Who are Difficult Customers?

Transcription

1 PURPOSE OF "MANAGING DIFFICULT CUSTOMER CONTACTS" To identify the three different types of difficult customer contacts. To uncover how to handle these contacts well, even when you cannot grant the customer s request. To manage your own stress and help reduce the stress of customers. Who are Difficult Customers? THREE TYPES OF DIFFICULT CUSTOMERS customers customers customers WHAT DEFINES AN ABUSIVE CUSTOMER? Using words and statements Personally you you 1

2 EXERCISE : HOW DO YOU HANDLE AN ABUSIVE CUSTOMER? Instructions: Take the next 4-5 minutes to write down answers to the following questions. What do you say to an abusive customer to move the call forward? Think of some phrases you might use to help turn the call around. What kind of exit script might you use if you are unable to move the call in a better direction? 2

3 WHAT DEFINES AN IRRITATING CUSTOMER? The customer is doing/saying things that irritate. Regardless of how you feel, these customers deserve great anyway! EDUCATING THE CUSTOMER AND MEETING THEIR DEMANDS If the customer s requests and actions fall within the normal guidelines: Exercise patience Attend to the customer If the customer s requests and actions fall outside the normal guidelines: The customer is infringing on the rights of others. In summary you can educate. However, it s important for you to be careful in your approach! 3

4 PARENT/ADULT/CHILD 4

5 WHAT DEFINES AN UNHAPPY CUSTOMER? Event-triggered People-triggered Customer strategy Just because! EVENT-TRIGGERED A mistake was made The customer perceives a mistake was made Bad experience Bad news (the customer s expectation regarding the outcome was not met) PEOPLE-TRIGGERED Bad service Lack of ownership Challenge 5

6 CUSTOMER STRATEGY Terminator Guilt displayed as anger JUST BECAUSE! Bad mood Poor perception TAKING THE "UN" OUT OF UNHAPPY Empathize Be sincere Explain why not Use positive language 6

7 EXERCISE : REVIEW Instructions: Answer the following questions and be prepared to discuss your answers with the class. 1. What defines an abusive customer? 2. True or False: When you are dealing with an irritating customer, you should never let them know that their behavior is irritating. 3. Can you change a person s character? 4. When looking at Eric Berne s Parent Adult Child model, what is the best relationship in a customer service interaction? 5. Name two of the four reasons you might be dealing with an unhappy customer

8 Key Considerations MANAGING A DIFFICULT CUSTOMER CONTACT 8

9 LISTEN: KEY CONSIDERATIONS 1. Don t Interrupt Let them vent Give them time to cool off 2. Alive and Breathing 3. Confirm the Request Completely! 4. Human Touch Empathize 5. Get the Customer s Name Personalize the interaction This is NOT the best time to educate the customer. 9

10 CONTROL: KEY CONSIDERATIONS Use questioning to guide the customer to the solution Ask for the details you need to know Discover what is making the customer unhappy SOLVE: KEY CONSIDERATIONS Use positive language Explain why Saying yes Giving or fixing Negotiating Educating Saying no How to say no When to escalate the call 10

11 NEGATIVE WORDS I ll try You can t As I told you I wouldn t know We don t handle that POSITIVE WORDS Instead of use I ll try You can t As I told you I wouldn t know We don t handle that I will Instead, you can Do you have a pen? Good question Let me find someone to help you 11

12 Saying Yes to Difficult Customers SEVERAL WAYS TO SAY "YES" Giving or fixing Negotiating Educating SOLUTION: GIVING OR FIXING It s not always easy to give or fix Sometimes it is easier to say no Dig a little deeper Use your creativity Go the extra mile, but don't leave the track 12

13 NEGOTIATING THE SOLUTION The Give and take Technique What I can do is What you can do is How does that sound? EXERCISE: GIVE AND TAKE TECHNIQUE Instructions: Take the next five minutes to write down a give and take response to the examples below. Be prepared to discuss your answers with the class. 1. Customer: "I want my late fee waived." 2. Customer: (immediately upon agent's answering the phone) "I want to speak to a supervisor." 3. Customer: "I want a driver out here within the hour." 13

14 THE OPPORTUNITY TO EDUCATE Say yes to the customer, but Inform the customer of what actions they need to take in the future Saying "No" to Difficult Customers OBJECTIVES: Use the HELP model to say no Describe what to do if the customer does not accept the initial no response Identify why some customers request to escalate Recognize how to avoid requests to escalate THE COLD "NO" We can t do that That s our company policy I d like to, but my boss won t let me HELP H make sure you use it E Express no using L Let the know P Provide a if appropriate 14

15 REPEAT YOUR HELP: If you have given a professional HELP response, stand by it! Repeat any part to reinforce your response WHY DO CUSTOMERS ESCALATE? They perceive your service as weak Give better service Know your products and services Knowledge leads to confidence They are not accepting of your no response Repeat your HELP response Reassure them this is the company s policy Be sure you listened carefully They want the answer NOW Let me take care of this for you I can assure you I can resolve this for you 15

16 MANAGING STRESS OBJECTIVES Recognize and diffuse the customer s stress. Manage your own stress. What is Stress? Stress is the body s non-specific response to any demand placed on it whether that demand is pleasant or not. -Dr. Hans Selye TOP TEN STRESSORS IN THE WORKPLACE 1. Commuting Craziness 2. Environmental Endangerment 3. Interruption Insanity 4. Goal Glitches 5. Teamwork Tribulations 6. Resource Ridiculousness 7. Input Impotence 8. Communication Crisis 9. Constant Correction 10. Under-appreciation 16

17 RECOGNIZING THE CUSTOMER S STRESS DIFFUSING THE CUSTOMER S STRESS

18 THE FIVE VITAL SKILLS FOR MANAGING STRESS 1. Clarifying your personal values and daily satisfiers 2. Being able to relax at will, anywhere, any time 3. Developing rewarding relationships 4. High-performance nutrition 5. Essential exercise THE FIVE STRESS TYPES 1. Speed Freak 2. Worry Wart 3. Drifter 4. Loner 5. Basket Case Speed Freak Some signs include: Constant foot to the floor on their stress accelerator Borderline workaholic or perfectionist Everything must get 110% effort, no matter how (un)important it is Rapid speech; interrupt others frequently Periods of deep fatigue after all-out effort Worry Wart Some signs include: Have trouble turning off their thoughts Drive themselves at high RPM, but rarely put themselves in gear for action Paralysis by analysis; useless wheel spinning worry Frequent anxiety; tension headaches Slow to recover or to come down from high-stress situations 18

19 Drifter Some signs include: Either tend to shotgun their energy across many options or Have one all-consuming involvement usually work Often feel dissatisfied; that life is not adding up ; or that something is seriously missing in their lives Doubt their existing goals; don t buy into anything very deeply Loner Some signs include: Difficulty in giving or receiving easy, relaxed closeness or intimate sharing Feel uncomfortable with others; often masked with a smile Feel lonely, often unfulfilled in relationships Feel alone in carrying burdens or worries Often drop out of or cancel social events at the last minute Basket Case Some signs include: In constant "energy crisis" Energy often fades by mid-day Frequent aches/pains in muscles or joints Sometimes depressed; feel most activities are too much to do 19

20 STRESS TYPES: TWO VITAL SKILLS Speed Freak Worry Wart Drifter Loner Basket Case Clarify personal values & daily satisfiers Develop/strengthen relaxation and/or reframing Develop rewarding relationships High-performance nutrition 1 Exercise 2 20

21 Exercise 24: Profile Maryann Instructions: Read the case study below and answer the questions. Be prepared to discuss in class. MaryAnn, a new call center employee, was seriously thinking about giving up her call center job. During a one-on-one meeting, she interrupted her supervisor, who was about to commend MaryAnn on how well she s adapting to the center and performing, given her short tenure, and quickly blurted out, I don t think this is the right job for me. There is just too much pressure and stress and I can t keep up with everything. For example, everyone on my team qualified for the monthly PTO incentive except for me! Instead of making the dish I brought to the holiday lunch from scratch like everyone else, I wound up bringing in something I bought from the supermarket. Most days I am completely exhausted by the end of my shift. I haven t attended my yoga class (which I used to do every day) since I started here.. I m always so busy, I don t even have time to get to know my co-workers. The center that MaryAnn joined three months ago has been experiencing high call volumes due to the introduction of 2 new product lines. While their HR department has been hiring, they have not been able to provide enough staff to meet service levels as a result of this new volume. Typically, they only meet their service level goal of 80% answered in 20 seconds two intervals out of a day. They have also been updating the interface to their customer database and have implemented two improved versions over the past two months. 1. What do you think is MaryAnn s dominant Stress Profile Type? 2. What two vital skills does she need to help her manage her stress? 3. What are the possible contributors to MaryAnn s stress? 21

22 4. If you were her co-worker what might you do or say to her if she was sitting in front of you right now? 22

23 90 IDEAS FOR REVITALIZING AND ENERGIZING YOURSELF Suggested Activities to Help You Manage Stress The following is a list of examples of some creative changes others have found helpful in re-charging and re-energizing themselves. You may find value in some of these ideas as you create your own plan to relieve your distress and perhaps even turn the tables on distress and make it work for you rather than against you. Use this list as a starting place, choose the ones that catch your eye (not everything will be for everyone) and that you feel would work for you. And then add your own thoughts and ideas to the list! Remember, a lot of managing stress comes from understanding that you always have choices. We can choose to take the actions we can to manage our stress. So, when faced with stress it is not only deciding what you can do about stress. It is also about deciding what you will do about managing stress. You can strengthen your body: Learn to relax Get regular exercise Lose weight Lower your cholesterol Get proper rest Eat a nutritionally balanced diet Dress the way that feels right to you Practice good posture Get regular medical checkups 23

24 You can develop healthy attitudes: Think positively Learn to accept what you cannot change Don t be afraid of failure Practice living in the present Reward yourself Develop the attitude of gratitude Get friendly with leisure time You can improve your personal relationships: Seek out good friends (build your support network) Contact new people Take charge of getting involved Don t criticize and blame others Make clear choices Share yourself with significant others Do something for others Give the other person a break Give in occasionally Face painful questions directly You can lift your spirits: Work toward deepening your life Keep things in proper perspective Don t do wrong Learn to play again Allot time for daily meditation Engage in organized religious/spiritual activity Encourage your gentleness Learn to let go Smile Laugh, Laugh, Laugh!!!!!! 24

25 You can control your job: Focus on one thing at a time Define the purpose of the work Take a break or do something that gives you a shift from the work at hand When all else fails, QUIT! Don t try to be perfect Take some time off Redefine your job Build a support network Find time to smile, laugh and help others do the same You can improve your environment at work and at home: Make your workspace comfortable (add some lavender or flowers, pictures of family; keep it clear of clutter! Spend time in a new environment Redecorate your home Find security Change residences or workspaces Cut down excessive noise Control the phone, TV set at home; the , pager, beeper, cellphone etc. at work You can develop self-understanding: Listen to the voice of your body Write a diary or journal Get feedback from others on how they see you Keep track of your stress quotient and how it decreases, or increases Make a list of your present goals Analyze your successes Make use of the resources you have Find out what is controllable in your life and what isn t Be honest with yourself 25

26 You can improve your mind: Read about stress and human growth Be sensitive to all dimensions of life Go to the public library Subscribe to a magazine you normally wouldn t Teach someone something Learn about stress Take a course that is of interest Think about great ideas Take an online course Clear your mind You can control your emotions: Admit to yourself how you feel Face your fears Work off your anger Practice self expression Experiment with acting your way to a new feeling Write your feelings down Use your support system You can live a healthy life style: Be yourself Take one thing at a time Plan for maximum comfort Set up desirable futures/goals Plan relaxing vacations Develop a hobby Arrange to have variety in your life Don t let things drift Learn to vary your pace Take time to be alone Practice relaxed driving Find ways that work for you to build your reserves! 26

27 NOTES: 27

28 Managing Difficult Customer Contacts 121 South Tejon Street, Suite 1100 Colorado Springs, CO USA U.S. and Canada: (800) Copyright 2012 International Customer Management Institute (ICMI) All rights reserved. ICMI assumes no liability for error or omission. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the International Customer Management Institute (ICMI), with the exception of trade publications reporting on the data. In such cases, credit must be given to ICMI. The International Customer Management Institute (ICMI) is a registered trademark of UBM LLC in the United States and other countries. ICMI is a part of UBM LLC. 28