers who have problems they want quickly resolved in their favour.
Customers are people and, let’s face it, from time to time they behave poorly. While you can’t expect them to always behave nicely, what you can do is treat them nicely. As difficult as it can be, you can’t react defensively or worse — offensively.
When you encounter an agry or defensive customer you have a choice in how you respond. Reacting to an angry customer with a defensive attitude is only asking for more abuse and doesn’t help the customer feel one bit better. It also doesn’t solve their problem.
The problem of an irate customer is actually two problems in one. First, you have to deal with the customer’s feelings. Then you have to try as best you can to solve the problem that made him or her mad in the first place. If you simply solve the problem without making an effort to soothe their anger, they probably won’t be back.
Screaming tactic
It’s a common tactic for an upset customer to raise their voice to attract the attention of others, sometimes trying to get sympathy from other customers and by creating an embarrassing shouting match at the dealership.
Sometimes they think issues will be resolved quickly in their favour because dealership staff will just want them to be quiet and go away.
That’s one reason that one of the worst things you can do is argue with the customer. Never allow the customer to put you on the defensive — it’s a lose-lose situation.
Respond to your customer’s comments with something like: “I’m sorry you are upset. Let’s see what we can do to solve your problem and make things right for you.”
A soft start like that can can help defuse tensions. Always remember to acknowledge, empathize and apologize for any inconvenience caused. But while apologizing for how the issue inconvenienced them is fair game, do not admit responsibility or promise any compensation or make a final decision until you probe further and analyze the root cause of the issue.
Understanding your customer’s nature, state of mind and profile is the most important step to take before initiating any resolution process. How well you are able to calm a difficult customer will make the difference between satisfying them and furthering their feelings of frustration.
Customer retention or tension — it all starts with you!
After assuring the customer you are going to help, create a friendly and comfortable environment by inviting him or her quickly, quietly and politely in your office. Once you are set, let the customer blow off steam and vent out the issues to calm down.
Listen patiently and attentively to the details of the problem without interrupting and soon you will discover why the customer is being difficult. Register the case and make notes on a “Customer Concern Form” and jot down the prime issue first. Let the customer take the lead to speak.
Despite having all the best intentions to provide a first class service and product, it is virtually impossible in our business to avoid some degree of customer dissatisfaction at some time or another.
But we always have to remember that running a successful dealership operation is all about acquiring and retaining customers.
Without the customers, no dealership can run as a profitable business and having satisfied customers is the best assets your dealership can have. If you want to raise revenue with the highest CSI rating, you’ll have to master the art of customer service excellence. Treat your customers like royalty — even the difficult ones — and you’ll retain them for life.
