- Listen carefully to the customer. …
- Repeat what you’ve just heard. …
- Actively sympathize / apologize. …
- Take responsibility to resolve the issue. …
- Remain calm and compassionate.
As they say, the sales job is challenging. Accordingly, you need to face unwanted situations several times. Now, the situations are no exception in this job but how you react in those critical situations, makes a big difference to proceed to your career.
It creates a lot of opportunities when you understand how a customer feels, what they think, and what are their requirements. 70% of the buying decisions are made after a customer feels well-treated. So, it is very important to know customer handling. When you turn up for a sales interview, there is a high chance that this question is asked to you. You are supposed to deliver a well-pitched answer instead of getting confused or end up making a fake story.
According to the study from 1st Financial Training Services, 96% of the unhappy customers don’t lodge a complaint and among those customers, 91% of them simply leave. Any business cannot progress until there are retentive customers. So, when there is a situation where you feel the customer is unhappy, you need to satisfy him/her. Gradually, in your interview answer, you need to mention these concerns and mention your strategy.
How Would You Deal With A Difficult Customer? (INTERVIEW QUESTIONS & ANSWERS!)
How to Give the Right Response to “What Do You Do When Customers Get Angry?”
When answering this question, describe the steps you take to resolve disagreements and conflicts in the workplace. Your actions may include:
Talk about a situation at work, school, or in your personal life where you used these steps to resolve an issue or disagreement.
Stay Calm, Cool and Collected
Handling difficult customers can be a complicated and nerve-wracking experience. However, keeping a level head and approaching the issue calmly and professionally can help bring the situation to a happy conclusion. Impress your interviewers by using these tips and examples to explain your personal conflict-resolution techniques.
Example Responses
Your answer to “What do you do when customers get angry?” should show that you have a level head and can find solutions to difficult problems. The following sample answers can give you an idea of what a good response to this question should look like.
Sample Job 1- Fast Food Employee
“At my last job, a customer came into the restaurant and started yelling at me because her drive-thru order was incomplete. I quickly and sincerely apologized for the mistake and told her we would immediately get the rest of her order. In the meantime, the customer continued to vent about previous bad experiences they had had at our location.”
“I listened closely to what they said and assured the customer that I would talk to my supervisors about their complaints. I also offered them a coupon for their next visit. They seemed happy when they left, and my coworkers and I made an effort to start double-checking all orders before they went out.”
Sample Job 2- Sporting Goods Store Manager
“When I deal with upset customers, my main goal is to keep them calm while I resolve their issues. At past jobs, I have seen customers yell and knock over displays when they get angry, so I try to diffuse those situations before they get to that point. I apologize and tell them how I plan to resolve the problem quickly. I might also give them a coupon or store credit to put them in a better mood.”
Sample Job 3- Grocery Store Cashier
“I think solving their problem as quickly as possible is the best way to deal with an angry customer. A shopper once approached me and was upset that she couldn’t find an item she was looking for in our store. Another worker had told her what aisle she could find it in, but she hadn’t seen it there. I stopped what I was doing and walked with her to the correct aisle to show her exactly where the item was.”
“The fact that I took immediate steps to solve her problem seemed to make this customer relax. She apologized for her frustration and thanked me for taking the time to help her. Since then, I have always tried to show customers that I care about their concerns and am willing to help in any way I can.”
Refer to your training and standard operating procedures
Talk about how you can take guidance from your training or orientation that was given by the company about different procedures and policies to follow for each type of circumstance. Tell them you may try to recall those policies and see if there is anything relevant there that can help you take the right action. Also, explain how it can be more effective to follow the companys established procedures, your own preferred strategies or a combination of both to ensure you successfully fulfil the customers needs.
Think carefully about the question
Before you begin to answer, think carefully about the question and what the interviewer wants to learn about you through this question. Handling disgruntled or angry customers is a part of any customer service role, so take time to think about it. You can imagine yourself in a similar situation and think about what steps you would take to resolve it.
Why do interviewers ask this question?
There are several challenges that customer service professionals face while performing their regular duties. Handling an irate customer is one of them. By asking how you would handle an angry customer, the interviewers are trying to assess your problem-solving abilities and approaches. They want to know how motivated and inspired you are to help customers, even the angry ones. The interviewers are also trying to see if you can stay calm under stressful circumstances and remain solution-oriented at all times.
Remember, your response needs to showcase how well you were able to remain in control of the entire interaction between you and the irate customer.
When a hiring manager asks you about your ability to handle angry customers, they are trying to determine how well you respond and act under negative conditions and pressure.
Hiring personnel can read body language and into cliché responses, so be honest and thoughtful with your response.
I know sometimes customers may be upset or unhappy with their experience with a particular product or service and will contact the company to let them know. I would acknowledge their feelings and concerns, and inform them that I would be more than happy to assist them with resolving the problem. After exhausting all available resources, if I could not rectify the situation, I would let the customer know that I can put them in touch with a supervisor who can help them if necessary.
It is best for you to first be honest about if you have ever handled a situation with an angry customer before. If you havent, only then is it acceptable for you to inform the hiring manager what you would do if you ever come across one.
The importance of helping angry customers
Before you answer this situational interview question, it is better to know what are the advantages you or the company will have upon helping an angry customer.
Why do interviewers ask how would you handle an angry customer?
Put yourself on the other end of the table and think which type of candidates does a company need to deal with the customers. Sales enthusiasts who have no idea about a critical situation or get confused in a difficult scenario would never perform as expected for a company. When someone is unable to face these types of interview questions, it is inevitable that he/she cannot handle a critical situation.
Interviewees want to see if you have the potential to handle critical customers and act professionally, without getting personal with them. This question is asked to make sure that you would work to secure the customer relationship and maintain the company’s goodwill. They are simply looking for your enthusiasm and motivation to work in challenging circumstances.
FAQ
How do you answer Tell me about a time you dealt with a difficult customer?
- Create a plan of action. …
- Listen and understand. …
- Respond in a timely manner. …
- Keep it personal. …
- Stay calm. …
- Acknowledge the issue. …
- Consider compensation (with great care) …
- Summarize the problem.
How do you handle difficult customers answer?
…
When that doesn’t work out though, here are some tips for smoothing things out.
- Stay in Control of Your Emotions. …
- Acknowledge and Empathize. …
- Really Listen. …
- Apologize. …
- Solution Time. …
- Closeout and Learn.
What are the 6 steps of dealing with an angry customer?
How do you respond to an angry client?
