By: Jim Roddy, President & CEO at the RSPA
RSPA will host a workshop on mastering customer loyalty during our Inspire 2025 leadership conference, so to prepare I’ve been poring through best practice materials I use when delivering VAR/ISV customer service training sessions. Today’s blog post is an adapted version of one of my most popular training modules: “How To Win Over An Upset Customer.” Sources include material published by Forbes, Lifehack, SuperOffice, and The Retail Doctor.
“It’s never easy dealing with a customer service issue. Sometimes it may seem like they’re looking for trouble, but complaining customers are probably just looking for a solution to a frustrating problem. I know, staying calm is tough when your patience is challenged by complaining customers! But customer service means taking the good with the bad.” – Dr. Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor
Customers get rude or angry for a variety of reasons — some justified, some not. How you respond can make the difference between a customer who feels satisfied with the resolution and one who vows never to patronize your business again. These steps will help you cope with a tense situation and resolve it to everyone’s satisfaction.
#1: Address the situation immediately
Do not let time lapse and make things worse with your avoidance. Approach the customer as soon as you learn they are unhappy. The adage “bad news never ages well” applies here in spades.
#2: Remain calm
When a customer starts yelling or being otherwise rude, there is nothing to be gained by responding in a similar manner. In fact, that will probably escalate hostilities. Maintain control of yourself even if the customer’s tirade makes you feel like yelling yourself.
#3 Don’t take it personally
Remember, the customer is not angry with you; they are displeased with the performance of your product or the quality of the service you provide. Your personal feelings are beside the point.
#4 Use your best listening skills
The first thing an angry customer wants is to vent. To do so, they need someone to listen — and, for better or worse, you are that person. Listening patiently can defuse a situation, as long as the customer feels acknowledged in his or her complaint. Hear them out; let the customer voice their complaint without interruption. A big mistake is “second guessing” a customer service gripe and trying to cut them off before they have finished their story. Use this time as your chance to identify what it is they are really upset about. When they are done talking, summarize what you’ve heard and ask any questions to further clarify their complaint.
#5 Apologize gracefully – but don’t admit fault
Whether the customer’s complaint is legitimate or not is really irrelevant. If you want them to stay a customer, you need to express an apology for the problem they are having (or perceive to be having). Respect and understanding go a long way toward smoothing things over. A simple, straightforward statement is often all that’s needed: “I’m sorry you’re not happy with how our system is performing. Let’s see what we can do to make things right.” But don’t admit fault or offer a “make good” until you’ve researched the situation and determined the root cause. A fair resolution is based on facts.
#6 Find a solution – take quick action
Ask the customer what he or she feels should be done. Often they’ll surprise you for asking for less than you initially thought you’d have to give — especially when they perceive your apology and intention is genuinely sincere. Only after you have a full understanding of the root cause of the problem should you forward your own fair and realistic resolution to the problem.
If you are not able to conclude a solution during the phone call, let the customer know the exact steps you plan to take to rectify the situation and when they should expect to hear back from you. This is your “chance to be a hero.” If you keep your word by quickly gathering information and updating the customer, your company can be perceived in a more favorable light by the customer than before the incident occurred.
#7 Thank them
Thank the customer for bringing the problem to your attention. You can’t resolve something you aren’t aware of.
#8 Take a minute on your own
After taking the complaint from the customer, it’s helpful for you to take your own “time out.” Even if you’ve handled the situation in the most professional way possible, it’s still a stressful experience. Rather than let that stress linger inside you, take a quick break or find someone to talk to who makes you laugh. Then you’ll be ready to once again engage with your customers.
#9 Follow-up
Follow-up promptly to ensure the customer is completely satisfied, especially when you have had to enlist the help of others for the solution delivery. Everything up to this point will be for naught if you don’t close the loop with the customer.
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Problems happen. It’s how you honestly acknowledge and handle them which counts with people. Customers will remember you and happily give you another chance to delight them when you choose to correct problems with the very best you can offer, proving you value them and their business.
Here’s a quick yet beneficial exercise you can conduct with your customer service team members: Ask them to read “9 Steps to Win Over an Upset Customer.” Then ask them to tell a story about an upset customer they saw dealt with improperly. This could be a time they fumbled a customer complaint, saw someone else make the error, or when a company/customer service representative mishandled their complaint. Then, using the steps outlined above, ask them to explain how the customer complaint should have been handled.
I’d also recommend you register to attend the RSPA Inspire 2025 leadership conference, Jan. 26-29 in Curacao, so you can participate in the workshop “Mastering Customer Loyalty: Proven Strategies to Create Customers for Life.” The session will start with a panel of experienced solution providers revealing their proven strategies for creating “sticky” customers — merchants who stay loyal, engaged, and continue to choose your business over aggressive competitors — followed by a collaborative attendee workshop.
