Defusing angry customers

- In his book, "Working With Emotional Intelligence" Daniel Goleman described a phenomenon called emotional hijacking. This occurs when emotions become so strong that they hijack the rational part of the brain. People suddenly lose the ability to be reasonable until these strong emotions can be soothed. This video will share some techniques to help you navigate these difficult situations. Let's start by looking at a scene where a customer experiences an emotional hijacking. - This is ridiculous. I've been waiting for half an hour. Why am I still here? - Okay, miss, calm down. It's only been 10 minutes. - Don't tell me to calm down. What kind of attitude is that? Let me speak to your supervisor. - Customers can get really angry over what may seem like a small issue and I've seen employees make it worse by saying things like calm down or arguing with the customer. A common phrase in our industry is the customer is always right. That saying is not technically true. In this case, the customer had been waiting for 10 minutes, not 30. What the phrase really means is don't argue with customers. Customers often exaggerate when they experience an emotional hijacking. Their anger will only get worse if you argue with them or try to prove them wrong. When a customer's emotions are running high, it's important to try to help them feel better so you can serve them once again. You can use the acknowledge and refocus technique to help diffuse a customer's anger in these situations. Start by listening carefully to your customer and letting them vent. This helps naturally deflate some of their anger. Next, acknowledge your customer's feelings and show you want to help. This doesn't necessarily mean you agree with everything they are saying. Your goal is just to avoid an argument. Finally, refocus the conversation on a solution to help your customer shift to a more positive outlook. Let's look at that same scene again, but this time the receptionist uses the acknowledge and refocus technique to help the customer feel better. - This is ridiculous. I'm waiting for half an hour. Why am I still here? - I'm very sorry about the wait. Are you on a tight schedule? - Not really. I just can't stand waiting. I had to wait at the post office this morning, then I had to wait at the DMV and now I have to wait here. - Wow, you've done a lot of waiting today. - Yeah, I figured I could get a few things done on my day off, but everything's taking forever. - I know what you mean. I don't like waiting at all. You should be next but let me just go check just to make sure. - Okay, thanks. - The employee was more successful in the second scene because he let the customer vent without arguing. He acknowledged the customer's feelings about waiting too long and then quickly refocused the conversation on finding a solution. You may have also noticed the customer was still a little upset at the end of the second scene. Keep in mind, it can take time for a customer to recover from an emotional hijacking. Stepping away from the situation for just a moment can give the customer a little more time to cool down. Here's an exercise that will help you use the acknowledge and refocus technique with your next angry customer. Start by thinking about an upset customer you serve. Imagine yourself using the acknowledge and refocus technique to diffuse their anger. Visualizing yourself using this technique can make it easier to remember it when you are in the heat of the moment with an upset customer. I can't promise this technique will work with everyone. There are just some customers you can't make happy no matter what you do. What's important is that you try. You'll have a far better chance of success if you start with a genuine desire to make even the angriest customers happy again.