When choosing your profession, you are rarely told that you will be showered with people’s negativity. However, this is what being a customer support specialist means in most cases. This exceptional talent of knowing how to deal with rude customers is not given to everyone, but you can learn just the right approach by working on your manner of speech and professional attitude. Below are 12 correct ways to start with.

12 Correct Ways to Deal With Rude Customers

1

It’s not about you

Whether a customer has had a bad day or your company has indeed upset them with your service or product, don’t take it personally. It wasn’t you who caused the inconvenience, but you are in the position to get everything sorted. Probably, you are the only one to cease the customer’s fire and resolve the issue. So go ahead and work your magic without being taken aback.

2

Keeping calm is key

It doesn’t matter if your head is about to explode from being yelled at, knowing how to deal with rude customers includes practicing to radiate calmness. Whatever you are experiencing from a rude customer, it’s better to stay cool and not to let your voice rise as it’s likely to escalate the situation.

3

Don’t speak their language

To flaunt your professionalism and confirm that you’re in the right position to solve the sore issue, don’t ever speak the same rude language that builds on emotions; instead, use your common sense and expertise. Being a perfect customer service specialist takes the ability to recognize the root cause and attend to it at the top of your professional ability. Hearing from someone really knowledgeable is likely to calm a rude customer down.

4

Show the authority

Although it is widely accepted that the customer is always right (we all know sometimes it’s wrong), you need to keep the distance between you both while being empathic and attentive to the customer’s problem. In extreme cases when the customers start to lose their temper altogether, it’s important to remind them of the basics of etiquette and plain respect to cool them off and start anew on a friendlier note.

5

Be a good listener

All the problems are to be resolved, and the most effective way to get it done is to listen. Behind those furious rants and exclamations, the customer will be trying to explain the cause of their frustration and anger, so once you pick up the phone or say “How can I help you”, be prepared to listen and recognize the issue with your professional eye and ear.

6

Disarm them with your sympathy

With this technique on how to deal with rude customers, you are likely to act contrary to your customers’ expectations. As they prepare to receive a poor service that would only confirm their assumptions about your company, you will show what an exemplary customer service means, with your polite manners, extreme attention, kindness and true sympathy. We know it’s hard when you are literally boiling, but this is what makes a dedicated professional stand out.

7

Show you are on the same page

Don’t just listen to the customer and nod occasionally. From time to time, show you’re engaged in the matter, trying to reiterate the customer’s information and inserting knowledgeable remarks. Soon this will cool the customer off because there will be nothing else that he or she could confront.

8

Apologies make perfect

From the very start and up to the end of your encounter, be sure to apologize even though it may be neither your nor your company’s fault. Without this little step you will be hardly able to learn how to deal with rude customers and convince them of your ability to help and set off a friendly tone to the entire conversation. Admitting one’s fault acts as a trigger of sympathy, which will work towards a successful outcome much faster and with less blood.

9

Don’t lie

It’s always obvious when someone’s being fooled for the sake of avoiding unpleasant consequences. If you don’t know how to help or need to escalate the issue to your management, be sincere about this. We are all humans, and there are thousands of variables that could go wrong, especially if you’re dealing with information technology bugs that no human intervention could quickly fix.

10

Don’t be afraid to call for help

When you feel you aren’t making it yourself, don’t be afraid to admit you need help. Sometimes it acts as a soothing element for a grumpy customer as they would be pleased to know their issue will be considered by a few specialists. Even rude customers understand that your time is precious, so gathering an expert committee of people dealing with an individual issue may be a win-win situation.

11

You are not a wizard

Sometimes there is just nothing you can do because of a poor combination of events. Even if you lose customers in such cases, don’t start blaming yourself for doing something wrong. If you suspect that you could do better, talk to your manager in a sort of review to identify possible techniques for dealing with similar issues and work out a viable method together.

12

Let it go

As a customer support specialist, you are likely to deal with dozens of requests a day. To prevent burning out, you should work on your preferred ways to cool off and let all the irritation and bad thoughts go. For this, you can try everything from a walk in the park to talking to your colleagues over a cup of coffee. Empty your mind every once in a while can definitely help you understand how to deal with rude customers better.

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