Take a deep breath, drawing air in and out from your diaphragm instead of your chest. Deep breaths taken from the stomach help relax the body, even during stressful situations. [2] X Trustworthy Source American Psychological Association Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists Go to source Imagine something relaxing. It can be a place you’ve been or an entirely imaginary situation, but visualizing someplace or something that helps you relax can calm your racing thoughts and help you remain calm. [3] X Trustworthy Source American Psychological Association Leading scientific and professional organization of licensed psychologists Go to source
Repeat a calming mantra to yourself internally. Something that will help center you and keep you calm would be key. Try thinking to yourself, “This is not my fault. He isn’t mad at me, and it’s not about me. " It can help remind you that you haven’t necessarily done anything wrong, and that the customer’s temper will eventually pass.
Rather than making statements about the issue, stick to asking questions. This shows the customer that you’re not being resistant to his complaint, and in answering your questions he may come to realize that there has been some sort of misunderstanding. [7] X Research source Try to ignore whatever insulting or rude things the customer is saying, and focus on what his actual complaint is. If he isn’t making his complaint clear, ask him politely but firmly, “Sir, I’m not following what the issue is. What can I do to help you today?” Try asking something like, “What were your expectations?” and follow that question with a polite “Why did you have those expectations?” This should be done carefully, as asking these questions without a calm and polite tone could come across as flippant. But these questions may help get to the root of the problem - for example, perhaps the customer misread an advertisement, or misunderstood what was being offered. You may need to state the reason for your stance on the issue. This is fine, but make sure you stick to the issue and your reasoning without attacking the customer or his logic. Calling his logic or his character into question will only escalate the situation and make him more difficult to deal with. [8] X Research source
If your correspondence with the customer is by email, take a few moments to center yourself before responding to the email. Take a few deep breaths, focus on something that makes you happy, and compose the email only after you’ve composed yourself.
Let the customer know that you understand how he feels, and why he is upset. Try saying something like, “I understand why you’re upset, sir. That sounds like a very frustrating situation. "
Say something like, “Okay, sir, just to make sure I understand. . . " and then reiterate what the customer has told you. This subtly communicates to the customer that you trust his version of events, and that you take whatever happened very seriously. [12] X Research source
Try saying something like, “I do apologize for that inconvenience, sir. Let me see what we can do to take care of that issue for you.
Use firm but polite phrases, such as “Please let me finish,” “That was not my question,” or “That’s not what I said. If you’re communicating by email and the customer ignores something you’ve already said, try saying it again, or say something firm but polite like “Sir, I’ve already addressed that issue for you. Is there anything else I can do to help you today?”
You may want to consider asking the customer what he would like you to do to fix the issue at hand. Be aware, though, that if the customer is still ill-tempered or unreasonable, he may not be willing to offer a reasonable, practical solution. [15] X Research source
If your correspondence with the customer is through a series of emails, you can email him proof of a contract or agreement, or simply refer him to an earlier email, if any previous correspondence dealt with the issue at hand.
Let your supervisor know what the customer’s complaints are, what the issue seems to be caused by, and mention that the customer was being difficult. Your supervisor may give you instructions on how to proceed, or she may offer to step in and talk to the customer herself. At the very least, your supervisor should be able to help you strategize a reasonable solution to the problem, ideally one that would satisfy all parties involved.
Think positive thoughts about yourself. Let yourself feel good about having defused a stressful situation without losing your cool. [18] X Research source Remove self-doubt by looking at the facts. This may be difficult, but it’s important to take yourself out of the equation and recognize once again that the customer wasn’t necessarily mad at you, and most likely didn’t mean anything rude that was said. That customer was simply upset with the situation, and you happened to get caught in the crossfire. [19] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Business Review Online and print journal covering topics related to business management practices Go to source
