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Anyone who has worked in customer service knows the feeling of dread when a customer calls in screaming and cursing at you. Your stomach goes in knots and you heart rate increases. You think to yourself, "Why me?"

A call like this can quickly put you on the defensive, ready to quash any attack against you, your coworkers, or your company. However, the key to defusing the caller's anger is resisting that defensive impulse. If you are able to take a deep cleansing breath and then put yourself in that person's shoes for a moment you will be much better equipped to resolve the situation. First you must consider what this person must have gone through prior to speaking to you to put them in that angry state.

Think back to a time when you have had a bad experience with a company. Suppose you called about a problem and believed it has been taken care of. Your demeanor throughout that first call was friendly and relaxed. Then you found out a few days later that your problem was not fixed. This time you are all business but still cordial once you are reassured that this will be the last time you will have to call about the issue. Now perhaps on the third call your tone is getting annoyed. But instead of an apology you get a snippy tone right back. Now on the fourth call you are at the end of your rope. All semblances of civil demeanor go out the window. You have not been treated like a person whose business is valued or whose time means anything to the company you are calling, so why would you treat the person who gets your call this time with any respect.

Bearing a scenario like this in mind will remind you that the customer is not attacking you as a person but rather as a person who represents the company who wasted that person's time and perhaps their money. The best way to calm the customer is to make the person feel like they are really being heard. This means not interrupting the client even if you think you know what they are going to say. It means being patient even if a customer repeats the same thing over and over. Can you blame them for being cautious when previous calls resulted in miscommunication? Use a calm, soothing tone of voice. Do not sound overly perky or patronizing.

Once you are able to determine the problem, you must reassure the customer that you will personally take ownership of the issue and see it through to the end. Explain what steps you will take to resolve the issue. Promise to follow up with the customer and be honest about how much time you think it will take to get back to them with a resolution. Do not just tell the customer what they want to hear. In the long run this will only lead to further customer disappointment down the line. Then keep your promise and call back the customer when promised even if the issue is not resolved yet. Even if they are unhappy about a further delay, in most cases they will be elated to see that someone is actually following up on the issue.

It may seem like a lot to go through to deal with one customer. However, keep in mind that although a satisfied customer may not be running out telling everyone how great your company is, an unsatisfied customer will surely tell everyone they know what a horrible experience they had with your company.

Although getting an upset customer can be stressful and requires a lot of patience, there is a certain sense of accomplishment when you know you have risen to the challenge and satisfied your customer.

Learn more about this author, Rachel Doherty.
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