Some of your clients are going to end up angry, either because of a breach of responsibility on your end or because of a misunderstanding. In rare cases, clients may be irrationally angry – projecting anger onto you and your associates with no underlying motivation.
How you manage angry clients will determine whether you can salvage your relationships with them and affect your reputation as a brand at the same time. It’s an opportunity to ease tensions and move on productively, while ensuring you walk away with a good review and a decent chance to win referrals in the future.
So what steps can you take to successfully navigate this figurative minefield?
Start by Listening
The best thing you can do to start is listen. This client is angry for a reason, and you may or may not know the full extent of that reasoning. Listening is your opportunity to learn as much as you can about this situation so that you can be equipped with the information necessary to resolve it. You're not going to learn about your client’s anger or figure out how to resolve that anger if all you're doing is talking over them or ignoring what they have to say.
Listening is also a gesture of compassion and willingness to work. When your angry client sees that you're patiently listening, rather than dismissing them, they're immediately going to feel more validated and therefore less angry.
Remain Calm
When someone is yelling at you, or if you're in a tense situation with no clear resolution in sight, it's easy to become flustered. But if you want to resolve this situation quickly and efficiently, you need to find a way to remain calm – and demonstrate that calmness to your client.
Here are just a few ways you can do it:
· Show empathy. Try to show empathy and compassion by expressing acknowledgement of their emotional state. Saying something like “I understand why you're angry, and honestly, I'd be angry in your position as well” can quickly defuse the situation.
· Use positive language. Avoid using negative language or language that's harsh or confrontational. Words and phrases like “yes,” and “I can help you with that” are better than, “no” or “actually, you should know.” Confrontational or negative phrases may escalate the situation.
· Watch your tone. Keep close control over your tone, whether you're speaking or writing. Try to remain friendly and open.
Correct the Problem (If Possible)
Most of your angry clients are going to be angry because they have a specific problem with how you've done business. The quickest way to resolve that anger in the long term is to find a way to correct the problem.
The exact resolution is going to depend on the problem itself.
If the client is angry that you haven't delivered a package on time, or if they need immediate physical assistance, this could be exactly what they need. Alternatively, you can recommend enlisting the help of a different service or connect them to a partner or affiliate who can help them further.
Provide Thorough Information
Try to be as informative as possible. Expressing compassion and listening are great places to start, but if you're going to fully resolve the client's anger, you may need to educate them. That means helping them understand the root cause of the problem, helping them understand your company policies, or providing them with insights as to why you can't offer an immediate fix.
Offer a Compromise
If there's no easy way to solve the problem, consider offering a compromise. For example, let's say a client paid you $1,000 for a specific service and they're currently very unhappy with the service you provided. You can't afford to give them a full refund after spending so much money providing them with these services, and they're not going to be satisfied simply walking away with nothing. Consider offering them a partial refund of $500 as a middle ground compromise.
Issue an Apology
Apologies go a long way. Even if you feel you're in the right and the client is behaving irrationally, providing a sincere apology isn't going to hurt you. Explain that you regret that this situation unfolded the way it did and that you want to make things better.
Make Up for the Central Issue
You can't go back in time, so you probably can't undo whatever it was that upset your client in the first place. But you can take measures to make up for the central issue. After dealing with aggravating services or unmet expectations, clients may be assuaged buy a discount on a future order, a gift card, or free complimentary services.
Learn From This Experience
Nobody likes to deal with angry clients. You won't have to deal with angry clients if you prevent them from emerging in the first place. After resolving this situation, take a moment to critically analyze the situation. Is there anything you or your coworkers could have done differently to prevent their anger from arising in the first place? If so, start taking steps to change your policies or procedures so you can prevent future angry clients.
Consider Severing Ties
If the client is angry consistently, no matter how hard you try or how much you listen, you may consider severing ties. Though rare, occasionally you may find certain individuals who are practically impossible to work with. There's no reason to put yourself through the wringer every time you have an interaction with this person, so consider having a frank conversation and letting the client go.
Fortunately, most angry clients will find peace and satisfaction with just a handful of proactive and reactive steps. If you care about resolving the relationship, and you're willing to remain calm and focused on the matter, you can patch things up and preserve your forward momentum.
