Chinekwu Nwosu-Igbo: Managing Your Anger When You Have to Deal with Customers

Anger is a powerful force,
both for good and bad.
Used wrongly, it can jeopardize
our relationships, work and even
our health.

It is a natural emotion that helps us instinctively
detect and respond to a threatening situation. If
positively channeled, it can be a strong motivating
force. However, it must be moderately and
responsively used.
Anyone who offers a service will agree that we all
have at some point in time encountered that
customer who will always find faults in our services,
or those who are so sure that they are the only
customers on our database.
Imagine Austin, a device distributor whose
customer insists on getting personalized services
such as bringing the merchandize to his home or
office; instead of visiting the store or website,
then Austin sets it up to ensure it’s working. Then
the customer calls him the next day, yelling at him
and telling him that it is no longer working because
he sold a fake and useless product, only
for Austin to leave everything else to go visit the
customer (again). Upon getting there, to his dismay,
he realizes that the customer did not even
remember how to power on the device! Yes, we’ve
all met one or two of these people.
Some customers can be disrespectful in their
approach to issues and the reality is that you
cannot control another person’s behavior but you
can definitely control yours.
Rules:
Remember the old adage “The Customer is always
right”. In the real world, the customer is not always
right but remember that you can never win a battle
with your customer. Except the customer becomes
violent, you must never reply an irate customer with
a rash, insultive or derogative response. They will
not only take their money elsewhere, but will tell
others; hence, damage your reputation.
Remember, it’s only business and nothing else:
You must learn to detach your business from your
personal life. Learn not to take every offensive word
or a customer’s rage personally. It’s the service you
render that brought you in contact with that
customer and if Austin replies that customer
cautiously, they may even become great friends in
the future, and that means more sales and referrals,
hence, more money!
Here are some tips for managing your anger:
When faced with an irate customer, as tempting as
it may be, NEVER reply the customer angrily.
Pause and listen: Let the customer vent before you
speak. The better you listen to what a person is
saying, the more the chances that you’ll be able to
find a resolution that does not involve an angry
response.
Smile: Even if you’re speaking to the customer over
the phone. A warm smile will reflect in you voice
tone.
Take deep breaths. Tell yourself you can handle the
situation.

Stop the negative thoughts. Do not dwell on the
situation or the customer’s behavior but on how to
offer a solution.

Empathize: Try to see the situation from your
customer’s perspective. Remind yourself to be
objective and realize that everyone makes mistakes
and have different points of view to issues and it is
through mistakes that people learn how to improve.
Be Assertive: The word is assertive NOT
aggressive. When you are angry it is often difficult
to express yourself properly and put together
appropriate responses. Ensure you respond
intelligently.

In conclusion, anger can also be an emotion that
when allowed to get out of control, leads to stress,
distress, unhealthiness and unhappiness.
Uncontrolled anger can seriously harm your personal
and professional life, because it can become
destructive – to yourself and the people around
you. Remember, the customer brings the money
and you are in business because of that customer!
Photo Credit: Dreamstime