How to Handle Difficult Customers In The Call Center?

Apr 17,2023 / by Kolaxo CCS

Customer service agents dealing with difficult customers is a daily routine in call centers. All problems of the customers should be resolved quickly and efficiently, as it is great for providing ideal customer satisfaction.

A survey of customer satisfaction was conducted by over 700 consumers and 80% of them said that they would move toward a competitor, if they had a bad customer experience.

Another survey shows that 90% of customers who experience bad customer service won’t come back to that brand again and even 68% of them are willing to pay more to a business with excellent customer service.

If you want to increase the ratio of customer satisfaction, you need to train your customer service agents to help the consumers with their problems politely and professionally. Angry or difficult customers are a great opportunity for the brand, it means that if you successfully satisfied the irritated or angry customers, they will become your regular customers which is great for the brand.

In this article, we are going to explore how to handle difficult customers in call centers.

Listen Attentively

When angry customers call, the first thing that might be helpful is by listening to them attentively. Take a notepad and write every single detail of their issues for a better solution. Do not interrupt the customers, even though you know that they are mistaken or have incomplete information about their complaint.  Sometimes all customers want is to vent the frustration out of their chest. When they are done then provide the effective solutions.

Don’t Get Personal

A professional customer service agent should be self-aware and not take the aggressive behavior of the customers personally. Front-line agents should separate their emotions and try to focus on the main issue of the difficult customers by using soft skills strategies to calm them. You can use nice language that shows the customers that you care and take their issues seriously such as “Let me help you”, “if I heard you correctly you are saying…” etc.

Show Your Empathy

To provide the best customer service, call center representatives should follow the “sympathize, empathize, and apologies” mantra. Many customers find it calming when someone expresses empathy for their issues and the stress they are facing. Soothe the customers by saying that you understand their problem and you will be working on that to resolve the issue quickly.

Stay Calm

Dealing with difficult and aggressive customers patiently and calmly is the main reason behind good customer service. Call center representatives should respond to angry customers’ issues with the same amount of calmness to their aggression. Here are some points that help you to stay calm in the stressful situation:

Make sure your tone remains the same while dealing with the issues of the customers.

Remind yourself that your role is to solve the problem not to get mad at the customers.

Smile when you speak that makes your tone lovely and customers can also hear your smile on the phone.

Breathe slowly yet calmly to avoid giving the impression to the customers that you are getting angry.

Put yourself in the customers’ shoes and then try to resolve the problem.

Offer The Best Possible Solution

When you successfully handle difficult customers, now is the right time you can offer the best possible solution to them. Explain the solution for better understanding and satisfaction of the customers. Many aggressive and difficult customers can be easily handled by silently listening to what they are saying and show your empathy and, in the end, calming them down with an effective solution and with some compensation.

About 86% of customers that experienced good customer services become repeated and long-term customers of the brand. If you handle unhappy customers professionally, they will become your great brand advocates.

Bottom Lines

Customer satisfaction is vital for business growth. This is why call center representatives should handle difficult customers calmly, patiently, and professionally for their satisfaction. Handling difficult and aggressive customers are not easy but if you follow the above-mentioned tips, you’ll resolve their issues efficiently.