InstaCarma has been providing technical support to the web-hosting industry for over 6 years now. If you have ever been working in the support department (phone,email,chat etc) then more often than not , you might have come across an abusive customer at some point. How would you deal with such a situation ? Yell back ? Discontinue the conversation abruptly? Just let the customer continue bashing ? Handling an abusive customer is a skill in itself.
Well, here are a few tips that we train our techs on, to deal with such scenarios.

* Understand the situation

Do not discontinue the conversation immediately. Talk to the customer and try to understand the situation. For example, he might be frustrated because he has been kicked around without any resolution to the problem. Another scenario is that he doesn’t have a genuine problem. Instead, he is harassing you just for the fun of it or may be, he is drunk . For you to understand the exact problem, you need to talk.

* Do not use scripts

Instead of using scripts which might irritate the customer further, try and add a personal touch to the conversation. Addressing the customer by name and letting him know that you want to help are some ways to achieve this.

* Keep your calm

Remember that the customer is not mad at you but the situation. Do not take it personally. If you have had a bad day , try out some stress management techniques. Counting from 1 to 10 , keeping a photo of your loved one on your desk are some ways to reduce stress. If nothing works and you have to get your feelings out then put the call on ‘mute’ and take out your frustration. And if it is an email/chat then you do not even have to bother

* Convey your intent and limitations

Let the customer know that your intention is  to help him and for you to do that , he needs to co-operate. You and your company wants  to keep him satisfied. If that doesn’t do any good then let him know that it is difficult for you to take the conversation further. Remind him of your limitations.

* Transfer it to another person

If things get out of control then let him know and transfer the call/chat to your supervisor or colleague. This would give him little time to re-group and there’s every possibility that he will behave when he talks to the next person. If it is an email then you can always forward it.

* Discontinue the conversation

If there’s nobody to transfer to or your the person dealing with the transferred session, make your intention clear once again that you are there to help him. If he still doesn’t co-operate then rather than being rude , let him know that this kind of behaviour is unacceptable. Reiterate your company policy regarding employee abuse and discontinue the session.

We  at InstaCarma provide LiveChat support to many of our web-hosting clients. There are certain things that needs to be taken care of while handling  live support chat . One of the main advantages of  LiveChat  is that it adds that personal touch to the website which can result in increased customer interest which in turn will result into increased sales.  So, it is very important that it is handled with utmost sincerety rather than having it on your website just for the sake of it!

Conveying warmth to the customer

‘Friendliness’  is the key while interacting with customers.  Even though we are working in a business environment, there is no harm if you take the customer’s name a few times during the conversation. That helps in conveying the warmth to the customer. A ‘Please’ or ‘Thank You’ is worth it.

For example, if a customer asks a difficult question which you cannot answer instantly, instead of writing something like, “Tough one!” , you can always put in a little more effort to write “Good one, Chris. Please hold on for a few while I check it out”

Do not make the customer repeat

Try your best not to make the customer repeat. It might give a feeling that you are not being attentive. However, if the need be then make sure that you mention your apologies for making him repeat.

Conveying verbal communication using emoticons

LiveChat is purely text and the customer is not face-to-face with you.  So, you need to express and emphasize what you want to convey as words can easily be misunderstood for their literal meaning an context. Emoticons can be used in order to achieve this wherever appropriate.  Sometimes, the customer might also misinterpret your words and think that you were rude.

For example, a customer is happy with your service and appreciates you ” You rock . James” .  And you reply like “Thank you”,  might send out a feeling that you are hardly interested or acknowledging the appreciation . You can always add an emoticon “Thank you , Peter “. It makes a huge difference.

Being well spoken

Your words and attitude depict your knowledge, intelligence and personality. So, it is always nice to be well spoken. Make sure that you frame the sentences properly, avoid spelling mistakes and use the right words. These things might not matter too much when you are having a talk but they do matter a lot in verbal communication. Being polite doesn’t hurt either.

Usage of canned messages

Having pre-defined replies for common questions can save you a lot of time. But make sure that they are relevant, framed properly and answers the query completely. Otherwise, the customer will easily figure out that you are sending him canned messages. Do remember that they are there on Live chat because they need a humane response .  Even if you are using canned messages, make sure that you do not repeat them. If you have to use the same canned messages time and again , then that means that there is something wrong. Please try and rectify the problem.

Keep it short and simple

Chat as you talk. Use simple language. Nobody is judging your vocabulary skills . Do not engage customers in long , unnecessary details. They are not here for a manual . Communicate through short sentences but make sure that the complete message is conveyed.

Be quick

Be quick in your responses. Nobody likes to wait for ages to get a response. Use of canned messages might be handy here but be intelligent in using them.

Keep the customer informed

Do inform the customer about what is happening. Sometimes, you might need a while to figure out the problem or the solution. Let the customer know what you are working on.

Do not use one-word replies or Internet language

Refrain from giving one word responses. It shows how uninterested you are. Also, avoid using words as we do over the internet or while test-messaging. Take the pain to write the complete word.

Know your product

The people  handling chat should have sound knowledge of their product. They should be able to answer the questions fielded by the customer or worst case, suggest and guide them to an alternative way to get to the solution of the problem.

Solve the problem

Most importantly, try your best to solve the problem quickly and effectively.  If at all, you cannot do it then make sure that you guide them to the right channel as mentioned above rather than fooling around and pushing them to various support levels. After all, they are here to get the problem solved.  As long as you can do that, small mistakes are acceptable.

Be calm and patient

Customers can get impatient at times. Try and understand their frustration when they are facing a persistent problem or being kicked around through various support levels. Be calm and patient. Remember that there is no business without customers. But that doesn’t mean that they can be abusive. If things start going over the roof then you can always end the session politely. Also, you might not be in a great mood due to personal problems while handling the chat but never let that show in your conversation.

Parting message

Last but not the least, it is good to have a nice canned message which you can say at the end. Not every customer would be interested in prolonging the conversation with you as they might have other things to do. In such cases, you can use this quick canned reply so that they have a good impression before they leave the site. In other cases, you can take the time and write messages as per the situation before the customer leaves.

These are certain things that we train our techs on . If you have any more suggestions then do mention them.