Handling Angry Customers with Tact and Skill March 9th, 2011 Presenter: Andrew Sanderbeck Waynesville, North Carolina PCI Webinars

Foundation of Learning Share your experiences. They provide valuable insight. Share your experiences. They provide valuable insight. If you are doing something that gets the results you want, keep doing it. If you are doing something that gets the results you want, keep doing it. Take the information you learn here and put it into your own style. Take the information you learn here and put it into your own style.

Goals and Objectives Guidelines for Creating Your Strategy for Handling Angry Customers Guidelines for Creating Your Strategy for Handling Angry Customers Angry Customer Scenarios Angry Customer Scenarios Five Step Process for Providing Customers with a Positive Experience Five Step Process for Providing Customers with a Positive Experience Application of the Five Steps Application of the Five Steps Other Techniques Other Techniques The Nature of the Irate Customer The Nature of the Irate Customer LEAF, Plus One! LEAF, Plus One!

Polling Question #1 We see an angry customer or two in our library almost every week. YesNo

Polling Question #2 I agree with the following: The customer is always right. YesNo

Your aim = customer satisfaction 1. Dont argue back 2. Use your ears more than your mouth 3. Show the customer that you care

Think about these angry customer scenarios now occurring in your library A customer who is upset about the quality or delivery of our product/service A customer who is upset about the quality or delivery of our product/service An item that the patron claims was returned, but the library has not found it An item that the patron claims was returned, but the library has not found it Incorrect information given to the customer Incorrect information given to the customer

Think about these angry customer scenarios now occurring in your library A customer who is negative toward your library due to past experiences A customer who is negative toward your library due to past experiences Confrontational issues and conflict Confrontational issues and conflict A customer owes the library.25 for a late fee A customer owes the library.25 for a late fee Dissatisfaction expressed about a library policy or procedure. Dissatisfaction expressed about a library policy or procedure.

How are these situations being handled? Confrontation (Right and Wrong) Confrontation (Right and Wrong) Giving the customer what they want Giving the customer what they want Internal Conflict Internal Conflict As a learning and growing opportunity As a learning and growing opportunity

The Five-Step Process 1. Strategize 2. Acknowledge 3. Clarify 4. Resolution 5. Check Back

The Five-Step Process Step 1 – Strategize Develop your goal for the interaction. What do you want as the end result? (i.e., save the customer, resolve an issue, etc…) Develop your goal for the interaction. What do you want as the end result? (i.e., save the customer, resolve an issue, etc…) Identify your parameters: what can you do or provide the customer independently or with your supervisors approval? What can't you do because of policy or business reasons? Identify your parameters: what can you do or provide the customer independently or with your supervisors approval? What can't you do because of policy or business reasons?

Polling Question #3 I believe I (We) have a strategy that we use for handling our angry customer situations YesNo

The Five-Step Process Step 2 – Acknowledge The acknowledgement is essential to communicating in challenging situations. Use phrases like, I understand how you feel, I see, I apologize, I am sorry, I can see how you might feel that way so that customers feel that they have been heard and that we respect them.

The Five-Step Process Step 3 – Clarify Step 3 – Clarify Sometimes we mistakenly proceed to resolve a problem based on what we THINK the customer was saying. This third step of the process allows us to clarify and draw out information to make sure that we understand the customers true concern

The Five-Step Process Step 4 – Resolution The fourth step is to create or co- create a resolution. As we present the resolution, we want to state specifically what we are going to do for the customer. We may also offer alternatives.

The Five-Step Process Step 5 – Check back The check back is our opportunity to make sure that the customer is satisfied and feels good about the resolution. Examples of check backs include: Examples of check backs include: How does that sound? How does that sound? What do you think about …? What do you think about …? Are you with me? Are you with me? Will that meet your needs? Will that meet your needs? Would that be satisfactory? Would that be satisfactory?

Applying the Five-Step Process Our strategy is to retain and satisfy the customer whenever possible. We want to provide the customer with a positive experience while balancing both the business and customer needs. We dont want to simply waive fines because we are afraid that we will lose the customer.

Adopting the Following Measures May Help Be Patient Be Positive Control Your Anger

The Nature of Irate Customers The Nature of Irate Customers Irate customers are unhappy. They range in emotional state from mildly disappointed to completely outraged and in the way they present themselves from calm to abusive. Sometimes their behavior is outrageously bad.

The Nature of Irate Customers The Nature of Irate Customers Usually they have a reason for being unhappy – their expectation of a product or service the library offers wasnt met or someone didn't make good on a promise.

How important is it? How important is it?

LEAF Plus One ListenEmpathizeApologizeFix Plus One

Plus One! Sharons Story

Polling Question #4 We currently have a Plus One program at our library. YesNo

What can you do at your library to apply Plus One?

Conclusion This five-step process will diffuse any situation once you learn to pull it off with tact, finesse, and most importantly: empathy. Once it is perfected, you will not only be able to calm down a hot situation with an angry customer, but you'll be able to get those same formerly angry customers to recommend your library to their friends and colleagues!

Questions/Comments

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