How to Handle Angry Customers on the Phone: 11 De-escalation Tips

No matter what service or product your company offers, one thing is certain: you will inevitably encounter angry customers. In this article, we will see how you can handle a call from an angry customer. From the blunt remark, “Your customer service is the worst in the market,” to the threat of discontinuing their use of your services accompanied by the ominous promise of a bad review on Google, these disgruntled individuals can put your customer satisfaction skills to the test. Keeping customers happy and content is an ongoing challenge, as it is your responsibility to deliver a quality service or product. 

However, mistakes and misunderstandings can occur, leading to frustrated customers. In such situations, it is crucial to handle the issue with care and sensitivity. So, how do you handle an angry customer on a call, especially when the fault lies with your company?

How to Handle an Angry Customer

A thoughtful and sympathetic attitude is necessary when dealing with an angry customer. The first step is to allow the customer to voice their complaints while actively listening to them without interjecting. This indicates your appreciation and dedication to learning about their viewpoint. After they have expressed their worries, express empathy and accept their feelings. You can accomplish this by acknowledging and sympathizing with their annoyance or displeasure. Say something like, “I can see how this scenario may have produced discomfort for you,” or “I get why you feel that way.”

Sample de-escalation script

Customer: "I've been waiting for a week and my order still isn't here! This is unacceptable."

Agent: "I completely understand your frustration, and I sincerely apologize for the delay. Waiting longer than expected is not the experience we want for you. Let me pull up your order right now and find out exactly what's going on."

Also, make sure to:

• Offer prompt and relevant solutions to address their problems
• Follow company policies and procedures for handling irate customers
• Provide personalized and clear explanations to defuse anger
• Demonstrate commitment by following up after issue resolution
• Admit mistakes, if any, and work towards finding solutions
• Foster customer loyalty through kindness and patience

Why Is It Important to Help Upset Customers?

For a variety of reasons, helping angry customers is essential, and providing for their needs goes beyond basic customer service.

Maintaining a positive brand image, encouraging customer loyalty, and assuring a business’s overall success all depend on effectively handling irate customers.

1. Keep up your brand image

Resolving the issues raised by unhappy customers is essential to maintaining a business’s positive image. Negative experiences or unresolved problems can spread fast via social media and word-of-mouth, which could damage the reputation of the brand.

2. Retain customers

Repeat business is more likely to come from happy customers. Businesses can maintain current customers and create enduring bonds by resolving problems and showing a dedication to customer satisfaction.

3. Grow your business

Satisfied clients are more inclined to refer the company to others and to come back. Positive word-of-mouth marketing has the power to build a business by bringing in potential customers and growing existing customers.

4. Gain a competitive advantage

Customer service may make a big difference in today’s competitive industry. Businesses that regularly respond to customers’ complaints and offer top-notch customer service have an advantage over competitors who do not put the needs of their customers first.

5. Recognize the needs of the customer

Businesses can learn important information about the wants and preferences of their customers by interacting with unhappy clients. Such customer feedback can be used to improve products, services, and overall customer experience.]

11 Quick Tips On How To Deal With Angry Customers On the Call

1. Do not lose your cool

It is crucial to adopt a firm mindset when dealing with an upset consumer. Understand that nothing in the circumstance is a personal attack. Even if it would be natural to become angry in response, it is important to pay attention to this advice: keep your cool at all costs. Losing your temper in front of a furious customer will only fuel their frustration. Remember the following key points:

• Customer satisfaction is the top priority in any situation
• Don’t hesitate to seek help from your manager
• Follow company policies if a call with an angry customer becomes difficult
• Maintain composure when handling angry customers on calls
• Learn from examples of dealing with upset customers
• Always prioritize customer satisfaction, as per business policies

Acknowledge and appreciate that the customer has every right to be angry if they have not received satisfactory service. This mindset will help you remain calm and collected. When a customer contacts you to voice their concerns, they expect empathy and understanding, not a defensive or confrontational response from the customer care representative. In the midst of dealing with an angry customer, employ phrases such as “I understand your frustration” or “I am actively investigating the matter” and express gratitude by saying, “Thank you for bringing this to my attention.” Utilizing such phrases will instill hope in the customer, as they anticipate a concrete solution.

2. Use the power of silence

The power of silence in communicating can be pretty effective. While communicating with clients, pausing to hear and comprehend their issues before answering shows respect and attention to detail. It enables you to compile insightful information and customize your reaction accordingly. Silence can also allow the client to fully express themselves, resulting in a more fruitful exchange of ideas.

• Use intentional silence to spark curiosity.
• Engage attention by withholding essential information briefly
• When dealing with an angry customer, divide answers into key points
• Present complex solutions gradually for better understanding
• Use deliberate pauses to build suspense during conversations with customers

Integrate these strategies for managing angry customers in call centers or BPO environments, with examples highlighting the effective use of intentional silence in customer interactions.

3. Offer solutions, not excuses

Implementing a proactive attitude to problem-solving is essential. Concentrate on offering workable solutions rather than offering justifications or avoiding accountability. This indicates your dedication to client satisfaction and contributes to the development of your credibility. When a consumer runs into a problem, it is critical to listen to their concerns sympathetically and act quickly to fix the problem. For instance, if a customer has a technical issue with our product, you need to give it a top priority and dedicate resources to fix it right away.

• Show commitment to value through prompt solutions for angry customers
• Assure them by making recommendations for fixes or putting them in touch with the appropriate person
• Address the issue by proposing a follow-up call for a guaranteed solution
• Demonstrate dedication to handling angry customers in cloud call centers or BPO settings
• Emphasize value delivery in customer interactions
• Incorporate examples of effectively dealing with upset customers
• Handle irate customers by offering empathy and proactive solutions during calls

4. Never put them on hold

Though putting the call on hold might seem like a good idea to help the customer cool down or to find a way to solve the query, it is quite the opposite. Putting an angry customer on hold will infuriate them even more. Nobody likes to be kept on hold when they are expressing their concern. Keeping an already agitated customer on hold might make the situation worse.

• Wisely convey the need for a minute or putting on hold with upset customers
• Use the time to connect them with a supervisor or manager.
• Examples of dealing with angry customers include the strategic use of hold time
• Deal with angry customers by taking a brief pause to connect with higher-ups

5. Personalize the conversation

In interactions, personalization is crucial. Customers’ experiences can be considerably improved by using their names and addressing their specific needs and problems.

• Build trust by understanding and addressing the customer’s problems and goals.
• Approach engagements from the customer’s perspective
• Handle calls from angry customers with empathy and connection
• Answer inquiries with clarity and relevance to defuse anger

For example, it is essential to offer thorough details on integration choices and potential advantages if a customer asks about the compatibility of the product with current systems.

6. Use empathy to connect

Anger is a reaction that comes only after the limits have been crossed. You need to understand that a customer is confronting you only after they have gone through severe problems. You should try to talk only after putting yourself in their shoes. Also, remember to:

• Show understanding of their emotions
• Use empathetic language and tone
• Acknowledge their frustration or anger
• Offer genuine apologies when appropriate
• Avoid being defensive; focus on solutions
• Demonstrate a willingness to help and resolve issues

Try to empathize with them by using statements like “I understand your situation”, “I can understand what you must be feeling”, “I would have done the same in your position,” or simply convey that they are being understood by you and you are looking for a solution. Furthermore, trying to validate what they are saying might make an agitated customer feel heard and can even help calm them down. Use phrases such as “You are very right about it” or “Your concern is right”. Getting such replies will make the customer feel valued.

7. Make the customer feel good

It is vital to create a welcoming environment for customers as a customer service professional. By doing so, you may promote relationships of trust and strengthen customer satisfaction. One strategy that works well is to welcome customers with a smile and a genuine greeting, emphasizing their importance to our business. Assuring clients that their issues are significant to us through our encounters can help us establish a favorable emotional connection.

• Actively listen to angry customers to understand their needs and concerns
• Respond promptly and politely to questions or issues
• Provide personalized solutions and clear explanations
• Ensure customers feel heard, valued, and appreciated
• Handle calls from angry customers with attentive listening
• Effectively manage irate customers in cloud contact center interactions
• Examples of dealing with upset customers include personalized customer care solutions
• Deal with anger by creating a positive customer service experience

8. Take ownership of the problem

One of the most significant elements of offering outstanding service is taking ownership of the complaints from customers. You must take responsibility for locating a solution when a consumer contacts us with a complaint. This involves avoiding assigning blame or placing the onus on other divisions or people. Instead, you should proactively look for answers, working with the appropriate teams to properly solve the problem.

• Take responsibility and be open in interactions with angry customers
• Set reasonable standards for deadlines, updates, and results
• Build trust by taking charge of handling customer problems
• Demonstrate dedication to customer satisfaction through proactive actions
• Handle calls from angry customers by addressing immediate problems
• Efficiently manage irate customers with a calling solution
• Examples of dealing with upset customers include setting realistic expectations
• Enhance our reputation by being a trustworthy business that values customers

9. Use IVR to guide callers

Last but not least, having an IVR or cloud call center solution can help you improve your customers’ experience. Opt for MyOperator as your trusted office IVR service provider for improved customer communication. MyOperator provides a full-fledged solution to enhance your customer-calling experience. Our IVR setup comes with a centralized phone number for business. This virtual number can incorporate various departments and multiple agents. This ensures that your customers do not have to go through the trouble of trying multiple phone numbers. IVR greetings can make your consumers’ experience better with the help of customized and professional voice messages. Additionally, providing a toll-free number can further enhance accessibility and convenience for your customers.

10. Follow up in a timely manner

It is necessary to keep track of prior inquiries and responses sent to each customer in order to deliver great customer care. You can ensure consistency in our interactions and more effectively deal with any persistent issues by keeping thorough records. Moreover:

• Understand the customer’s history for personalized solutions
• Demonstrate commitment by following up after addressing inquiries or issues
• Seek consumer feedback during follow-ups to ensure satisfaction
• Build trust and strengthen relationships through thoughtful analysis
• Handle calls from angry customers by utilizing past information effectively

11. Offer a gesture of goodwill

It is particularly important to show goodwill in challenging situations where a consumer has suffered significant trouble or disappointment. To convey your sincere regret for the unpleasant experience, this may involve offering compensation in the form of a refund, a discount, or additional benefits. In addition to acknowledging the difficulty the customer has experienced, making a goodwill offer shows our dedication to ensuring their satisfaction.

• While choosing goodwill gestures, take the customer’s experience into account.
• Make compensation to transform a negative experience into a positive one
• Offer heartfelt gestures to genuinely improve customer satisfaction
• Handle calls from angry customers with thoughtful gestures
• Manage angry customers in a call center or BPO settings by focusing on positive experiences with attention to detail
• Examples of dealing with upset customers include genuine efforts to make amends
• Deal with anger on calls by fostering client loyalty through kindness
• Encourage good word-of-mouth and company growth by boosting customer satisfaction

Using Technology to Support Your Team

Call routing is another feature of IVR, which comes in handy while dealing with angry customers. With the help of this feature, you can easily connect with the concerned department/agent on call without any delay. If you integrate the WhatsApp API into your IVR system, it can enhance communication with your customers, making it even more efficient. By using an IVR system, you can even keep a check on the conversations that happened between your customers and your agent. 

‍

Furthermore, features like call reports and timely follow-ups will make sure that any missed call is attended to as soon as possible, as our IVR setup gives you timely notifications for the same. MyOperator’s call center software is the solution to all the problems your business might face while communicating with customers. Opt for IVR to help your business grow and make your customers happier.

Key Takeaways

• Maintain composure, engage in active listening, and offer solutions to get through difficult situations.
• Prioritize patience and empathy in customer service interactions.
• Regain trust by being honest about your errors and providing solutions.
• Empathy and patience are two key skills to show when interacting with irate customers.
• Deal with anger on calls by valuing and acknowledging customer concerns.
• Keep customers happy by owning up to mistakes and finding solutions.

So, use these approaches the next time an unhappy consumer calls so that you can transform a possible disaster into a chance to win over a loyal and grateful customer.

Handling Abusive Callers and When to Escalate

While empathy is crucial, your team's safety and well-being are paramount. It is important to have a clear policy for handling abusive or threatening language.

Establishing boundaries

Agents should be empowered to state boundaries clearly but professionally. For example: "I am here to help you, but I cannot continue the conversation if you use abusive language. If it continues, I will have to end the call."

Escalation procedure

If the behavior persists, a clear escalation path is necessary. This typically involves transferring the call to a supervisor or a specialized team trained in conflict resolution. Document every step of the interaction for review.

Suggestion: "Download our one-page De-escalation Checklist" with a simple form to capture leads.

Measuring Success: KPIs for Handling Difficult Calls

To improve how your team handles angry customers, you must measure performance. Key performance indicators (KPIs) provide actionable data.

• First Call Resolution (FCR): The percentage of calls resolved on the first attempt. A high FCR indicates agents are effectively solving problems.
• Average Handle Time (AHT): While a lower AHT is often good, for angry customers, the focus should be on resolution, not speed. Monitor AHT in conjunction with FCR and CSAT.
• Customer Satisfaction (CSAT): A post-call survey asking customers to rate their satisfaction. This is a direct measure of how well the interaction was handled.
• Net Promoter Score (NPS): Measures long-term loyalty by asking how likely a customer is to recommend your company. Turning a negative experience into a positive one can significantly impact NPS.

‍