5 things not to do with dissatisfied customers

A few months ago, I had a small kitchen fire in my house. Everything is fine now, but for a few days my family and I camped in the hotel room and when we got home we did not have an oven (was destroyed in the fire) so we were forced to eat every meal for several days.
He said on the day of the shooting of two representatives from the insurance company to me: "Hold on to receipts for meals, and send it to us, we will cover meals and more sales tax." After the contractors was renovated my house and we moved back, I was getting ready to mail in my receipts for reimbursement of meals, and I gave my setup a quick call before dropping the envelope in the mail receipts. And explained that it was a payment of 50% of the meals and not 100%. If the partial amendment of sense for me, and I remembered clearly two representatives from the company promising to "cover meals and sales taxes."

And became put my defensive and sarcastic in two words to him and the tone, "No one in this whole project would have told you, we cover 100% of the meals. Our policy is to cover 50% because you could have eaten, and even if the fire did not happen."

I am angry. Now it is no longer the case, it is in principle. What have I done? Collected all the facts that supported my case, made the opening argument in the office of the company in a calm and systematic way, and eventually delivered a brief summary of my testimony and a firm and close the deal --- walks away with 100% of the meals.

Lesson here: if the officer does and says the right things during my conversation first phone, the company was able to solve this problem with a simple explanation and an apology. Instead, pay them nearly $ 200 more than what they had, and was to spend 10 minutes listening to me.

I played this scenario countless times expensive every day in all parts of the service sector because employees do not know how to communicate with angry customers with diplomacy and tact and the way that creates peace and good will.

In my case, the officer was insurance, said: "What we are trying to explain is that your policy covers 50% of your meals tax, more sales. Could have been you at meals, even if he did not know that the shooting of regret. We trying to minimize your inconvenience through the loss of your expenses through and beyond the normal meals. that is logical? I am very sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused the misunderstanding. "

This approach certainly makes sense and you probably have accepted the policy of 50%. Instead, inspired by the position of the officer claims from me and I was determined to accept anything but the full amount. Wrong approach to a client already upset not only stronger results are often the most profitable in the community to be much higher. I do not want you to pay a dollar more than you need at all to help you manage costs better, I'll give you 5 things not to do with the customers happy.

1. Do not tell a customer they are wrong. Tell your client, it is wrong to raise the opposition and make the client wants to fight with you. It is difficult, even in cases the most appropriate to change the minds of the people. So why make your job more difficult, starting on the right foot.

2. Do not disagree with a customer. You can never win an argument with your customers. Certainly you can prove your point of view, and have until the last word, you may even be right, but as far as change in the mind of your customer is concerned, you'll be probably useless just as if I am wrong.

3. Does not speak with the authoritative tone, as if you need to prove the customer wrong. Even when the client is wrong, this is not an appropriate response, because it will make the customer on defense.

4. We do not say: "I do not doubt that we will not do that." Instead of trying to, "Tell me about it."

5. Do not be afraid to apologize. Apology, even when the client is at fault. Apology not accepted error. Can be provided for the expression of regret. For example, "I am very sorry for any inconvenience this misunderstanding may have caused."

Never forget the problematic cases of this issue is not the case. How can this issue be addressed is the question.