We have argued on more than one occasion that everybody needs a call answering service because it eliminates missed calls. And that argument normally appeals to small and medium-sized business owners because they understand the importance of engaging customers over the phone.
But what if missed calls are not an issue for you? What if your biggest problem is the customers that actually get through to your employees?
Nothing is more strenuous to a receptionist than an angry customer. They are the bane of every company’s existence because they are rude, irrational, and infuriating. And yet you have no choice but to engage them in a calm, collected manner because anything less will earn you a negative review and potentially tarnish your reputation.
Angry customers are a tricky issue. But they are not impossible to solve. If anything, they are the perfect problem for call answering services to tackle. Here’s why?
Skill
Many business owners struggle whenever they field calls from angry customers because they have neither the training nor the experience required to deal with them. They have no tact, and as a result, they react in a manner that turns tense conversations into arguments.
The people behind call answering services are trained professionals. They have been equipped with all the tools they require to de-escalate arguments with customers. They have also dealt with angry customers before.
So you can trust them to diffuse such situations without destroying your company’s name.
Distance
Most business owners are incapable of interacting with angry customers in a rational manner because they have a strong attachment to the products and services their business provides.
So if a client calls in and then attacks those products and services, not to mention the name of their business, they cannot help but react explosively.
Our people have no such attachment. They are a third party that will never take any of the tirades that customers might unleash against your company personally. This allows them to provide your customer more leeway to vent without reacting emotionally.
Buffer
Call answering services act as a wall between you and your angry consumer. If your client’s complaints are particularly egregious, you will be expected to eventually step into the conversation to resolve their situation personally, if only to prove that you value their business.
But you don’t have to deal with that initial wave of anger that disappointed clients unleash whenever they first contact a company’s customer support personnel. You can leave it to the call answering service to endure that initial rant.
By the time you reach out to the client, you will find that they are much calmer.
Attention
The majority of angry clients want attention. And their rants are driven by a desire to be heard. Call answering services can offer them that attention. A professional service like ours goes to great lengths to ensure that they understand your business.
As such, a customer will never know that they are talking to an answering service. They will simply appreciate the fact that your company has employees that are willing to interact with them despite the angry nature of their words.
There are customers who actually attain satisfaction from complaining. Even if you fail to ultimately resolve their issue, you will find that the opportunities you give them to vent enable them to find peace.
Customers who are permitted to scream at customer service personnel are less likely to write bad reviews. Bad reviews are the last resort of clients who feel like they are not being listened to.
Of course, a call answering service won’t solve all your problems. Some angry customers can’t be contained, and engaging them professionally over the phone won’t keep them from attacking your firm online.
That being said, the service will give you peace of mind. You can focus on the other aspects of your business knowing fully well that you have a partner standing at the ready to protect you from the furious verbal assaults that might come your way down the line.
At Planet numbers, we have capable team members who are ready to handle calls from both happy and angry customers in a professional manner. For further enquiries, please call 0800 088 6543 to speak with one of our agents.
