How do you deal with angry customers?

First: Deal with the person’s feelings.

Apologize that the situation has occurred.

–          Could you come over here and discuss this, please?

–          You must be upset.

–          I’m really sorry this happened.

Put yourself in your customer’s place.

Listen to the whole story without interrupting.

Maintain eye contact.

Nod your head.

Show the customer you’re really listening.

Until they’re calm they won’t even hear you.

–          I’m going to do everything to correct the situation.

–          I’m sure we can work it out.

Whatever you do don’t let the customer make you defensive.

She is angry at the situation, not you.

What you want to do is focus the anger.

Ask questions. Questions help control the dialogue and get the information you’ll need later on to solve the problem.

–          Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?

–          When did you buy the shoes?

–          By any chance do you have the receipt?

You understand the customer’s feelings. Now reflect those feelings back to the customer.

Give feedback.

–          You know I can just imagine how frustrating this must be.

Summarize the facts just to be sure you’ve understood them correctly.

Now it’s time to deal with the customer’s problem.

Step number one:

Find out exactly what the customer wants you to do.

–          I want you to give me my money back.

Of course sometimes you can’t do exactly what your customer wants.

If that’s the case you should explain what you can do.

–          I wish we could give you cash refunds, but since the shoes were purchased on sale we can’t do that. But here is what we can do. We can exchange them for another pair, we can give you a credit slip or we can repair them for you at no expense.

Suggest alternate solutions.

Then try to reach an agreement.

For ten years James Robertson hasn’t missed a single day of work. What’s even more remarkable is that Robertson walks a round trip of 21 miles a day just to get there.

For five days a week, Robertson, 56, trudges from his home in Detroit to his job at the factory where he works in Rochester Hills, Michigan. He’s walked the walk ever since his 1988 Honda Accord quit on him more than 10 years ago.

His job pays him $10.55 an hour, which he claims is not enough for him to buy his own car, but that may well change after well-wishers managed to raise almost $42,000 for him in an online campaign in just hours.

In the city that made the motor car famous, he is without his own four-wheels and there’s no decent bus service to get him to where he wants to go, either. 

‘I set our attendance standard by this man,’ said his boss Todd Wilson to the Detroit Free Press. ‘I say, if this man can get here, walking all those miles through snow and rain, well, I’ll tell you, I have people in Pontiac 10 minutes away and they say they can’t get here — bull! He’s never missed. I’ve seen him come in here wringing wet,’ said Wilson, 53.

Robertson claims he powers his marathon-like commutes by drinking two litres of Mountain Dew and countless cans of Coke each day. 

‘I sleep a lot on the weekend, yes I do,’ he said, ‘but I can’t imagine not working,’

Although the commute getting into work is gruelling, things are worse on the way back as Robertson has to walk the streets alone, in the dark and freezing cold.  

None of his co-workers lives anywhere near him, so catching a ride almost never happens.  The walk takes him through some shady neighbourhoods including Highland Park and the infamous 8 Mile area. Robertson says he was mugged once but doesn’t like to talk about the incident. 

He says that it’s not just the $1,700 monthly pay check that lures him back to work each day but the idea of being around his friendly co-workers whom he calls ‘family’.

The boss’s wife has also taken a shine to him and prepares him home-cooked meals each evening too. 

On several occasions, a banker driving the exact same route has given Robertson a ride.  ‘Knowing what I know, I can’t drive past him now. I’m in my car with the heat blasting and even then my feet are cold,’ Blake Pollock, 47, said.

Of course, all that may now be about to change after tens of thousands of dollars were raised for him in an online campaign. 

Robertson said he was flattered by the attention he’d gotten for his tenacious treks after he made front page news in a local newspaper. 

He said he was amazed that complete strangers would respond so generously with some even offering to buy him a brand new car.

A local car dealership even offered to give him a 2014 Chevrolet Cruz or Sonic. 

‘He gets to choose,’ said Angela Osborne, customer service specialist at Rodgers Chevrolet in Woodhaven.

‘We were just impressed with his determination,’ Ms. Osborne said.

As of Monday morning, the total was close to $42,000 and still rising.