It's a fact of life for body shop owners and small business owners in general: you're going to encounter angry customers. They may be angry about their repair, or the way the insurance company handled the claim, or the way the rental car company treated them. Regardless of why they are angry, they're going to be in your waiting room, fuming.Like this article? Sign up to receive our weekly news blasts here.
While it may be easy to wish that an angry customer would just go away, Margie Seyfer, owner of Impact Presentations, who teaches customer service and attitude enhancement programs, says that these customers present a great opportunity. "When you have an angry customer it's a gift, because it is those customers that don't speak up or get angry that we can't retain," she said in her Wednesday afternoon presentation at NACE.
During her session, "Calming and Retaining Angry Customers," Seyfer outlined ways that shop personnel can help diffuse these situations, remedy the problem if possible, and retain those customers, even when things have gone wrong before, during or after the repair.
"We have to realize that when a customer is angry they are feeling one of two emotions," Seyfer said. "They are experiencing either a loss of control, or feel that they were being disrespected."
Many shop owners and employees have trouble dealing with angry customers either because they want to avoid conflict or have trouble managing their own emotions during the confrontations. In other words, you can't retain a customer if you're yelling right back at them. Seyfer outlined six steps that employees and owners can take to help turn these angry customers into loyal ones.
First, zip your lips. "The first thing many owners think when they see a customer is angry, is that they want a refund," Seyfer said. "But guess what? The number one thing that angry person wants is for you to listen to them. Let them tell their whole story. Don't become defensive or interrupt them."
Then, confirm that you've heard them correctly. "Ask if you can confirm or repeat back to them what the customer is trying to tell you," Seyfer said. "That way the customer knows you heard their concerns."
Step three is to apologize; this can sometimes be a tough one, since the shop owner may be afraid of opening themselves up to admitting they hold some liability. "But that's not the case," Seyfer says. "Just apologize for the inconvenience the issue has caused them. Eat some humble pie."
Fourth, try to use what Seyfer called "empathy statements." Try to put yourself in their shoes, and let them know that if you were in the same position you might feel the same way.
Then, follow that up with some action. Tell them what you are going to do about the issue, and how soon that will happen. That may just involve checking a schedule or checking in with a manager; it's an action, but it doesn’t have to be the final solution.
Finally, thank the customer for letting you know about the problem. "That's probably the most underused of the six steps," Seyfer said. "Make a point to do that, because they are doing you a service by letting you know that something has gone wrong."
Of course, there are always customers that this type of methodical approach won't work with, but Seyfer said that any way to make the customer feel like they are respected and have some control will usually help.
"Another tip is to take notes while the customer is telling their story," Seyfer said. "That will slow them down, and maybe calm them down in the process. If they know you are taking notes, it might make them a little more reflective."
Another key is to make sure they only have to tell their story once. Don't make them repeat it to multiple levels of management; they will simply get angrier at each retelling, and likely embellish the story as they go along. "It shouldn't take two people to provide outstanding customer service," Seyfer said. "Make sure your employees are empowered to handle customers and send them away happy."
