Any customer service-based industry encounters a variety of disgruntled clients. The following is my personal checklist for handling conflict with a client. This checklist is specifically tailored toward complaints via phone, but many of these points can also apply to a face-to-face interaction.
- Relax. Take a deep breath, sit or stand up straight and find your ground.
- Listen. Only interject with clarifying questions and allow the client to express their complaint in its entirety.
- Take notes. Inform the client that you are listening and taking notes.
- Be empathetic. Inform the client that you hear their complaints and that you understand their frustration.
- Use time to your advantage. Tell the client that you appreciate their time and have taken thorough notes which you will review and investigate with the appropriate parties. Ask them if you may follow up with them at a later time.
- Be realistic about your follow-up timeline. Give yourself at least a couple of days, depending on the severity of the complaint, to review and give a response.
- Consider the implications. If making an exception to a company policy will ease tension in a way that will promote the overall success of the business, consider this route. If not, consider that a firm rejection of their desired outcome may protect the business from unnecessary vulnerabilities.
- Honor the follow-up timeline. Prepare to contact the client within the agreed upon time frame and communicate your response.
- Stick to your decision. Even if the response is unfavorable to the client, clearly communicate that this is the final decision and it is non-negotiable.
- Move on. Client conflict resolution is, in almost all cases, a no-win situation for the employee handling the interaction. Either you appease the client and cost the business, or you anger the client and support the business. If you are the individual handling the interaction, there will be a loss. Dwelling on your inability to appease all sides is not a good use of your valuable time. Move on.