You know when an angry customer walks into your retail store.
Their body language will often give them away.
But what happens when a customer becomes angry while they’re in your store?
An angry customer can be a learning opportunity where you can get feedback on your business that can help you improve.
Remember, customer experience and satisfaction are important markers of a retail store’s success.
It’s important for you to be able to diffuse these customers and turn them into repeat buyers by building a rapport with them.
It’s also worth taking the time to train your staff on how to handle angry customers, because even the most customer focused retail businesses will get them.
We’re Silverman Consulting And Retail Services, a store closing sales consultant.
We can help you make the most of your store closing sale.
But if you’re not yet ready to leave the world of retail behind, we’re still here to help.
In the past, we’ve talked about how to deal with shoplifters, how to convert different types of shoppers, and how to use retail therapy to your advantage.
Today, we’re here with another topic – dealing with angry customers.
Why Do Customers Get Upset In Retail?
There are many different reasons why customers can get upset in your retail store.
It could be anger at the perceived high price point of a particular item.
They might be frustrated at how long it took for them to be seen or given an opportunity to ask a question.
It could even be because they had a particularly hard day at work, and a minor inconvenience they experienced in your store was the final straw that broke the camel’s back.
Whatever the challenge, it’s usually anger underpinning an upset customer’s response in your retail store.
The interesting thing about this is that there is a recalibration theory of anger that suggests anger is the evolutionary method of bargaining.
Everything from furrowed brows, to compressed lips and flared nostrils indicate anger that may be directed at you as the owner of a retail shop.
And your response will depend on the particular situation and pain point of your customer.
This is because it all depends on if the source of your customer’s frustration is within your control, or outside of your control.
Let’s dive into these categories a little more deeply.
Sources Of Customer Frustration You Can Control
There are some sources of your customer’s frustration that you can control.
These sources of frustration typically revolve around service and time.
Let’s start with poor customer service.
If your sales associate isn’t living up to your customer’s expectations, it’s easy for the customer to get frustrated and angry with the level of service they’re receiving.
Maybe they felt their question wasn’t answered thoroughly, or that the tone of the conversation was dismissive.
It could even be that it’s taking longer than they expected to find a particular item or size.
This leads us to the second part – time.
If your customer feels like their time is being wasted, it’s easy for them to get frustrated.
People live busy lives and time is precious, which is why you want people to feel valued when spending time in your store.
These are two potential sources of frustration that are within your control to help keep your customers happy and coming back for future shopping experiences.
Sources Of Customer Frustration Out Of Your Control
Now sometimes, the source of your customer’s frustration is out of your control.
There are two main sources that are often out of your control.
The first is price.
This can be a pain point for your customers, but you can’t always give every irate customer a discount.
So sometimes, even though someone is frustrated at the price of an item, it can be out of your control to meet their target price.
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The other main source of customer frustration out of your control is if it’s a personal reason.
This personal reason will often have nothing to do with your business, and could be anything from an argument with their spouse to a disagreement with someone at work.
The only way forward with these customers is to demonstrate empathy and try to create a positive experience to help them move away from their frustration.
How To Diffuse The Situation With Difficult Customers
Now, we mentioned briefly before some strategies to help create positive customer experiences.
This time, we’ll go through a step by step solution to help you diffuse the situation with a difficult, angry customer.
If played right, you can turn an irate customer into a repeat customer.
1. Above All Else, Remain Calm
The first thing to do is remain calm and keep a Zen mind.
This is where you approach each situation from a beginner’s perspective, which helps you not judge your customer and make any statements based on your potential prejudice.
Conflict is a very common part of business, and keeping calm is the best way to show your professionalism while working towards a solution for your customer.
2. Reflect Their Experience Back To Them
Listen carefully with out interrupting and wait for a pause.
After hearing why your customer is frustrated, it’s good practice to reflect their experience back to them with empathy.
This shows that you understand the cause of your customer’s frustration and have been actively listening to their words.
Reflecting their experience back to them can be done by repeating back what they explained to you in different words that express their thoughts and feelings.
3. Take Responsibility For What Happened
This step is very important to diffuse your difficult customer.
If the source of their frustration was within your control, sincerely take responsibility for what happened.
Be deliberate with your word choice and keep your tone respectfully in order to convey your sincerity.
If the source of their frustration was not in your control, it can still go a long way by taking responsibility for it.
Remember, we’re trying to diffuse the situation and create a happy customer.
Don’t be afraid to apologize for the inconvenience if you think that will help.
4. Express Gratitude
Expressing gratitude is an excellent step towards calming down your difficult customer.
Thanking them for bringing the issue to your attention can help you start to build a rapport with them.
It also shows them that you care and do appreciate feedback, even if it’s not always positive feedback.
This demonstrates your professionalism and shows them that you do value their time and their business, which is important.
5. Work With Them To Offer A Solution
The last step is to work towards a solution with your difficult customer.
Like we said before, sometimes, it is not in your control to do anything about their issue.
If that’s the case, all you can do is apologize and thank them for bringing it to your attention with a promise to look into a solution in the future.
If you can offer them a solution, then you’ll want to clearly tell them how you can solve their frustration.
This communication is best if it’s clear and easy to understand so that your customer knows that they are being taken care of.
Contact Silverman Consulting And Retail Services Today
Angry customers can be very challenging to deal with in your retail store.
Especially if you’re not comfortable with confrontation.
But solving your customer’s issues can also improve your business and your bottom line.
Diffusing angry customers professionally and turning them into happy customers is excellent for business.
These people can become your biggest advocates, leaving you positive reviews and becoming loyal customers.
But maybe you’ve dealt with one too many irate customers, and you’re considering getting out of the retail world.
If that’s the case, we’re here to help.
Contact Silverman Consulting And Retail Services today
Silverman Consulting & Retail Services229 Yonge St suite 400,
Toronto, ON M5B 1N9, Canada
1 (888) 955-1069