Defuse Exploding Customers

"..Could you let ME finish,...and NOT only did we have to, but....of course WE did,...and I believe we SHOULD be compensated......"

If this is a recognisable conversation from a Monday, Midweek or Friday screamer, here are some tips to defuse the exploding customer. 

Tip One: Let them finish..

Let the customer get everything off their chest, it's the only reason they called, and their complaint is not necessarily, why they called, it is most likely as a result of the actions of someone else in their life, so don't take their venting personally, this is naturally easier said than done. 

Tip Two: Lower your voice...

As soon as it is possible acknowledge the client's name and mutually agree how you will address the client before discussing their complaint. You should lower your voice when speaking with an over excitable client, it is a known fact that someone's emotional self is in control when angered and their logical self needs time to regain control, so when you lower your voice the client will reduce their volume, and your soft tones will reassure the client until their logical self catches up.

Tip Three: Ask questions...

Generally speaking, your angry customer has told their story a number of times before contacting you, so they have modified their complaint at each telling, to insure that it sounds seriously 'awful'. It's important then to ask questions about the complaint, this disarms the client, who will volunteer some contradictory truths and will be happy you are interested in hearing about their experiences.

Tip Four: Listen...

In order to get to the heart of the complaint, that is to strip away the added dramatical detail, and establish who, what, where and how they were assisted, you have to listen. Particularly, to where the client places emphasis, the repeated words or theme, there usually is only one. Most of the client's embellishments will fall away when questioned and you will then be left with the actual 'complaint'.

Tip Five: The next step..

The complaint identified, you should then advise the client on their next step. You can offer an explanation and pledge to highlight their issue to the relevant parties, or advise them on the official complaint procedure. Whatever the client is advised, the key is to make the client feel that you are doing something on their behalf, so be prepared to listen to repeated information and resist hurrying the call to the end, this will only return the client to an irritated state, and undo your good work. 

And finally your call should end with the client feeling that they have accomplished something and not having any hesitation in calling you again.

Won Ibiza Trip Friday Night, ....Say What!

Work gang arranged an overdue 'going away party', for a workmate in the Clarion off Grafton street, they just happened to be holding the Miller 'Tonight Dublin Tomorrow Ibiza' competition that evening.

The Miller competition was held simultaneously across Ireland that Friday, which meant that Miller asked Ireland to drink Miller beer and as a prize the winner and friend on producing their passports within an hour were offered an all expenses paid overnight stay in Ibiza with club entry on Saturday night, Yeah !!!

Miller Competition

So 90 winners and friends arrived at Dublin airport at 4pm, hung over to hell because everyone was out late celebrating their good fortune. No one could believe including myself that this was really happening and we laughed hysterically, one winner pledged to call his first born 'Miller', a reasonable request, he felt, given the prize.

The trip bore 'Legends and Casualties', 8 winners were lost before we left Dublin airport with 2 arriving in London, Oops! Luggage was a scream, there were girlie cases, Tescos bags and even singular toothbrushes. 'Spider-man', so called because he  squeezed into a child's pyjama Spider-man top, and pal were permanently 'sozzled', falling over and arguing in a slapstick fashion. We raved until dawn, had a drunken pool party and sessioned all night, all ending with a drunken exit from Dublin airport on Sunday evening.   

Ibiza Es Paradis nightclub

Those crazy promotional exec's at Miller, paid for flight tickets, transfers, accommodation with dinner, breakfast and lunch, Miller cans on the flight and at meal times, vouchers for bar drinks and entry to Es Paradis nightclub. The thing was that no one would choose a Miller beer but couldn't refuse free beer and an excellent prize. www.facebook.com/itsmillertime 

Why Blog?

So why have a Blog, what’s the use or point to it, personally I wanted to have an area where I could throw together thoughts and tit bits of interests without the pressure of deciding whether they were suitable for public viewing. Maybe the insular nature of a Blog suits in this case because it’s my rough work writing page, a toe in the inter-web waterway but still on a private shore.  

According to Alexa Chung ultra-cool model come popular somebody, Blogs are just mood boards. So I had a look at hers and it is wall to wall picts and promotional stuff - everyone to their own eh.